إِنَّindeed الحَكيمَthe wise man لَهُhe has مَقالٌa saying سائِرٌwidely circulating
إِنَّ الحَكيمَ لَهُ مَقالٌ سائِرٌ
يَلتَذُّهُdelights in it ماwhat قالَhe said أُذنُear السامِعِthe listener
يَلتَذُّهُ ما قالَ أُذنُ السامِعِ
The wise man indeed has a saying that travels far;
The listener's ear delights in what he says.
لاno حُكمَjudgment إِلّاexcept مِنfrom تُقىًpiety وَتَواضُعٍand humility
لا حُكمَ إِلّا مِن تُقىً وَتَواضُعٍ
أَوor لاnot فَإِنَّfor indeed الحُكمَjudgment لَيسَis not بِنافِعِof benefit
أَو لا فَإِنَّ الحُكمَ لَيسَ بِنافِعِ
No judgment comes save from piety and humility;
Otherwise, judgment is of no avail.
وَكَذاand likewise الحُكومَةُgovernance مِنfrom أَئِمَّةِthe imams of هاشِمٍHashim
وَكَذا الحُكومَةُ مِن أَئِمَّةِ هاشِمٍ
مِنfrom لُدنُthe time of أَوَّلِهِمtheir first إِلىto ذاthis التاسِعِninth
مِن لُدنُ أَوَّلِهِم إِلى ذا التاسِعِ
So too is governance by the imams of Hashim,
From their first down to this ninth.
فَعَلىso it is incumbent on اِمرِئٍa man جَمَعَmastered القُرانَthe Qur'an وَفَسرَهُand its interpretation
فَعَلى اِمرِئٍ جَمَعَ القُرانَ وَفَسرَهُ
مِنfrom عِلمِهِhis learning صافيpure in الدَخيلَةِinner character جامِعِbroadly learned
مِن عِلمِهِ صافي الدَخيلَةِ جامِعِ
So it falls to one who has mastered the Qur'an and its interpretation,
Through his learning, pure of heart and broadly learned,
وَسَماand rose إِلىto الأَمرِthe office الجَليلِexalted بِنَفسِهِthrough his own merit
وَسَما إِلى الأَمرِ الجَليلِ بِنَفسِهِ
وَبِفَضلِand through excellence of مَعرِفَةٍunderstanding وَعِلمٍand knowledge بارِعِoutstanding
وَبِفَضلِ مَعرِفَةٍ وَعِلمٍ بارِعِ
And risen to high office through his own merit,
And through superior understanding and outstanding knowledge,
أَلّاthat no يَجوزَshould pass لَدَيهِbefore him حُكمٌjudgment عادِلٌjust
أَلّا يَجوزَ لَدَيهِ حُكمٌ عادِلٌ
إِلّاexcept بِعَدلِwith fairness of شَهادَةٍtestimony مِنfrom قاطِعِone who is certain
إِلّا بِعَدلِ شَهادَةٍ مِن قاطِعِ
To let no just judgment pass before him
Except on fair testimony from one who is certain,
وَبِشاهِدٍand with a witness يَتلوهُfollows him عَدلٌan upright man مِثلَهُlike him
وَبِشاهِدٍ يَتلوهُ عَدلٌ مِثلَهُ
فيin كُلِّevery أَمرٍmatter مُستَنيرٍluminous ساطِعِshining
في كُلِّ أَمرٍ مُستَنيرٍ ساطِعِ
And with a witness followed by another equally upright,
In every matter, clear and radiant.
أَوor لاnot فَقَدthen indeed جارَتhas been unjust حُكومَةُthe adjudication of حُكمِهِhis judgment
أَو لا فَقَد جارَت حُكومَةُ حُكمِهِ
وَكَذاكَand likewise فِعلُthe conduct of الخاطِىءِone who errs المُتَتابِعِpersistent
وَكَذاكَ فِعلُ الخاطِىءِ المُتَتابِعِ
Otherwise, his exercise of judgment has been unjust,
And such is the conduct of one who persists in error.
أَفَجِئتَنيdid you then come to me بَرّاًkindly وَتَرجِعُand you return مُغضَباًangered
أَفَجِئتَني بَرّاً وَتَرجِعُ مُغضَباً
مِنbecause of قَولِthe words of عَبدٍa slave أَوor غُلامٍa boy تابِعِattendant
مِن قَولِ عَبدٍ أَو غُلامٍ تابِعِ
Did you come to me kindly, yet go back enraged
At the words of a slave or a boy in service?
أَفَلاwhy then did you not كَتَبتَwrite بِبَعضِabout some of ماwhat أَنكَرتَهُyou disapproved of it
أَفَلا كَتَبتَ بِبَعضِ ما أَنكَرتَهُ
وَفَعَلتَand you acted فِعلَthe action of المُنصِفِthe fair-minded man المُتَواضِعِthe humble man
وَفَعَلتَ فِعلَ المُنصِفِ المُتَواضِعِ
Why did you not write of some of what you disapproved of,
And act as a fair-minded, humble man would,
قَبلَbefore اعتِقادِكَyour resolve لِلقَطيعَةِto sever ties جائِراًacting unjustly
قَبلَ اعتِقادِكَ لِلقَطيعَةِ جائِراً
تَشكوyou complain of أَخاكَyour brother لَدىat الطَريقِthe road الشارِعِpublic
تَشكو أَخاكَ لَدى الطَريقِ الشارِعِ
Before unjustly resolving to sever ties,
Complaining of your brother on the public road?
بِالظَنِّon suspicion تَحتِمُهُyou decree it عَلَيناagainst us ظالِماًunjustly
بِالظَنِّ تَحتِمُهُ عَلَينا ظالِماً
وَالظَنُّand suspicion لَيسَis not عَلىon اليَقينِcertainty بِواقِعِresting
وَالظَنُّ لَيسَ عَلى اليَقينِ بِواقِعِ
On suspicion you decree it against us, unjustly,
Yet suspicion does not rest on certainty.
فَلَأَهتِفَنَّso I shall surely proclaim غَداًtomorrow بِحُكمِكَabout your judgment فيamong الوَرىhumankind
فَلَأَهتِفَنَّ غَداً بِحُكمِكَ في الوَرى
أَوuntil تَستَجيرَyou seek refuge بِكُلِّwith every خِلٍّfriend شاسِعِfaraway
أَو تَستَجيرَ بِكُلِّ خِلٍّ شاسِعِ
So tomorrow I shall proclaim your judgment among mankind,
Until you seek refuge with every faraway friend.
وَأَناand I امرُؤٌa man أَبتاعُI buy وُدَّthe affection of ذَويthose endowed with النُهىreason
وَأَنا امرُؤٌ أَبتاعُ وُدَّ ذَوي النُهى
بِجَميعِwith all ماthat which أَحويI possess وَلَستُand I am not بِبائِعِa seller
بِجَميعِ ما أَحوي وَلَستُ بِبائِعِ
I am a man who buys the affection of those endowed with reason
With all I possess, and I do not sell it.
وَإِذاand when هَفاslips خِلّيmy friend بِغَيرِwithout تَعَمُّدٍdeliberate intent
وَإِذا هَفا خِلّي بِغَيرِ تَعَمُّدٍ
أَغضَيتُI turn a blind eye غَيرَwithout مُبايِنٍbreaking away وَمُمانِعِand opposing
أَغضَيتُ غَيرَ مُبايِنٍ وَمُمانِعِ
And when my friend slips without intent,
I turn a blind eye, neither breaking with him nor opposing him.
وَكَذاكَand likewise ماnot أَدَعُI forgo العِتابَreproach مُخَفِّفاًtempering it
وَكَذاكَ ما أَدَعُ العِتابَ مُخَفِّفاً
وَلِذاكَand for that reason ماwhat أَولَيتَyou bestowed لَيسَis not بِنافِعِof benefit
وَلِذاكَ ما أَولَيتَ لَيسَ بِنافِعِ
Likewise, I do not forgo reproach, keeping it gentle;
And so what you have bestowed is of no avail.
Sol 6.1