سَلِask القَضَاءَthe judiciary يُجِبْit will answer مَاwhat كَانَwas جِهْبِذُهُits master
سَلِ القَضَاءَ يُجِبْ مَا كَانَ جِهْبِذُهُ
وَالبَاحِثُand the investigator الْجَلْدُtireless وَالمُسْتَبْصِرُand the clear-sighted one الْفَهِمُastute
وَالبَاحِثُ الْجَلْدُ وَالمُسْتَبْصِرُ الْفَهِمُ
Ask justice: it will tell what its master was—
Ask destiny, it will answer what its repository contains,
its tireless investigator and clear-sighted, astute sage.
The tireless seeker and the insightful of understanding,
ذَاكَthat man الَّذِيwho قَبْلَbefore أَنْthat تُلْقَىare entrusted مَقَالِدُهُits keys
ذَاكَ الَّذِي قَبْلَ أَنْ تُلْقَى مَقَالِدُهُ
إِلَيْهِto him كَانَتْused to إِلَيْهِto him النَّاسُthe people تَحْتَكِمُseek judgment
إِلَيْهِ كَانَتْ إِلَيْهِ النَّاسُ تَحْتَكِمُ
That man to whom, before its keys were entrusted
He who before you came to his assembly,
to him, people already appealed for judgment.
To him the people would refer judgement,
يَقْظَانَvigilant لاnot يَرْتَقِيrises زورfalsehood إِلَيْهِto him وَلاnor
يَقْظَانَ لا يَرْتَقِي زور إِلَيْهِ وَلا
تُضِلُّهُleads him astray الشُّبَهُthe doubts المُزْجَاةُproffered وضالتُّهَمُand accusations (reading uncertain)
تُضِلُّهُ الشُّبَهُ المُزْجَاةُ وضالتُّهَمُ
Vigilant—no falsehood can rise to him, nor
Awake, no falsehood ascends to him, nor
can proffered doubts and accusations lead him astray.
Do ambiguities and their misguidance mislead him,
يَبِتdecides فِيon الأَمْرِthe matter لاnot يَعْنِيهِconcerns him مِنْهُof it سِوَىexcept
يَبِت فِي الأَمْرِ لا يَعْنِيهِ مِنْهُ سِوَى
مَاwhat تَرْتَضِيهِapprove of it عُهُودُcovenants اللهِGod وَالذِّمَمُand the pledges
مَا تَرْتَضِيهِ عُهُودُ اللهِ وَالذِّمَمُ
He decides the matter, concerned with nothing in it but
He deliberates on the matter, nothing concerns him of it except
what God's covenants and pledges approve.
What the covenants of God and responsibilities require,
وَيُوقِعُand he delivers الْحُكْمَjudgment فِيat أَمَضَىmost incisive مَوَاقِعِهِits points of impact
وَيُوقِعُ الْحُكْمَ فِي أَمَضَى مَوَاقِعِهِ
مِنَof الصَّوَابِrightness وَغَرْبُand the cutting edge الظُّلْمِinjustice مُنْثَلِمُnotched
مِنَ الصَّوَابِ وَغَرْبُ الظُّلْمِ مُنْثَلِمُ
And he delivers judgment where it strikes most decisively
And he delivers the judgement in its most perfect places,
for what is right, while injustice's edge is notched.
Of truth, while the darkness of injustice is tearful,
مُحَاذِراًguarding against خَطَأَerror مَاas far as اسْطَاعَhe could أَوْor خَظَلاًfolly (reading uncertain)
مُحَاذِراً خَطَأَ مَا اسْطَاعَ أَوْ خَظَلاً
فِيin النَّفْسِlife أَوْor فِيin الْحَقِّthe right يُهْتَضَمُis infringed
فِي النَّفْسِ أَوْ فِي الْحَقِّ يُهْتَضَمُ
Guarding, as best he can, against error or folly
Cautious of the error he was capable of or injustice
in matters of life, or of a right that is infringed.
In the self or in the right that is infringed,
أَتَنْقَضِيshall they perish? نَسَمٌsouls مِنْfrom رُوحِthe spirit خَالِقِهَاtheir Creator
أَتَنْقَضِي نَسَمٌ مِنْ رُوحِ خَالِقِهَا
جَبْراًby force كَمَاjust as تَنْقَضِيvanish إِنْif مَرَّتِpassed النَّسَمُthe breezes
جَبْراً كَمَا تَنْقَضِي إِنْ مَرَّتِ النَّسَمُ
Shall souls from their Creator's spirit perish
Can a breath from its Creator's soul expire
by force, as breezes vanish when they pass?
Forcibly as breaths expire when they pass?
وَهَلْand may...? تُبَاحُbe violated حُقُوقٌrights فِيin الضَّمِيرِthe conscience لَهَاfor them
وَهَلْ تُبَاحُ حُقُوقٌ فِي الضَّمِيرِ لَهَا
غَمْزٌa sting أَلِيمٌpainful إِذَاif لَمْnot يَرْعَهَاsafeguard them الْحَكَمُthe judge
غَمْزٌ أَلِيمٌ إِذَا لَمْ يَرْعَهَا الْحَكَمُ
And may rights be violated, when in conscience they leave
And are rights in the conscience permitted with
a painful sting if the judge does not safeguard them?
A painful hint if the law does not watch over them?
Sol 6.1