أَتاني هِشامٌ يَدفَعُ الضَيمَ جاهِداً

أَتاني هِشامٌ يَدفَعُ الضَيمَ جاهِداً

يَقولُ أَلا ماذا تَرى وَتَقولُ

يَقولُ أَلا ماذا تَرى وَتَقولُ

Hisham came to me, striving to ward off injustice,

Hisham came to me, striving hard to ward off oppression,

Hisham came to me, repelling injustice with effort,

saying, “Come now—what is your judgment, and what do you say?”

Saying: Come now, what do you think and say?

Saying, "What do you see and say?"

فَقُلتُ لَهُ قُم يا لَكَ الخَيرُ أَدِّها

فَقُلتُ لَهُ قُم يا لَكَ الخَيرُ أَدِّها

مُذَلَّلَةً إِنَّ العَزيزَ ذَليلُ

مُذَلَّلَةً إِنَّ العَزيزَ ذَليلُ

I told him, “Rise—may good be yours—and render it,

So I told him: Rise—may good fortune be yours—and hand it over,

So I said to him, "Rise, O you who is best to fulfil it,

in submission; surely even the mighty is brought low.

Made submissive; for even the mighty are humbled.

Humbled, though the mighty is lowly."

فَإِن يَكُ دونَ القَينِ أَغبَرَ شامِخٌ

فَإِن يَكُ دونَ القَينِ أَغبَرَ شامِخٌ

فَلَيسَ إِلى القَينِ الغَداةَ سَبيلُ

فَلَيسَ إِلى القَينِ الغَداةَ سَبيلُ

For if a dust-gray mountain towers before al-Qayn,

For if a dust-gray, towering mountain stands before al-Qayn,

If beyond death there is a towering dust cloud,

then this morning there is no way to reach al-Qayn.”

Then there is no way to al-Qayn this morning.

Then there is no way to death tomorrow.