(c'est / par) un juste retour des choses

[Syagrius]

Bonjour

Voici ma phrase en français pour le contexte :

Ce voleur a été abattu par la personne qu'il voulait voler. C’est un juste retour des choses.

Et ma traduction anglaise:

This thief has been killed by the one he wanted to steal. What goes around comes around.

Que est le meilleur équivalent anglais pour "c'est un juste retour des choses" selon le contexte de ma phrase en français.

Vos suggestions svp (réponses AE et BE si différentes).

Merci.

 

[egremoq]

Does it approximate to "poetic justice"?

 

[Wunibald]

More a case of... he got what he deserved
The thief was killed (has been if it's happened recently) by the person he was trying to rob. He got what he deserved. Or perhaps: Justice was done (although arguably rough justice).

 

[candypole]

I think poetic justice is a reasonable translation, viz: "Poetic justice is a literary outcome in which bad characters are punished and good characters are rewarded."

But perhaps you are looking for the phrase - he got his just desserts OR it served him right. Colloquially, you can also say: "he got what was coming to him".

 

[Syagrius]

Thank you for your answers, merci beaucoup.

En ce qui concerne "poetic justice", comment incluerait-on cela dans une phrase?

Merci.

 

[candypole]

Ce voleur a été abattu par la personne qu'il voulait voler. C’est un juste retour des choses.

I have to say actually that 'it served him right' or 'he got his just desserts' is a bit too strong for me in this context, because a thief to me doesn't deserve to die. I would prefer something like:

The thief was captured by the person he wanted to steal from. It's poetic justice!! OR

The thief was captured by the person he wanted to steal from. He got (speech) or received ((more formal) his just desserts.

 

[Syagrius]

Merci beaucoup, thank you.

 

[sdrow]

How to translate in English "par un juste retour des choses"?
This expression means that something justified happens in return of something done

 

[cropje_jnr]

What goes around comes around (?)

 

[Anzia]

Poetic justice?