1. كم شقيٍّ يُساقُ للإعدامِ

    كان أولى برحمةِ الأحكامِ

    How many a wretch is led to execution

    who was more deserving of merciful judgment!

  2. ولكَم في القصورِ ناعمُ بالٍ

    وهو أحرى بالنارِ ذات الضرام

    And many a man in palaces enjoys peace of mind,

    though he is more deserving of the blazing fire!

  3. قاتلُ النفسِ دونهُ قاتل الجسمِ

    فليس النفوسُ كالأجسامِ

    The killer of the soul is worse than the killer of the body,

    for souls are not like bodies.

  4. ما لهذي الحبالِ تعفو عن العا

    لي ويعلو بها وضيعُ المقامِ

    Why do these ropes spare the high-

    ranking, while the lowly in station is raised by them?

  5. ما سمعنا بأَنَّهم عَلَّقوا يو

    ماً غنياً بها ولا في المنامِ

    We have never heard that they hanged, on any

    day, a rich man on them—not even in a dream.

  6. أَفكلُّ الأَنام أهلُ صلاحٍ

    ما خلا ذا الفقير بين الأنامِ

    Is all mankind righteous,

    except this poor man among them?

  7. إن يقِ المالُ ربَّهُ الاثمَ

    فالفقرُ يجرُّ الفقيرَ للآثامِ

    If wealth shields its owner from sin,

    poverty drags the poor man into sins.

  8. فاقتلوا الفَقرَ إِن عَدَلتُم فإَنَّ

    أَصلُ البلا ورأسُ الخِصامِ

    Then kill poverty, if you are just, for

    it is the root of affliction and the source of strife.

  9. واحفظوا أَنفساً على صورةِ

    اللَهِ فليست تُعدُّ في الأَغنامِ

    And safeguard souls made in the image

    of God, for they are not counted among sheep.

  10. ليس بالقتلِ ينتفي القتل بل با

    لعلمِ تُمحى جهالة الأقوامِ

    Killing is not abolished by killing; rather, through

    knowledge the ignorance of peoples is erased.

  11. إِن يكُن جرمُهُ عظيماً فهذا

    الجرمُ منكم أَحقُّ بالاعظامِ

    If his crime is great, then this

    crime of yours deserves to be judged graver.

  12. فهو للحاجة ابتغى القتل ما تب

    غونَ انتم بقتلِه من مرامِ

    For he sought to kill out of need; what do

    you seek to achieve by killing him?

  13. لو نفى القتل في البرية قتلا

    لانتفى القتلُ قبل ذي الأَيامِ

    If killing abolished killing among humankind,

    killing would have vanished before these days.

  14. يا لها ساعةً وقد أَقبلوا فيهِ

    يخوضون موجَ ذاك الزِحامِ

    Oh, what an hour, as they advanced with him,

    wading through the waves of that crowd!

  15. تحتويه الفرسانُ من كل صوب

    كمليكٍ من الملوكِ العظامِ

    Horsemen surround him on every side,

    like a king among the mighty kings.

  16. وكأَنَّ الجموع بعضُ الرعايا

    وقفوا في طريقهِ للسلامِ

    And as though the crowds were some of the subjects,

    they stood along his path to offer greetings.

  17. فاشرأَبَّ الجميعُ يطلبُ ان يعر

    فَ ذاكَ المسوقَ للاعدامِ

    Then everyone craned their necks, seeking to recognize

    that man being led to execution.

  18. إذ بدا وهو ناحلُ الجسم كهلٌ

    رشقَ الشيب رأسه بسهامِ

    When he appeared, a gaunt, middle-aged man,

    gray hair had struck his head with arrows.

  19. فتولَّى النفوسَ روعٌ لأَنَّ الشيبَ

    يدعو النفوسَ الاحترامِ

    Awe gripped their souls, for gray hair

    calls souls to respect.

  20. ثمَّ ساد السكوتُ حتى لقد تسمع

    نَقرَ القلوبِ في الأَجسامِ

    Then silence reigned, so that you could even hear

    the beating of hearts within their bodies.

  21. وانثَنَت أَعينُ الجميع إلى الد

    كَّةِ حيثُ الجلادُ دون اهتمامِ

    And everyone's eyes turned toward the

    platform, where the executioner was unconcerned.

  22. وإذا بالشقيِ يرقى إليها

    دونَ ما رهبةٍ ولا إِحجامِ

    And behold, the wretch climbs up to it,

    without any fear or hesitation.

  23. سمعَ الحكم هادئاً ثمَّ صلَّى

    مُهدياً للنبيِ أَذكى السلامِ

    He heard the sentence calmly, then prayed,

    offering the Prophet the sweetest greetings of peace.

  24. وأَلفاظِهِ الخفيفةِ وقعُ الرَعدِ

    في ذلك السكوتِ التمامِ

    And his soft words had the crash of thunder

    in that utter silence.

  25. ثمَّ ولّى كأَنه لم يكن إِلا

    م كطيفٍ مضى معَ الأحلامِ

    Then he departed, as though he had been only

    like a phantom that passed away with dreams.

  26. وتراءي للناسِ فيهِ خطيبٌ

    صامتٌ ناطقٌ بأَسمى كلامِ

    And in him the people saw an orator,

    silent, yet speaking the loftiest words:

  27. يا ذوي المالِ أنتم شركاءُ

    لي ولكن بغيرِ هذا الحمام

    “O possessors of wealth, you are partners

    with me, but not in this death.

  28. لو أردتم لما ارتكبتُ المَعاصي

    لو أردتم لكنتُ خِدنَ سلامِ

    Had you wished it, I would not have committed sins;

    had you wished it, I would have been a companion of peace.

  29. فاتقوا اللَه في نفوسٍ رماها

    الفَقرُ في أَسرِ شُقوةٍ وعُرامِ

    So fear God in your treatment of souls cast

    by poverty into the bondage of misery and violence.

  30. من يَسيرِ الأَموالِ تُقصَدُ من لعبٍ

    ومن زينةٍ ومن ايلامِ

    From a little money set aside from amusement,

    and from adornment, and from inflicting pain,

  31. يستفيدُ الفقيرُ علماً وتقوى

    وبهذا يِقلُّ فعلُ الحرامِ

    the poor man gains knowledge and piety,

    and thus forbidden deeds grow fewer.”