إذا ما وطىءَ الأمردُ خم

إذا ما وطىءَ الأمردُ خم

ساً من حصى المسجد

ساً من حصى المسجد

If ever the beardless youth treads on five

If the wolf trod upon

When the beardless youth treads fi-

Of the mosque's pebbles,

A trace from the pebbles of the mosque,

-ve of the pebbles of the mosque,

فقد حلَّ لنا عقداً

فقد حلَّ لنا عقداً

من الأنعامِ واستسعد

من الأنعامِ واستسعد

Then he has untied a bond for us

Then a knot from the cattle

He has indeed untied for us a knot

Of the livestock, and sought good fortune.

Is made lawful for us, and we are blessed.

Of grazing cattle, and sought happiness.

فإن كان عروضيّاً

فإن كان عروضيّاً

فقولوا سجدَ الهدهد

فقولوا سجدَ الهدهد

Then if he is a prosodist,

If he is demanding poetry,

So if he is a master of prosody,

Say, 'The hoopoe prostrated itself.'

Say the hoopoe prostrated.

Then say: 'The hoopoe has prostrated.'

وإن هو طالبُ النجوِ

وإن هو طالبُ النجوِ

فهذّاكَ لهُ أجود

فهذّاكَ لهُ أجود

And if he seeks private discourse,

And if he seeks asylum,

And if he is a seeker of deliverance,

Then that is better for him.

Then he is most generous.

Then that is far better for him.

وإن مالَ إلى الرأي

وإن مالَ إلى الرأي

فللرأي لهُ أَفسد

فللرأي لهُ أَفسد

And if he inclines toward reasoned opinion,

And if he leans towards opinion,

And if he leans towards Opinion,

Then, for him, it is more harmful to such reasoning.

Then for the opinion he corrupts.

Then for Opinion he is most corrupting.

وإن كان كلاميّاً

وإن كان كلاميّاً

فقد جرّ لنا المِقوَد

فقد جرّ لنا المِقوَد

And if he is a scholastic theologian,

And if he speaks poetry,

And if he is a theologian,

Then he has pulled the leading rein for us.

Then he has pulled for us the plow.

Then he has dragged the halter to us.

فيا مَن دخلَ المسجدَ

فيا مَن دخلَ المسجدَ

من ذي بهجةٍ أغيَد

من ذي بهجةٍ أغيَد

So, O you who have entered the mosque,

So O you who entered the mosque

O you who entered the mosque,

From among the beautiful, graceful and supple,

With most blossoming joy,

Possessed of beauty and a supple neck,

تقيسون بكم نفسي

تقيسون بكم نفسي

وفي الشأن ألا أُجحِد

وفي الشأن ألا أُجحِد

You measure my soul against yourselves,

You judge me by yourselves

You measure my soul against yours,

And in this matter—behold—I am in want.

And in this matter, I do not deny.

And in this matter I am not denied.