ولكِنand yet قضتْpassed judgment فِيناupon us اللّياليthe nights بجَوْرِهَاwith their injustice
ولكِن قضتْ فِينا اللّيالي بجَوْرِهَا
وعادتُهاand their habit كُفرُdenial of الفَضائلِthe virtues والغَمطُand disparagement
وعادتُها كُفرُ الفَضائلِ والغَمطُ
And yet the nights have judged us unjustly,
Yet nights have ruled over us with their injustice,
and their habit is to deny virtues and disparage them.
And their ways are the disbelief of virtues and oppression.
حكىmirrored حكْمُهَاtheir judgment الميزانَthe scales لاmay not دَرَّflow دَرُّهاtheir milk (bounty)
حكى حكْمُهَا الميزانَ لا دَرَّ دَرُّها
فذُوso one possessed of النّقصِdeficiency يَستعلِيrises high وذوand one possessed of الفضلِmerit ينْحَطُّsinks low
فذُو النّقصِ يَستعلِي وذو الفضلِ ينْحَطُّ
Their judgment mirrored the scales—may no bounty flow from them!
Their ruling has tilted the scales, not a gram does their weight shift,
For one of little worth rises high, while one of merit sinks low.
So the deficient rises up and the virtuous is brought down.
وعِنديand I have علىdespite ماwhat رابَtroubled منof حِدْثَانِهاtheir vicissitudes
وعِندي على ما رابَ من حِدْثَانِها
صريمَةُfirmness of عزمٍresolve مَاnot لِمَاfor what عَقَلَتْit has bound نَشطُuntying
صريمَةُ عزمٍ مَا لِمَا عَقَلَتْ نَشطُ
And, despite their troubling turns of fortune, I have
And I have, in the face of the confusion of their events,
a steadfast resolve—what it has bound cannot be loosed.
A resolute determination that does not yield to what they conclude.
تُهوِّنُmakes seem slight عنديto me الخطبَthe calamity والخطبُand the calamity هائلٌfearsome
تُهوِّنُ عندي الخطبَ والخطبُ هائلٌ
وتقبِضُand holds back عنِّيfrom me كفَّهُits hand ولهَاand to it belongs البَسطُoutstretching
وتقبِضُ عنِّي كفَّهُ ولهَا البَسطُ
It makes calamity seem slight to me, though calamity is fearsome,
Troubles seem trivial to me, though troubles are momentous,
and holds calamity’s hand back from me, while its own is free to extend.
And difficulties withdraw their hands from me, though difficulties have the upper hand.
Sol 6.1