بَقيتَ عَفيفَ الدينِ تُرجى وَتُتَّقى

بَقيتَ عَفيفَ الدينِ تُرجى وَتُتَّقى

وَيَأمَنُ مِن صَرفِ الزَمانِ بِكَ الجارُ

وَيَأمَنُ مِن صَرفِ الزَمانِ بِكَ الجارُ

May you live on, Afif al-Din, looked to with hope and held in awe;

You remain chaste in religion, hoped for and revered,

And through you the neighbor is safe from time’s vicissitudes.

And the neighbor feels safe from the vicissitudes of fate through you.

تَغوصُ عَلى دُرِّ الكَلامِ بِحارَهُ

تَغوصُ عَلى دُرِّ الكَلامِ بِحارَهُ

فَتَأخُذُ مِنهُ ما تَشاءُ وَتَختارُ

فَتَأخُذُ مِنهُ ما تَشاءُ وَتَختارُ

You dive into the seas of speech for its pearls,

You dive deeply into the sea of eloquence

And take from it whatever you wish and choose.

And take from it what you wish and choose.

تُسائِلُ عَن أُختَينِ وَطؤُهُما مَعاً

تُسائِلُ عَن أُختَينِ وَطؤُهُما مَعاً

حَلالٌ وَعَن أُختَينِ دارُهُما دارُ

حَلالٌ وَعَن أُختَينِ دارُهُما دارُ

You ask about two sisters: intercourse with both together

You ask about two sisters, both of whom were lain with,

Is lawful; and about two sisters whose dwelling is one dwelling.

Whether that was licit, and about two sisters whose homes were one home,

وَإِحداهُما ملكُ اليَمينِ وَعِتقُها

وَإِحداهُما ملكُ اليَمينِ وَعِتقُها

صَحيحٌ وَما في خَلعِها لِامريءٍ عارُ

صَحيحٌ وَما في خَلعِها لِامريءٍ عارُ

And one of them is a possession of the right hand, and her manumission

And one of them was a slave whom he had freed,

Is valid, and for a man there is no shame in casting her off.

And freeing her was valid – there was no shame for anyone in renouncing her.