نَهجِ حَقّ سَلَكتُم أَيّ نَهج
وَحَجَجتُم مَكانَكُم أَيّ حَجِّ
A path of justice you have trodden—what a path!
You have followed a path of truth—what a path!
And without leaving your place, you made the pilgrimage—what a pilgrimage!
And made a pilgrimage where you were—what a pilgrimage!
وَنَفيتُم عَنكُم ظُنون أُناسٍ
صَيَّرتُهُم ما بَينَ هَرجٍ وَمَرجِ
You banished from yourselves the suspicions of people
And dispelled people's suspicions about you,
whom I had left amid tumult and confusion,
People whom I had plunged into tumult and confusion,
إِذ قَضَيتُم بِالحَقِّ في ثُلثِ مالٍ
لَم يَكُن مُغنياً عَن اِبنِ النَشانجي
when you ruled justly concerning a third of an estate
When you ruled justly on a third of an estate,
that could not avail al-Nashanji’s son
Which had not shielded al-Nishanji's son
مِن وَصِيّ قَدِ اِقتَدى بِأَبيهِ
حينَ أَخفى ثلث النَشانجي بدُرجِ
against an executor who followed his father’s example
From an executor who had followed his father's example,
when he hid al-Nashanji’s third in a drawer.
When he hid al-Nishanji's third in a drawer.
حَسِبَ المال مُخلِداً لِحياة
أَو مِنَ النارِ في القيامَةِ يُنجي
He thought the money would grant him immortal life
He thought the wealth would make him live forever,
or save him from the Fire on Resurrection Day.
Or save him from the Fire at the Resurrection.
كَدّ فيهِ أَبٌ وَتابَعَهُ اِبنٌ
وَغَدا الآنَ بَينَ عُرج وَفُلجِ
A father toiled for it, and a son followed him;
A father toiled over it, and a son followed him,
now it has passed among the lame and the palsied.
And now it is among the lame and the palsied.
كادَ لَولا عِنايَةٌ مِنكَ يُلقى
بَينَ شِدقي فمٍ دَريسٍ وَفَرجِ
But for your solicitude, it would nearly have been cast
It was nearly cast—but for your care—
between the consuming jaws of Durays and Faraj.
Between the corners of a worn-out mouth and a crotch.
فَاِخرجوهُ لِتُخرِجوهُ وَيَأتي
لَكُم شُكر ذَاكَ مِن كُلِّ فَجِّ
So bring it forth, that you may rescue it, and there shall come
So bring it out to disburse it, and there will come
thanks to you for that from every mountain pass.
To you thanks for that from every mountain pass.
ثُم خُصُّوا قاضي العَساكر مِنهُ
ثُمَّ عُمّوا الفَقير مِنهُ بِخَرجِ
Then set aside a share of it for the Judge of the Armies;
Then favor the judge of the armies with some of it,
then include this poor man with a payment from it.
Then give the poor man, too, an allowance from it.
لا بَرحتُم في دَولَةٍ وَسموٍّ
مِنهُما الفَضل كُلَّ حينٍ يُرَجِّي
May you never cease to enjoy power and eminence,
May you ever remain in prosperity and eminence,
your bounty, through both, inspiring hope at every hour.
From both, bounty is hoped for at all times.
Sol 6.1