وَقُلتُ لَها اِعتَلَلتِ بِغَيرِ ذَنبٍ

وَقُلتُ لَها اِعتَلَلتِ بِغَيرِ ذَنبٍ

وَشَرّ الناسِ ذو العِلَلِ البَخيلُ

وَشَرّ الناسِ ذو العِلَلِ البَخيلُ

And I said to her: You have made excuses, though I have done no wrong;

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

and the worst of people is the excuse-making miser.

And the worst of people is the miserly sick one,

فَفاتيني إِلى حَكَمٍ مِنَ اَهلي

فَفاتيني إِلى حَكَمٍ مِنَ اَهلي

وَأَهلِكِ لا يَحيفُ وَلا يَميلُ

وَأَهلِكِ لا يَحيفُ وَلا يَميلُ

So seek arbitration with me before an arbiter from my kin

So I deferred to the judgment of my family,

and yours, who neither deals unjustly nor shows partiality.

And my family does not deviate or lean.

فَقالَت أَبتَغي حَكَماً مِنَ اَهلي

فَقالَت أَبتَغي حَكَماً مِنَ اَهلي

وَلا يَدري بِنا الواشي المَحولُ

وَلا يَدري بِنا الواشي المَحولُ

Then she said: I seek an arbiter from my own kin,

She said, I want the judgment of my family,

and let not the scheming tale-bearer learn of us.

While the talebearing spy does not know about us.

فَوَلَّينا الحُكومَةَ ذا سُجوفٍ

فَوَلَّينا الحُكومَةَ ذا سُجوفٍ

أَخاً دِنيا لَهُ طَرفٌ كَليلُ

أَخاً دِنيا لَهُ طَرفٌ كَليلُ

So we entrusted the arbitration to one behind curtains,

So we entrusted the judgment to one of gloomy disposition,

a close kinsman whose eyesight was dim.

A worldly brother with little dignity.

فَقُلنا ما قَضَيتَ بِهِ رَضينا

فَقُلنا ما قَضَيتَ بِهِ رَضينا

وَأَنتَ بِما قَضَيتَ بِهِ كَفيلُ

وَأَنتَ بِما قَضَيتَ بِهِ كَفيلُ

Then we said: Whatever you decree, we accept,

We said, whatever you judge we accept,

and you stand surety for whatever you decree.

And you for what you judge are guarantor.

قَضاؤُكَ نافِذٌ فَاِحكُم عَلَينا

قَضاؤُكَ نافِذٌ فَاِحكُم عَلَينا

بِما تَهوى وَرَأيُكَ لا يَفيلُ

بِما تَهوى وَرَأيُكَ لا يَفيلُ

Your judgment is binding, so pass judgment on us

Your judgment prevails so judge us

as you wish, and your judgment does not falter.

As you wish and your view does not fail.

وَقُلتُ لَهُ قُتِلتُ بِغَيرِ جُرمٍ

وَقُلتُ لَهُ قُتِلتُ بِغَيرِ جُرمٍ

وَغِبُّ الظُلمِ مَرتَعُهُ وَبيلُ

وَغِبُّ الظُلمِ مَرتَعُهُ وَبيلُ

And I said to him: I have been slain without committing a crime,

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

and injustice's aftermath is a ruinous pasture.

While the darkness of injustice is its pasture and ruins.

فَسَل هَذي مَتى تَقضي دُيوني

فَسَل هَذي مَتى تَقضي دُيوني

وَهَل يَقضيكَ ذو العِلَلِ المَطولُ

وَهَل يَقضيكَ ذو العِلَلِ المَطولُ

So ask this woman when she will repay her debts to me;

So ask her when she will pay my debts,

and will an excuse-making, stalling debtor ever repay you?

Can one so chronically ill pay?

فَقالَت إِنَّ ذا كَذِبٌ وَبُطلٌ

فَقالَت إِنَّ ذا كَذِبٌ وَبُطلٌ

وَشَرٌّ مِن خُصومَتِهِ طَويلُ

وَشَرٌّ مِن خُصومَتِهِ طَويلُ

Then she said: This is a lie and falsehood,

She said, this is a lie and falsehood,

and his quarrel brings prolonged trouble.

And worse than disputing him at length.

أَأَقتُلَهُ وَما لي مِن سِلاحٍ

أَأَقتُلَهُ وَما لي مِن سِلاحٍ

وَما بي لَو أُقاتِلَهُ حَويلُ

وَما بي لَو أُقاتِلَهُ حَويلُ

Could I kill him, when I have no weapon,

Shall I kill him when I have no weapon?

nor any strength, were I to fight him?

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

وَلَم آخُذ لَهُ مالاً فَيُلفى

وَلَم آخُذ لَهُ مالاً فَيُلفى

لَهُ دَينٌ عَلَيَّ كَما يَقولُ

لَهُ دَينٌ عَلَيَّ كَما يَقولُ

Nor have I taken any money of his, so that there should be

I took no money from him, so how

a debt owed him by me, as he claims.

Can he claim a debt on me as he states?

وَعِندَ أَميرِنا حُكمٌ وَعَدلٌ

وَعِندَ أَميرِنا حُكمٌ وَعَدلٌ

وَرَأيٌ بَعدَ ذَلِكُمُ أَصيلُ

وَرَأيٌ بَعدَ ذَلِكُمُ أَصيلُ

And our emir has judgment and justice,

With our ruler is justice and equity,

and, beyond that, sound counsel.

And insight after that is sublime.

فَقالَ أَميرُنا هاتوا شُهوداً

فَقالَ أَميرُنا هاتوا شُهوداً

فَقُلتُ شَهيدُنا المَلِكُ الجَليلُ

فَقُلتُ شَهيدُنا المَلِكُ الجَليلُ

Then our emir said: Bring witnesses.

So our ruler said produce witnesses.

So I said: Our witness is the majestic King.

I said our witness is the Majestic King.

فَقالَ يَمينَها وَبِذاكَ أَقضي

فَقالَ يَمينَها وَبِذاكَ أَقضي

وَكُلُّ قَضائِهِ حَسَنٌ جَميلُ

وَكُلُّ قَضائِهِ حَسَنٌ جَميلُ

Then he said: Her oath! And by that I shall judge.

He said her oath - and so I judge,

And all his judgments are good and fair.

And all his judgments are good and beautiful.

فَبَتَّت حَلفَةً ما لي لَدَيها

فَبَتَّت حَلفَةً ما لي لَدَيها

نَقيرٌ أَدَّعيهِ وَلا فَتيلُ

نَقيرٌ أَدَّعيهِ وَلا فَتيلُ

Then she swore a binding oath that she owed me nothing—

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

not a date-stone's dimple I could claim, nor its thread.

No complaint I made nor wick I lit.

فَقُلتُ لَها وَقَد غُلِبَ التَعَزّي

فَقُلتُ لَها وَقَد غُلِبَ التَعَزّي

أَما يُقضى لَنا يا بَثنَ سولُ

أَما يُقضى لَنا يا بَثنَ سولُ

So I said to her, my self-consolation defeated:

I said to her, though defeat hurts,

Will no wish be granted us, O Buthayna?

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

فَقالَت ثُمَّ زَجَّت حاجِبَيها

فَقالَت ثُمَّ زَجَّت حاجِبَيها

أَطَلتَ وَلَستَ في شَيءٍ تُطيلُ

أَطَلتَ وَلَستَ في شَيءٍ تُطيلُ

Then she spoke, then arched her eyebrows:

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

You have gone on at length, yet you go on about nothing.

Yet in nothing can you make long your tale.

فَلا يَجِدَنَّكَ الأَعداءُ عِندي

فَلا يَجِدَنَّكَ الأَعداءُ عِندي

فَتَثكَلَني وَإِيّاكَ الثَكولُ

فَتَثكَلَني وَإِيّاكَ الثَكولُ

So let the enemies never find you with me,

Let not the enemies find you by me

lest the Bereaver take both me and you.

And make me stumble and you as well.