إِذاif اِستَلَّكَunsheathed you الجانونُthe wrongdoers أَغمَدَكَsheathed you الحِلمُforbearance
إِذا اِستَلَّكَ الجانونُ أَغمَدَكَ الحِلمُ
وَإِنand if كَفَّكَrestrained you الإِبقاءُclemency أَنهَضَكَroused you العَزمُresolve
وَإِن كَفَّكَ الإِبقاءُ أَنهَضَكَ العَزمُ
If wrongdoers unsheathe you, forbearance sheathes you.
When fury seizes you, sheathe it with patience,
And if clemency restrains you, resolve rouses you.
And if holding back pains you, rouse yourself with resolve.
وَمَنand whoever لَمdid not يُؤَدِّبهُdiscipline him لِفَرطِbecause of the excess of عُتُوِّهِhis insolence
وَمَن لَم يُؤَدِّبهُ لِفَرطِ عُتُوِّهِ
إِذاwhen ما(emphatic particle) جَنىhe did wrong الإِنصافُfairness أَدَّبَهُdisciplined him الظُلمُinjustice
إِذا ما جَنى الإِنصافُ أَدَّبَهُ الظُلمُ
And whoever, through his excessive insolence, is not chastened
He whom lenience cannot discipline for his insolence -
by fairness when he does wrong, is chastened by injustice.
When justice arises, oppression will discipline him.
إِذاif العُربُthe Arabs لَمdid not تَجزِrepay اِصطِناعfavor مُلوكِهاtheir kings
إِذا العُربُ لَم تَجزِ اِصطِناع مُلوكِها
بِشُكرٍwith gratitude تَمادَتpersisted فيin سِياسَتِهاgoverning them العُجمُthe non-Arabs
بِشُكرٍ تَمادَت في سِياسَتِها العُجمُ
If the Arabs do not repay their kings' favor
When Arabs fail to thank their kings for their rule
with gratitude, the non-Arabs persist in governing them.
They persist in policies that favor foreigners.
أَعِدهاrestore them إِلىto عاداتِcustomary ways of عَفوِكَyour pardon مُحسِناًacting graciously
أَعِدها إِلى عاداتِ عَفوِكَ مُحسِناً
كَماjust as عَوَّدَتهاaccustomed them قَبلُbefore آباؤُكَyour forefathers الشُمُّlofty
كَما عَوَّدَتها قَبلُ آباؤُكَ الشُمُّ
Restore them graciously to your customary pardon,
Accustom them again to your pardoning ways,
as your lofty forefathers once accustomed them to it.
As your forefathers, the ancients, once did.
فَإِنso if ضاقَbecame too narrow عَنهاfor them العُذرُexcuse عِندَكَin your judgment فيconcerning الَّذيthat which
فَإِن ضاقَ عَنها العُذرُ عِندَكَ في الَّذي
جَنَتهُthey committed it فَماthen not ضاقَbecame too narrow التَفَضُّلُgenerosity وَالحِلمُand forbearance
جَنَتهُ فَما ضاقَ التَفَضُّلُ وَالحِلمُ
So if, in your eyes, there is no room to excuse them for what
But if their excuse seems wanting for what they have wrought,
they have committed, generosity and forbearance still have room.
Your grace and clemency are never found wanting.
Sol 6.1