دُرْrevolve فِيin سَمَائِكَyour heaven يَاO قَضَاءُJustice فَإِنْfor if يَثُرْrises up
دُرْ فِي سَمَائِكَ يَا قَضَاءُ فَإِنْ يَثُرْ
بِكَagainst you عِثْيَرٌa cloud of dust فَقَرَارُهُthen its resting place فِيin لَحْدِهِits grave
بِكَ عِثْيَرٌ فَقَرَارُهُ فِي لَحْدِهِ
Revolve in your heaven, O Justice; should there rise
against you a cloud of dust, its resting place is in its grave.
مَنْwhoever يَبْتَغِيseeks الشَّمْسَthe sun المُنِيرَةَshining بِالأَذَىwith harm
مَنْ يَبْتَغِي الشَّمْسَ المُنِيرَةَ بِالأَذَى
تَرْأَفْshows mercy بِهِto him مَهْمَاhowever much يَضِلُّhe strays وَتَهْدِهِand guides him
تَرْأَفْ بِهِ مَهْمَا يَضِلُّ وَتَهْدِهِ
Whoever seeks to harm the shining sun,
it shows him mercy, however far he strays, and guides him.
إِنْif يَرْمِكَassails you الشَّاكِيthe complainant بِحِقْدٍwith rancor عِنْدَهُhe harbors
إِنْ يَرْمِكَ الشَّاكِي بِحِقْدٍ عِنْدَهُ
فَاسْلَمْso remain unscathed وَلاand let not تَبْلُغْكَreach you رَمْيَةُthe shot of حِقْدِهِhis rancor
فَاسْلَمْ وَلا تَبْلُغْكَ رَمْيَةُ حِقْدِهِ
If the complainant assails you with the rancor he harbors,
remain unscathed, and let no shot of his rancor reach you.
مَنْwhoever زَيَّفَimpugned الأَحْكَامَthe rulings لَمْdid not يَكُbe نَاقِماًresentful
مَنْ زَيَّفَ الأَحْكَامَ لَمْ يَكُ نَاقِماً
بَلْbut rather نَاقِداًa critic فَلْيُبْدِthen let him present حُجَّةَthe grounds for نَقْدِهِhis criticism
بَلْ نَاقِداً فَلْيُبْدِ حُجَّةَ نَقْدِهِ
Whoever impugns the rulings, not as a resentful man,
but as a critic, let him present the grounds for his criticism.
مَاwhat قِيمَةُthe worth of القَوْلِtalk الجُزَافِgroundless فَإِنَّهُfor it
مَا قِيمَةُ القَوْلِ الجُزَافِ فَإِنَّهُ
مَهْمَاhowever much يَخَلْهُhe deems it مُجْدِياًuseful لَمْhas not يُجْدِهِbenefited him
مَهْمَا يَخَلْهُ مُجْدِياً لَمْ يُجْدِهِ
What worth has groundless talk? For it,
however useful he thinks it, has done him no good.
يَاO كَائِلاًone who measures فِيin غَيْرِother than كَيْلٍmeasure لَمْdid not يُصِبْattain
يَا كَائِلاً فِي غَيْرِ كَيْلٍ لَمْ يُصِبْ
مِمَّاfrom what يُرَجِّيhe hopes for غَيْرَother than خَيْبَةِthe frustration of قَصْدِهِhis aim
مِمَّا يُرَجِّي غَيْرَ خَيْبَةِ قَصْدِهِ
O measurer without measure, who has gained nothing
from what he hopes for but the frustration of his aim!
لَوْif كَانَwere يَأْخُذُكَto hold you accountable القَضَاءُthe judiciary بِعَدْلِهِwith its justice
لَوْ كَانَ يَأْخُذُكَ القَضَاءُ بِعَدْلِهِ
لَمْnot تُلْفَbe found مُجْتَرِئاًdaring عَلَيْهِagainst it لِرَدِّهِto reject it
لَمْ تُلْفَ مُجْتَرِئاً عَلَيْهِ لِرَدِّهِ
Were the judiciary to hold you to account with its justice,
you would not be found daring to reject it.
لَكِنْbut أَصَبْتَyou found الحِلْمَforbearance مِنْهُfrom it مَرْتَعاًa pasture
لَكِنْ أَصَبْتَ الحِلْمَ مِنْهُ مَرْتَعاً
فَمَضَيْتَso you went on فِيهِin it إِلَىto تَجَاوُزِoverstepping حَدِّهِits limit
فَمَضَيْتَ فِيهِ إِلَى تَجَاوُزِ حَدِّهِ
Yet you found its forbearance a pasture,
so you went on in it until you overstepped its bounds.
مَاwhatever شِئْتَyou wish مِنْof شَكْوَاكَyour complaint زِدْهُincrease it فَإِنَّمَاfor only
مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ شَكْوَاكَ زِدْهُ فَإِنَّمَا
شَكْوَاكَyour complaint مِنْهُagainst it ايَةٌa sign مِنْof حَمْدِهِpraise for it
شَكْوَاكَ مِنْهُ ايَةٌ مِنْ حَمْدِهِ
Increase your complaint as much as you wish, for
your complaint against it is but a token of praise for it.
إِخْوَانَنَاour brothers لَكُمُto you عَلَيْنَاbinding on us ذِمَّةُa pledge
إِخْوَانَنَا لَكُمُ عَلَيْنَا ذِمَّةُ
رُعِيَتْhas been honored فَمَاso what بالُis the matter with الوَفَاءِloyalty وَعَهْدِهِand its covenant
رُعِيَتْ فَمَا بالُ الوَفَاءِ وَعَهْدِهِ
Our brothers, we are bound to you by a pledge
that has been honored; what, then, of loyalty and its covenant?
إِنِّيindeed I عَجِبْتُwas astonished لِعَاقِلٍat a sensible man مِنْfrom رَهْطِكُمْyour clan
إِنِّي عَجِبْتُ لِعَاقِلٍ مِنْ رَهْطِكُمْ
مُبْدٍshowing جَمِيلاًkindness وَهْوَwhile he مُضْمِرُharbors ضِدِّهِits opposite
مُبْدٍ جَمِيلاً وَهْوَ مُضْمِرُ ضِدِّهِ
Indeed, I was astonished at a man of reason from your clan,
showing kindness while harboring its opposite.
إِنْif تَطْلُبُواyou seek عَدْلَthe justice of القَضَاءِthe judiciary كَوُدِّكُمْlike your affection
إِنْ تَطْلُبُوا عَدْلَ القَضَاءِ كَوُدِّكُمْ
فَالعَدْلُthen justice لَيْسَis not كَوُدِّكُمْlike your affection وَكَوُدِّهِand like his affection
فَالعَدْلُ لَيْسَ كَوُدِّكُمْ وَكَوُدِّهِ
If you seek the judiciary's justice to match your affection,
then justice is not like your affection or his.
أَلعَدْلُjustice شَيْءٌsomething فَوْقَabove حِسْبَةِthe reckoning of سَيِّدٍa chief
أَلعَدْلُ شَيْءٌ فَوْقَ حِسْبَةِ سَيِّدٍ
فِيamong قَوْمِهِhis people أَوْor قَائِدٍa commander فِيamong جُنْدِهِhis troops
فِي قَوْمِهِ أَوْ قَائِدٍ فِي جُنْدِهِ
Justice is something above the reckoning of a chief
among his people, or a commander among his troops.
أَلعَدْلُjustice شَيْءٌsomething مُطْلَقٌabsolute مَنْwhoever يَلْتَزِمْinsists on
أَلعَدْلُ شَيْءٌ مُطْلَقٌ مَنْ يَلْتَزِمْ
تَجْنِيسَهُclassifying it يَفْسُدْit becomes corrupt عَلَيْهِfor him وَيُرْدِهِand brings him to ruin
تَجْنِيسَهُ يَفْسُدْ عَلَيْهِ وَيُرْدِهِ
Justice is something absolute; if anyone insists
on classifying it, it becomes corrupt for him and brings him to ruin.
Sol 6.1