تعجبت من أنثى يقاوم مكرها

تعجبت من أنثى يقاوم مكرها

بخير عباد الله ناصره الأعلى

بخير عباد الله ناصره الأعلى

I marveled at a woman whose guile is resisted

I marveled at a woman whose guile is resisted

by the best of God’s servants, championed by the Most High;

by the best of God's servants, whose helper is the Most High.

وجبريلُ أيضاً ناصر ثم بعده

وجبريلُ أيضاً ناصر ثم بعده

ملائكة بالعون من عنده تترى

ملائكة بالعون من عنده تترى

Gabriel too is his champion; then after him

And Gabriel too is a helper; then, after him,

angels follow one upon another, bearing aid from His presence,

angels come with aid from His presence, one after another,

ومن صلحاء المؤمنين عصابةٌ

ومن صلحاء المؤمنين عصابةٌ

سمعناه قرآنا بآذاننا يُتلى

سمعناه قرآنا بآذاننا يُتلى

and a band from among the righteous believers—

and a band from among the righteous believers.

we have heard it as Qur’an, recited into our ears.

We heard it recited as Qur'an with our own ears.

وما ذاك إلا عن وجود تحققت

وما ذاك إلا عن وجود تحققت

به المرأةُ الدنيا ومرتبة عليا

به المرأةُ الدنيا ومرتبة عليا

This is only because of a mode of being through which

That is only due to an existence through which she attained realization—

the lower woman—and a lofty rank—came to be.

the earthly woman—and to an exalted rank.

وقد صحَّ عند الناس أن وجودها

وقد صحَّ عند الناس أن وجودها

من النفس في القرآن والضلع العوجا

من النفس في القرآن والضلع العوجا

And it is established among people that her existence comes

And it is established among people that her existence

from the soul, in the Qur’an, and from the crooked rib.

comes from the soul, in the Qur'an, and from the crooked rib.

فإن رمتَ تقويماً لها قد كسرتها

فإن رمتَ تقويماً لها قد كسرتها

وما كسرها إلاّ طلاقٌ به تُبلى

وما كسرها إلاّ طلاقٌ به تُبلى

If you try to straighten her, you will surely break her;

So if you seek to straighten her, you will break her;

and breaking her means only divorce, by which she is afflicted.

and breaking her is nothing but divorce, by which she is afflicted.

وإنْ شئتَ أن تبقى بها متمتعاً

وإنْ شئتَ أن تبقى بها متمتعاً

فمعوجها يبقى وراحتكم تفنى

فمعوجها يبقى وراحتكم تفنى

Yet if you wish to remain with her, taking your pleasure,

And if you wish to go on enjoying her,

her crookedness remains, and your comfort passes away.

then her crookedness remains, while your comfort fades away.

فما أمها إلا الطبيعةُ وحدها

فما أمها إلا الطبيعةُ وحدها

فكانت كعيسى حين أحيى بها الموتى

فكانت كعيسى حين أحيى بها الموتى

Nature alone is her mother;

For her mother is none but Nature alone;

so she was like Jesus when, through Nature, he quickened the dead.

so she was like Jesus when he revived the dead through her.

لقد أيَّد الرحمن بالروح روحَه

لقد أيَّد الرحمن بالروح روحَه

وهذي تولاها الإله وما ثنى

وهذي تولاها الإله وما ثنى

The All-Merciful indeed strengthened his spirit with the Spirit,

Indeed, the All-Merciful strengthened his spirit with the Spirit;

and God took this woman into His care and did not turn away.

and God took this one into His care, with no second.

فإن كنتَ تدري ما أشرت به فقد

فإن كنتَ تدري ما أشرت به فقد

أبنت لكم عنها وعن سرّها الأخفى

أبنت لكم عنها وعن سرّها الأخفى

So if you grasp what I have alluded to, then I have

So if you understand what I have hinted at, then indeed

made clear to you what concerns her and her most deeply hidden secret.

I have spoken plainly to you of her and of her most hidden secret.