إنَّ خُلْقَ الشُّهودِ وًَالعُمَّالِ

إنَّ خُلْقَ الشُّهودِ وًَالعُمَّالِ

مِثْلَ خُلْقِ العُشَّاقِ والعُذَّالِ

مِثْلَ خُلْقِ العُشَّاقِ والعُذَّالِ

The character of witnesses and officials

The creation of witnesses and workers

is like that of lovers and reproachers.

Is like the creation of lovers and tormentors

كلُّ عَدْلٍ مُضايِقِ في وُصولٍ

كلُّ عَدْلٍ مُضايِقِ في وُصولٍ

كَعَذُولٍ مُضايِقِ في وِصالِ

كَعَذُولٍ مُضايِقِ في وِصالِ

Every accredited witness makes trouble over receipts,

Every just person frustrated in attainment

like a reproacher obstructing lovers’ union.

Is like a lover frustrated in union

لَسْتُ أَدْرِي معنَى التَّباغُّضِ

لَسْتُ أَدْرِي معنَى التَّباغُّضِ

ما بَيْنَ الفَرِيْقَيْنِ غيرَ حُبِّ المالِ

ما بَيْنَ الفَرِيْقَيْنِ غيرَ حُبِّ المالِ

I know no reason for the mutual hatred

I do not know the meaning of hatred

between the two parties except the love of money.

Between the two groups except love of money

فإذا زالتِ المطامِعُ منهمُ

فإذا زالتِ المطامِعُ منهمُ

أَذَّنَ الخُلْفُ بينهمْ بالزوالِ

أَذَّنَ الخُلْفُ بينهمْ بالزوالِ

Then, when greed departs from them,

So if greed disappears from them

discord among them announces its departure.

Disagreement between them heralds dissolution

سالَمتْنِي المُسْتَدَمُونَ وكانُوا

سالَمتْنِي المُسْتَدَمُونَ وكانُوا

قدْ أَعَدُّوا سِلاَحَهُمْ لِقِتالِي

قدْ أَعَدُّوا سِلاَحَهُمْ لِقِتالِي

Those seeking blood made peace with me, though they had

The servants bid me farewell and they

already prepared their weapons to fight me.

Had prepared their weapons for my murder

وَرَثى بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ وَقَدْ با

وَرَثى بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ وَقَدْ با

نَ لَكَ الآنَ شِدَّةُ الأهوالِ

نَ لَكَ الآنَ شِدَّةُ الأهوالِ

And some of them pitied others; it has become

Some eulogized others and it has become clear to you now

clear to you now how severe the terrors are.

The severity of the horrors

وَرَأى ابنُ الأشَلِّ قد كانَ يبقى

وَرَأى ابنُ الأشَلِّ قد كانَ يبقى

كاتِباً مِثْلَ جَدِّهِ بالشِّمالِ

كاتِباً مِثْلَ جَدِّهِ بالشِّمالِ

And Ibn al-Ashall saw that he might remain

And the son of Al-Ashal saw that there remained

a scribe like his grandfather, writing with his left hand.

A writer like his grandfather in the north

فالتَجا لِلْعَفَافِ مَنْ كانَ يَوْماً

فالتَجا لِلْعَفَافِ مَنْ كانَ يَوْماً

لا له يَخْطُرُ العَفافُ ببالِ

لا له يَخْطُرُ العَفافُ ببالِ

So one took refuge in chastity who once

So he turned to chastity, he who was once

never had chastity cross his mind.

Oblivious to chastity

وَلهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ تَغُضُّ عَنْ

وَلهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ تَغُضُّ عَنْ

العَيْنِ وَأيْدٍ تُمَدُّ عِنْدَ الغِلالِ

العَيْنِ وَأيْدٍ تُمَدُّ عِنْدَ الغِلالِ

And they have eyes that look away from

And they have eyes that overlook the eye

cash, and hands outstretched at the grain harvests.

And hands outstretched when shackled

بأبي حَزْمُكَ الذي طَرَّق

بأبي حَزْمُكَ الذي طَرَّق

الأَنْذَالَ منهم طَرائِقَ الأَبْدَالِ

الأَنْذَالَ منهم طَرائِقَ الأَبْدَالِ

May my father ransom your resolve, which set

By your father Hazm who distinguished

the scoundrels among them on the paths of the Abdal.

The riffraff among them from the righteous

لا تُوَطِّنْ قلوبَهُمْ بِهِجَاءٍ

لا تُوَطِّنْ قلوبَهُمْ بِهِجَاءٍ

إنها منْ سُطاكَ في بَلْبالِ

إنها منْ سُطاكَ في بَلْبالِ

Do not put their hearts at ease with satire:

Do not make their hearts accustomed to affection

they are in turmoil from your might.

It is from your whip in confusion

ما استوَى السِّيْفُ واللِّسَانُ مَضَاءً

ما استوَى السِّيْفُ واللِّسَانُ مَضَاءً

أَتُساوَى حَقِيقةٌ بِمُحالِ

أَتُساوَى حَقِيقةٌ بِمُحالِ

Sword and tongue are not equal in cutting power;

The sword and tongue are not equal in sharpness

can reality be equated with the impossible?

Can reality equal the absurd?

إنَّ قَوْلِي هَزْلاً وَفِعْلَكَ جَدَّاً

إنَّ قَوْلِي هَزْلاً وَفِعْلَكَ جَدَّاً

مِثْلُ نَبْلِ الحَصَى وَرَشْقِ النِّبَالِ

مِثْلُ نَبْلِ الحَصَى وَرَشْقِ النِّبَالِ

Indeed, my words in jest and your deeds in earnest

My words are joking while your deeds determination

are like hurling pebbles and a volley of arrows.

Like the throwing of pebbles and the shooting of arrows

وَلَلَهْفِي وَلِعْتَ بالضَّرْبِ في

وَلَلَهْفِي وَلِعْتَ بالضَّرْبِ في

الرَّمْلِ لأَحْظَى بأسْعَدِ الأَشْكالِ

الرَّمْلِ لأَحْظَى بأسْعَدِ الأَشْكالِ

Ah, my longing! You grew fond of casting in

And my craving and passion for hitting

the sand, that I might obtain the most auspicious figures.

In the sand to obtain the happiest of forms

فحَمِدْتُ الطَّرِيقَ إذا أِشْهَدَتْ لِي

فحَمِدْتُ الطَّرِيقَ إذا أِشْهَدَتْ لِي

حينَ عايَنْتُها بِحُسْنِ مآلِ

حينَ عايَنْتُها بِحُسْنِ مآلِ

So I praised the Path, for it bore witness for me,

So I praised the path when it bore witness for me

when I examined it, to a favorable outcome.

When I saw it concluding well

وَغَدا الاجتماعُ يَضْمَنُ لِي

وَغَدا الاجتماعُ يَضْمَنُ لِي

عَنْكَ بُلوغَ الرَّجاءِ وَالآمالِ

عَنْكَ بُلوغَ الرَّجاءِ وَالآمالِ

And Conjunction came to guarantee me,

And the meeting tomorrow guarantees me

on your behalf, the fulfillment of hope and aspirations.

Attaining my hopes and aspirations from you

أنْبَتَ العِزُّ منكَ في بَيْتِ نَفْسِي

أنْبَتَ العِزُّ منكَ في بَيْتِ نَفْسِي

وَالغِنَى مِنْ يَدَيْكَ في بيتِ مالِي

وَالغِنَى مِنْ يَدَيْكَ في بيتِ مالِي

Honor from you sprouted in the house of my soul,

Honor has sprouted in me from you in the home of my soul

and wealth from your hands in the house of my wealth.

And wealth from your hands in the home of my money

وإذا كنتَ نُصرَةً لِيَ فِيما

وإذا كنتَ نُصرَةً لِيَ فِيما

أَرْتَجِيهِ فَذَاكَ عَيْنُ سُؤَالِي

أَرْتَجِيهِ فَذَاكَ عَيْنُ سُؤَالِي

And if you are my support in what

And if you are a supporter of me in what

I hope for, that is the very thing I ask.

I hope for, that is the essence of my request