في موقف العدل والأبصار شاخصة

في موقف العدل والأبصار شاخصة

والسمع ملقى لما يقضي به الحكم

والسمع ملقى لما يقضي به الحكم

In the court of justice, with eyes fixed intently,

In a position of justice and scrutinizing eyes

and ears lent to what the judge decrees,

And ears inclined to the verdict being passed

جاءت قضية سوق الإربعاء وما

جاءت قضية سوق الإربعاء وما

تخفيه من ألم يبدو به ألم

تخفيه من ألم يبدو به ألم

the case of Souk al-Arba came forward, and what

Came the case of Souk Al-Arba’a and what

it conceals of pain reveals still further pain,

Pain it concealed that appeared as pain

من بعد ما مر نصف الحول محتسبا

من بعد ما مر نصف الحول محتسبا

عن مجرم مطلق يرعي ويحترم

عن مجرم مطلق يرعي ويحترم

after half a year had passed, reckoned

After half a year elapsed, counted

against a criminal left free, protected and respected.

For the freed criminal guarded and respected

بينا الأشلان في الباساء حولهما

بينا الأشلان في الباساء حولهما

أفلاذ ذي كبد حراء تضطرم

أفلاذ ذي كبد حراء تضطرم

While the two crippled men were in misery, around them

While the victims in Bessa’a around them

were children—pieces of a parent's liver, burning and aflame;

Were children with burning livers aflame

وبينما الشعب مستاء ومنصدع

وبينما الشعب مستاء ومنصدع

مما ألم ومما أحدث السأم

مما ألم ومما أحدث السأم

and while the people were distressed and riven

And while the people were irate and split

by what had befallen them and what had bred weariness,

From what pained and what brought about boredom

إذا بفصل قضاها في روايتنا

إذا بفصل قضاها في روايتنا

مثل ابتدائه بالماساة يختتم

مثل ابتدائه بالماساة يختتم

suddenly, the chapter of its judgment in our story

Came the case's resolution in our account

ends in tragedy, just as it began.

Like its beginning with tragedy it concludes

فيما قضوه على الجاني لنا عظة

فيما قضوه على الجاني لنا عظة

والعادلون ولو جاروا عليك هم

والعادلون ولو جاروا عليك هم

In what they ruled against the culprit lies a lesson for us:

In what they ruled for the criminal is a lesson

and they are the 'just,' even if they wrong you.

And the judgers even if they wronged you they are

إن أطلقوه فقد أطلقت قافية

إن أطلقوه فقد أطلقت قافية

فيها يقيد حتى تبعث الرمم

فيها يقيد حتى تبعث الرمم

If they have released him, I have unleashed a rhyme

If they freed him, a rhyme has been freed

in which he is shackled until decayed bones are resurrected.

In which he is restricted until the ruins are rebuilt

دومانفال كفى المستعمرين به

دومانفال كفى المستعمرين به

أمثولة أعجبت من صنعها الأمم

أمثولة أعجبت من صنعها الأمم

Domanval—he suffices for the colonizers

Doumanfal, enough for the colonists is him

as an example whose making impressed the nations.

As a moral they marveled at its making, the nations

هذا الذي استعذب التعذيب في عنب

هذا الذي استعذب التعذيب في عنب

واستصدرت عنهما أحكامه التهم

واستصدرت عنهما أحكامه التهم

This is the man who found torture sweet over grapes,

This one who relished torture in Anab

and the accusations procured his judgments against them both.

And judgments were extracted from them, the accusations

بالعاملين أتى في يومها عملا

بالعاملين أتى في يومها عملا

لم ترع مرحمة فيه ولا ذمم

لم ترع مرحمة فيه ولا ذمم

That day he did a deed to the two workers

With the workers he came on that day to do

in which neither mercy nor obligations were observed.

A deed which had no pity in it or covenants

تعروهما هزة العصفور منتفضا

تعروهما هزة العصفور منتفضا

مصلبين ولفح القيظ يلتهم

مصلبين ولفح القيظ يلتهم

A fluttering sparrow's shudder seizes them both,

Stripping them naked, a shuddering sparrow

crucified, as summer's scorching blast devours them.

Crucified while the scorching heat consumed

والصبية المنطفي مصباح موسمهم

والصبية المنطفي مصباح موسمهم

في الحي ماذا جنوا قل لي وما اجترموا

في الحي ماذا جنوا قل لي وما اجترموا

And the children, their season's lamp extinguished,

And the plucked children, the lamp of their season

in the neighborhood—what wrong did they do? Tell me, what crime did they commit?

In the neighborhood what wrong did they do tell me, and what sin did they commit

ما كاد يشعر منبيهم بفاجعة

ما كاد يشعر منبيهم بفاجعة

حتى استعاضوا جناح الطير بل جثموا

حتى استعاضوا جناح الطير بل جثموا

Their messenger had scarcely informed them of a calamity

No sooner did their guardian sense the calamity

before they took a bird's wing instead—rather, they crouched.

Than they substituted the bird’s wing, but froze

داروا حيالهما والدمع منهمر

داروا حيالهما والدمع منهمر

والسيد الفظ فوق الدست يبتسم

والسيد الفظ فوق الدست يبتسم

They circled before the two, tears pouring down,

They turned to face them, tears streaming

while the harsh master smiles on his seat of honor.

While the brutal master above the platform smiled

والشعب مذ بلغت اسماعه ارتفعت

والشعب مذ بلغت اسماعه ارتفعت

أصواته حنقا كالموج يلتطم

أصواته حنقا كالموج يلتطم

And the people—once it reached their ears, up rose

And the people, when the news reached their ears

their voices in fury, like waves crashing together.

Their voices rose in anger like clashing waves

هذا الحديث الذي قد قصّه علنا

هذا الحديث الذي قد قصّه علنا

عند النضال محاميهم وان هضموا

عند النضال محاميهم وان هضموا

This is the account that was told openly

This talk which the lawyer publicly recounted

in the struggle by their lawyer, though they were wronged,

During the trial, even if they were silenced

رغم الدفاع ورغم الحق والحجج ال

رغم الدفاع ورغم الحق والحجج ال

لاتي أتت عند ملقيها بها الكلم

لاتي أتت عند ملقيها بها الكلم

despite the defense, despite the truth, and the arguments

Despite the defense, despite the truth and arguments

which the speaker's words brought forth.

Which were offered when said, the words

قالوا كفى الغرم تعويضا وترضية

قالوا كفى الغرم تعويضا وترضية

والمال عارية والجرح ملتثم

والمال عارية والجرح ملتثم

They said: 'The fine suffices as compensation and appeasement.'

They said enough is the fine as compensation and consolation

Yet money is on loan, and the wound remains veiled.

While the money is borrowed and the wound bandaged

ناديت لكن لسان الحال قائلة

ناديت لكن لسان الحال قائلة

إن لم تكن ناقما فاللّه منتقم

إن لم تكن ناقما فاللّه منتقم

I cried out, but the voice of circumstance said:

I called but the tongue of the state says

'If you feel no wrath, then God is the Avenger.'

If you are not indignant, God will avenge