يا هَل علَى الطَّرفينِ مِن حاكِم
فقَد عَدا السَّاجي عَلى السَّاجِمِ
O people on both sides of the ruler
The night-traveller has attacked the sleeping one
جوَّدَ هَذا فانهَمى ذا أمِن
بَرقِ الغَوادي بَرق ذا الصَّارِمِ
This one was generous so he became secure
The flashing of lightning like the flashing of a sharp sword
أبكاهُ واستكتمه فانظُروا
ما أبعدَ الباكِي مِن الكاتِمِ
It made him weep and conceal his weeping so look
How far the weeper is from the concealer
حتَّى إِذا لَم يَستَطع طاعَةً
عاقَبه بالسَّهرِ الدائِمِ
Until when he was not able to obey
He punished him with perpetual wakefulness
ونامَ فاعجَب أنَّ مُستَيقِظاً
تُخشَى عَلَيهِ سَطوةُ النائِمِ
And he slept, so it was wondrous that when awake
The onslaught of the sleeper was feared upon him
لمَن تَصاريفُ الهَوى فَليَقُم
بالعَدلِ في المَظلومِ والظالِمِ
For the one whom the passions of love toss about, let him stand
With justice between the oppressed and the oppressor
كَما اللَّيالي وتَصاريفها
للدارِميِّ ابن أبي الدَّارِمِ
As the nights and their tossings
For Ibn Abi al-Damim the Darimi
فَليكفِ هَذا هَذِه أهلَها
فَقَد كَفَى تِلكَ أَبو القاسِمِ
So let this one spare his family
For Abul Qasim has spared those
مِن بَعدِ ما قامَ بتَقويمِها
حتَّى استَقامَت في يدِ القائِمِ
After he had undertaken to guide it
Until it was upright in the hand of the upright
وصارَ يَستَخلِفُ من جُودِه
فيها غَشوماً لَيسَ بِالرَّاحِمِ
And he came to delegate from his generosity
In it a harsh one, not a compassionate one
يَسمَعُ فيها القَولَ مِن صادِقٍ
شاكٍ وَظنَّانٍ بِها واهِمِ
Hearing in it the word from a truthful one
Doubting and supposing about it, confused
لا يَسألُ الناسُ دَليلاً وَما
صاحِبُ هَذا الجَورِ بِالآثِمِ
The people do not ask for evidence, yet
The master of this injustice is not sinful
قُل لِعُبَيدِ اللَّهِ مُستَرشِداً
فالحازِمُ الآخِذُ بِالحازِمِ
Say to the servants of God, seeking guidance
That the wise seizer is the wise one
ما لِلعُلى سَهلٌ عَلى جُودِكُم
بناؤُها صَعبٌ عَلى الهادِمِ
For your generosity no easy ascent
Its building is hard on the demolisher
وإِن رأَيتُم عَرَضاً سالِماً
قُلتُم لِعرضٍ ليسَ بالسَّالِمِ
And if you see a sound side
You said to a side that is not sound
