قَضَيتَyou pronounced قَضاءًa judgment فيconcerning الخِلافَةِthe caliphate ثابِتاًfirm
قَضَيتَ قَضاءً في الخِلافَةِ ثابِتاً
مِبيناًclear فَقَدfor indeed أَسمَعتَyou made hear مَنwhoever كانَwas ذاpossessed of عَقلِreason
مِبيناً فَقَد أَسمَعتَ مَن كانَ ذا عَقلِ
You have pronounced a firm judgment on the caliphate,
a clear one; you have made those with reason hear.
فَمَنso who ذاthat one الَّذيwho يَرجوhopes for الخِلافَةَthe caliphate مِنهُمُamong them
فَمَن ذا الَّذي يَرجو الخِلافَةَ مِنهُمُ
وَقَدand indeed قُمتَyou stood فيهِمamong them بِالبَيانِwith clear exposition وَبِالفَصلِand with decisive judgment
وَقَد قُمتَ فيهِم بِالبَيانِ وَبِالفَصلِ
So who among them can hope for the caliphate,
when you have stood among them with clear exposition and decisive judgment?
وَبَيَّنتَand you made clear أَنthat لاno حَقَّright فيهاin it لِخاذِلٍfor a deserter
وَبَيَّنتَ أَن لا حَقَّ فيها لِخاذِلٍ
تَرَبَّصَwaited فيin شَكٍّdoubt وَأَشفَقَand feared مِنof مَثلِexemplary punishment
تَرَبَّصَ في شَكٍّ وَأَشفَقَ مِن مَثلِ
And you made clear that no right to it belongs to a deserter
who waited in doubt and feared exemplary punishment;
وَلاnor لِاِمرِئٍfor a man آتىgave المُضِلّينَthose who lead astray بَيعَةًa pledge of allegiance
وَلا لِاِمرِئٍ آتى المُضِلّينَ بَيعَةً
رَأىhe saw الحَربَwar أَبدَتbared عَنfrom نَواجِذِهاits molars العُصلِcrooked
رَأى الحَربَ أَبدَت عَن نَواجِذِها العُصلِ
nor to a man who gave allegiance to those who lead astray,
having seen war bare its crooked molars,
وَمَدَّand stretched out يَداًa hand مِنهُof his own لِبَيعَةِfor allegiance to خاسِرٍa loser
وَمَدَّ يَداً مِنهُ لِبَيعَةِ خاسِرٍ
وَماand not المُكسِدُthe trader with unsold wares المَغبونُthe cheated one كَالرابِحِlike the profiting trader المُغليwho sells dear
وَما المُكسِدُ المَغبونُ كَالرابِحِ المُغلي
and stretched out his own hand to pledge allegiance to a loser.
The cheated trader with unsold wares is not like one who profits and sells dear.
وَعانَدَand he resisted stubbornly لَمّاwhen أَنthat رَأىhe saw الحَربَwar شَمَّرَتgirded itself
وَعانَدَ لَمّا أَن رَأى الحَربَ شَمَّرَت
عِنادَthe obstinacy of الخَصِيِّthe gelding الجَونِthe black one صَدَّturned away عَنِfrom الفَحلِthe stallion
عِنادَ الخَصِيِّ الجَونِ صَدَّ عَنِ الفَحلِ
And he stubbornly resisted when he saw war gird itself,
with the obstinacy of a black gelding turning from the stallion.
فَماso what بالُis the matter with أَقوامٍsome people بَداappeared الغِشُّtreachery مِنهُمُfrom them
فَما بالُ أَقوامٍ بَدا الغِشُّ مِنهُمُ
وَهُمand they كُشُفٌunshielded عِندَin times of الشَدائِدِhardships وَالأَزلِand privation
وَهُم كُشُفٌ عِندَ الشَدائِدِ وَالأَزلِ
What, then, is wrong with people whose treachery has shown,
though they stand unshielded in hardship and privation?
يُداوُونَthey treat مِنof قَرحٍa sore أَدانيهِits nearer parts قَدalready عَتاhas grown severe
يُداوُونَ مِن قَرحٍ أَدانيهِ قَد عَتا
عَلىwith الداءِthe disease لَمnot تُدرَكare reached أَقاصيهِits deepest parts بِالفُتلِwith wicks
عَلى الداءِ لَم تُدرَك أَقاصيهِ بِالفُتلِ
They treat the nearer parts of a sore grown rampant
with disease; its depths have not been reached by wicks.
وَقَدand indeed كانَthere was مِمّاin what قَدalready تَلَواthey recited مِنof حَديثِهِمtheir lore
وَقَد كانَ مِمّا قَد تَلَوا مِن حَديثِهِم
شِفاءٌa cure وَكانَand was الحِلمُforbearance يَشفيhealing مِنَfrom الجَهلِfolly
شِفاءٌ وَكانَ الحِلمُ يَشفي مِنَ الجَهلِ
And there was, in what they had recited of their lore,
a cure; and forbearance would cure folly.
وَإِلّاand if not فَإِنَّthen indeed المَشرِفِيَّةَthe Mashrafi swords حَدُّهاtheir edge
وَإِلّا فَإِنَّ المَشرِفِيَّةَ حَدُّها
دَواءٌa remedy لَهُمfor them غَيرَother than الدَبيبِstealthy creeping وَلاnor الخَتلِguile
دَواءٌ لَهُم غَيرَ الدَبيبِ وَلا الخَتلِ
Otherwise, the Mashrafi swords—their edge
is a remedy for them, not stealthy creeping or guile.
أَوِor النَفيُexile حَتّىuntil عَرضُthe breadth of أَرضٍa land وَطولُهاand its length
أَوِ النَفيُ حَتّى عَرضُ أَرضٍ وَطولُها
عَلَيهِمfor them كَبَيتِlike the house of القَينِthe smith أُغلِقَwas shut بِالقَفلِwith a lock
عَلَيهِم كَبَيتِ القَينِ أُغلِقَ بِالقَفلِ
Or exile, until a land's breadth and length
are to them like a smith's house, locked shut.
وَقَدand indeed خَذَلواthey deserted مَروانَMarwan فيin الحَربِwar وَاِبنَهُand his son
وَقَد خَذَلوا مَروانَ في الحَربِ وَاِبنَهُ
أَباكَyour father وَأَدلَواand they spoke out فيهِماagainst them both مَعَwith مَنthose who يُدليspeak out
أَباكَ وَأَدلَوا فيهِما مَعَ مَن يُدلي
They had deserted Marwan in war, and his son,
your father, and joined those who spoke against them both.
وَكاناand they both were إِذاwhenever ماfor emphasis كانَthere was يَومُa day of عَظيمَةٍgrave calamity
وَكانا إِذا ما كانَ يَومُ عَظيمَةٍ
حَمولَينِboth able to bear much لِلأَثقالِof heavy burdens فيin الأَمرِthe affair ذيof البَزلِhardship
حَمولَينِ لِلأَثقالِ في الأَمرِ ذي البَزلِ
And those two, whenever a day of grave calamity came,
would bear heavy burdens in matters of hardship.
فَصَلّىso may He bless عَلىupon قَبرَيهِماtheir two graves اللَهُGod إِنَّماindeed
فَصَلّى عَلى قَبرَيهِما اللَهُ إِنَّما
خَلائِقُهُHis creatures مِنهاamong them عَلىupon سُنَّةِthe way of الرُسلِthe messengers
خَلائِقُهُ مِنها عَلى سُنَّةِ الرُسلِ
So may God bless their two graves; indeed,
His creatures include those who follow the messengers' way.
فَفُزتَso you won بِماwith what فازاthey both won بِهِby it مِنof خِلافَةٍcaliphal rule
فَفُزتَ بِما فازا بِهِ مِن خِلافَةٍ
وَزِدتَand you surpassed عَلىbeyond مَنthose who كانَwere قَبلَكَbefore you بِالحَصلِin attainment
وَزِدتَ عَلى مَن كانَ قَبلَكَ بِالحَصلِ
So you have won the caliphate that they both won,
and surpassed those before you in attainment,
بِعافِيَةٍwith well-being كانَتthat was مِنَfrom اللَهِGod جَلَّلَتenfolded
بِعافِيَةٍ كانَت مِنَ اللَهِ جَلَّلَت
مَشارِقَهاits eastern reaches أَمناًsafety إِلىto مَغرِبِthe western horizon of الأُملِhope
مَشارِقَها أَمناً إِلى مَغرِبِ الأُملِ
with well-being that came from God and enfolded
its eastern reaches in safety, to hope's western horizon.
Sol 6.1