وَقُلتُ لَها اِعتَلَلتِ بِغَيرِ ذَنبٍ

وَشَرّ الناسِ ذو العِلَلِ البَخيلُ

And I said to her, though blameless, you fell ill,

And the worst of people is the miserly sick one,

فَفاتيني إِلى حَكَمٍ مِنَ اَهلي

وَأَهلِكِ لا يَحيفُ وَلا يَميلُ

So I deferred to the judgment of my family,

And my family does not deviate or lean.

فَقالَت أَبتَغي حَكَماً مِنَ اَهلي

وَلا يَدري بِنا الواشي المَحولُ

She said, I want the judgment of my family,

While the talebearing spy does not know about us.

فَوَلَّينا الحُكومَةَ ذا سُجوفٍ

أَخاً دِنيا لَهُ طَرفٌ كَليلُ

So we entrusted the judgment to one of gloomy disposition,

A worldly brother with little dignity.

فَقُلنا ما قَضَيتَ بِهِ رَضينا

وَأَنتَ بِما قَضَيتَ بِهِ كَفيلُ

We said, whatever you judge we accept,

And you for what you judge are guarantor.

قَضاؤُكَ نافِذٌ فَاِحكُم عَلَينا

بِما تَهوى وَرَأيُكَ لا يَفيلُ

Your judgment prevails so judge us

As you wish and your view does not fail.

وَقُلتُ لَهُ قُتِلتُ بِغَيرِ جُرمٍ

وَغِبُّ الظُلمِ مَرتَعُهُ وَبيلُ

And I said to him, I'm killed though innocent,

While the darkness of injustice is its pasture and ruins.

فَسَل هَذي مَتى تَقضي دُيوني

وَهَل يَقضيكَ ذو العِلَلِ المَطولُ

So ask her when she will pay my debts,

Can one so chronically ill pay?

فَقالَت إِنَّ ذا كَذِبٌ وَبُطلٌ

وَشَرٌّ مِن خُصومَتِهِ طَويلُ

She said, this is a lie and falsehood,

And worse than disputing him at length.

أَأَقتُلَهُ وَما لي مِن سِلاحٍ

وَما بي لَو أُقاتِلَهُ حَويلُ

Shall I kill him when I have no weapon?

If I were to fight him, I have no might.

وَلَم آخُذ لَهُ مالاً فَيُلفى

لَهُ دَينٌ عَلَيَّ كَما يَقولُ

I took no money from him, so how

Can he claim a debt on me as he states?

وَعِندَ أَميرِنا حُكمٌ وَعَدلٌ

وَرَأيٌ بَعدَ ذَلِكُمُ أَصيلُ

With our ruler is justice and equity,

And insight after that is sublime.

فَقالَ أَميرُنا هاتوا شُهوداً

فَقُلتُ شَهيدُنا المَلِكُ الجَليلُ

So our ruler said produce witnesses.

I said our witness is the Majestic King.

فَقالَ يَمينَها وَبِذاكَ أَقضي

وَكُلُّ قَضائِهِ حَسَنٌ جَميلُ

He said her oath - and so I judge,

And all his judgments are good and beautiful.

فَبَتَّت حَلفَةً ما لي لَدَيها

نَقيرٌ أَدَّعيهِ وَلا فَتيلُ

She swore an oath - I have no claim against her,

No complaint I made nor wick I lit.

فَقُلتُ لَها وَقَد غُلِبَ التَعَزّي

أَما يُقضى لَنا يا بَثنَ سولُ

I said to her, though defeat hurts,

Will no judgment for us be made, O daughter of rags?

فَقالَت ثُمَّ زَجَّت حاجِبَيها

أَطَلتَ وَلَستَ في شَيءٍ تُطيلُ

She frowned her brows and said, you've talked so long

Yet in nothing can you make long your tale.

فَلا يَجِدَنَّكَ الأَعداءُ عِندي

فَتَثكَلَني وَإِيّاكَ الثَكولُ

Let not the enemies find you by me

And make me stumble and you as well.