إِذا اِستَلَّكَ الجانونُ أَغمَدَكَ الحِلمُ

إِذا اِستَلَّكَ الجانونُ أَغمَدَكَ الحِلمُ

وَإِن كَفَّكَ الإِبقاءُ أَنهَضَكَ العَزمُ

وَإِن كَفَّكَ الإِبقاءُ أَنهَضَكَ العَزمُ

If wrongdoers unsheathe you, forbearance sheathes you.

When fury seizes you, sheathe it with patience,

And if clemency restrains you, resolve rouses you.

And if holding back pains you, rouse yourself with resolve.

وَمَن لَم يُؤَدِّبهُ لِفَرطِ عُتُوِّهِ

وَمَن لَم يُؤَدِّبهُ لِفَرطِ عُتُوِّهِ

إِذا ما جَنى الإِنصافُ أَدَّبَهُ الظُلمُ

إِذا ما جَنى الإِنصافُ أَدَّبَهُ الظُلمُ

And whoever, through his excessive insolence, is not chastened

He whom lenience cannot discipline for his insolence -

by fairness when he does wrong, is chastened by injustice.

When justice arises, oppression will discipline him.

إِذا العُربُ لَم تَجزِ اِصطِناع مُلوكِها

إِذا العُربُ لَم تَجزِ اِصطِناع مُلوكِها

بِشُكرٍ تَمادَت في سِياسَتِها العُجمُ

بِشُكرٍ تَمادَت في سِياسَتِها العُجمُ

If the Arabs do not repay their kings' favor

When Arabs fail to thank their kings for their rule

with gratitude, the non-Arabs persist in governing them.

They persist in policies that favor foreigners.

أَعِدها إِلى عاداتِ عَفوِكَ مُحسِناً

أَعِدها إِلى عاداتِ عَفوِكَ مُحسِناً

كَما عَوَّدَتها قَبلُ آباؤُكَ الشُمُّ

كَما عَوَّدَتها قَبلُ آباؤُكَ الشُمُّ

Restore them graciously to your customary pardon,

Accustom them again to your pardoning ways,

as your lofty forefathers once accustomed them to it.

As your forefathers, the ancients, once did.

فَإِن ضاقَ عَنها العُذرُ عِندَكَ في الَّذي

فَإِن ضاقَ عَنها العُذرُ عِندَكَ في الَّذي

جَنَتهُ فَما ضاقَ التَفَضُّلُ وَالحِلمُ

جَنَتهُ فَما ضاقَ التَفَضُّلُ وَالحِلمُ

So if, in your eyes, there is no room to excuse them for what

But if their excuse seems wanting for what they have wrought,

they have committed, generosity and forbearance still have room.

Your grace and clemency are never found wanting.