وَقالوا عِندَ عَبدِ اللَهِ ضُعفٌ

وَقالوا عِندَ عَبدِ اللَهِ ضُعفٌ

فَقُلتُ نَعَم وَلَكِن في اليَقينِ

فَقُلتُ نَعَم وَلَكِن في اليَقينِ

They said, “Abdullah has a weakness.”

And they said, “ʿAbd Allāh has a weakness.”

I said, “Yes—but in certainty.”

So I said, “Yes, but in certainty.”

فَقالوا ما يَعيشُ قَقُلتُ عَدلٌ

فَقالوا ما يَعيشُ قَقُلتُ عَدلٌ

كَذا هُوَ في الحَياةِ بِغَيرِ شينِ

كَذا هُوَ في الحَياةِ بِغَيرِ شينِ

They asked, “What lives?” I said, “Justice.”

Then they said, “He does not live.” I said, “Quite right:

Such is he in life—without blemish.

that is how he is in life, without the letter shīn.”