وَاحقن دِماء الناس

فَالقَتل طَبع القاسي

Spare the blood of the people,

for killing is the nature of the hard-hearted.

وَهوَ عَظيم الإثم

ما مثله مِن جرم

It is a grave sin—

no crime is like it.

إِن ابن عباس ذهَب

فيهِ إِلى رَأي عَجب

Indeed, Ibn Abbas held

an astonishing opinion concerning it.

فَقالَ كُل حَوبه

إِذا تَلَتها التَّوبه

He said: Every sin,

when repentance follows it,

تغفر إِلا القَتل

وَالوَحي قاض عَدل

is forgiven—except killing.

And revelation is a just judge.

ثُمَّ القَصاص وَاجب

تَقضي بِهِ المَذاهِب

Moreover, retribution is obligatory,

as the legal schools decree.

وَمن كَلام العاقِل

يَقتل كُل قاتل

Among the sayings of the wise is:

“Every killer is killed.”

وَلَيسَ هَذا حَقاً

وَلا أراه صدقا

But this is not right,

nor do I deem it true.