كانا عَدوين كَما قيل لَنا

كُلٌّ يَرى قَتل أَخيه حسنا

They were two enemies, as we were told

Each wishing to kill his brother, out of old

فَمَرَّ عدل مِنهما مَع مومس

كانَ بحبها شَديد الهوس

Then one of them passed by with a harlot

Having for her an intense, mad love

ففطن الشرطيُّ له وَأَخَذَه

ثُمَّ إِلى حَبس اللصوص جبذه

So the policeman was aware of him and seized him

Then towards the thieves' prison pulled him

وَحبس المومس في السجن مَعه

معولاً في بُكرَةٍ أَن يَصفَعه

And jailed the harlot with him in there

Hoping the morn to slap him without care

فَسمع العَدل الَّذي كانَ لَه

مُعادياً شَرح الَّذي أَظله

So the enemy whom he had

Heard the story of his disgrace so bad

فَجاءَ مِن ساعتهِ حَليلته

مُلطفاً فيما أَتاه حيلته

Then his wife came at that very hour

Advising wisely with gentle power

قالَ لَها زَوجك يا مسكينه

في السجن مَع عاهِرَة لَعينه

She said: "Oh poor woman, your man

Is in jail with a cursed harlot then!"

فَاِطرَحي الغيرة وَالتَّشَفي

وَاِسرِعي خلاصه وَخفي

"Leave out jealousy and all its heat

And quickly strive for his release

فَإِن تَوانيت أريق دَمه

وَذَهبت ضائِعة أنعمه

If you delay, I’ll shed his blood

And he will lose all means of good

لا حقد يَبقى عِندَ عظم الشده

فَاِسرِعي خلاصه مجده

When calamity is too hard to bear

Quickly strive his honor to repair"

قالَت وَما أَصنع قالَ بادري

وَاِظهري شَماتة بِالفاجر

She said: "What shall I do?" He said: "First

Show gloating over that immoral cursed!

وَبرطلي السجان شَيئاً وَاِدخلي

إلَيهما فَالوَيل إِن لَم تَفعَلي

And bribe the jailor too with some amount

And enter in on them, else grave miscount!

وَأَبرِزي البَغيَّ في ثيابك

كَأَنَّها أَنت إِلى أَصحابك

And don those clothes that vile woman wore

As if you unto your people swore!

ثُمَّ اجلسي في السجن عِندَ بعلك

حَسبي ذا مَعونة مِن فعلك

Then sit inside the jail by your man

That should help somehow, as much as I can”

فَفَعلت ذاكَ وَقالَت للشرط

أريد أَن أخزي بَعلي بِالغَلط

She did just that and to the guard said:

"I want my man to feel utter dread

وَأفضح البغي فضح محنق

ثَمت أجزيه بِسوء ما لَقى

And the harlot to be shamed through and through

Then pay him back for the evil he flew!"

فَدَخَلت وَفَعَلت ما قالا

لَقَد أَجادَ الكَيد لَما اِحتالا

So she entered in and acted out their plan

Excellent was their cunning plot began!

ثُمَّ مَضى يَسعى إِلى العدول

شُبانهُم أَجمَع وَالكهول

Then he went around to all his peers

The youth and elderly he brought to tears

يَقول زالَت حرمة العَدالة

وَسَلَبَت صنعتنا الجَلاله

Saying: "The honor of justice lies slain!

Our glory fled, left profaned and stained!"

قالوا وَلِم قال فُلان العَدل

أَرادَ في بُستانه أَن يَخلوا

So the group came to the Sultan then

With loosened tongues and mouths of men

باهله فَنالَهُ ظلم الشرط

تَعديا بِما أَتوه لا غلط

The Sultan's wrath kindled high that day

And the guards regretted their own way

وَحَبسوه يَومه وَعُرسه

هَل يَستخيرون جَميعاً حَبسه

The prisoner was freed in that same hour

And the guard was blamed for abuse of power

فَحضر العدول دار القاضي

وَشَرَحوا فَكانَ ذا اِمتِعاض

Then that prisoner said: "You did not back me

Out of love or aiming what’s good for me!

وَوافت الجَماعة السلطانا

مُستَنفِرين مطلقي اللسانا

And I'll still oppose you as before

And harm you if I ever get the power!"

فَغضب السلطان كُل الغَضب

وَأصبح الأَعوان أَهل الريب

"But when I helped my own kind out

I helped myself without a doubt

وَأطلق العَدل وَحَل بِالشرط

مِن العِقاب محنة بِما فَرَط

And so the jinn helped the humans indeed

For they protected their race and breed

وَقالَ ذاكَ العَدل ما نصرتكا

حُباً وَلا بِصالح قَصدتكا

Then we dispersed and I went away

Having gained what I wanted that day

وَإِنَّني كَما مَضى أعاندك

وَبِالبَلاء إِن قَدرت قاصدك

With the blond mare in its feat unique

Fortunate are those who do not each seek!

لَكنني إِذا نصرت جنسي

وَصنعتي فَقَد نصرت نَفسي

وَهَكَذا الجن أَغاثوا الإِنسا

لأنهم رَعوا بِذاكَ الجنسا

ثُمَّ تَفَرَّقنا وَعدت عَنهم

وَقَد بَلَغت ما أَرَدت مِنهم

بِالفرس الأَشقَر في نَكيره

إِن السَّعيد من كفى بِغيره