إذا ما وطىءَ الأمردُ خم

ساً من حصى المسجد

If the wolf trod upon

When the beardless youth treads fi-

A trace from the pebbles of the mosque,

-ve of the pebbles of the mosque,

فقد حلَّ لنا عقداً

من الأنعامِ واستسعد

Then a knot from the cattle

He has indeed untied for us a knot

Is made lawful for us, and we are blessed.

Of grazing cattle, and sought happiness.

فإن كان عروضيّاً

فقولوا سجدَ الهدهد

If he is demanding poetry,

So if he is a master of prosody,

Say the hoopoe prostrated.

Then say: 'The hoopoe has prostrated.'

وإن هو طالبُ النجوِ

فهذّاكَ لهُ أجود

And if he seeks asylum,

And if he is a seeker of deliverance,

Then he is most generous.

Then that is far better for him.

وإن مالَ إلى الرأي

فللرأي لهُ أَفسد

And if he leans towards opinion,

And if he leans towards Opinion,

Then for the opinion he corrupts.

Then for Opinion he is most corrupting.

وإن كان كلاميّاً

فقد جرّ لنا المِقوَد

And if he speaks poetry,

And if he is a theologian,

Then he has pulled for us the plow.

Then he has dragged the halter to us.

فيا مَن دخلَ المسجدَ

من ذي بهجةٍ أغيَد

So O you who entered the mosque

O you who entered the mosque,

With most blossoming joy,

Possessed of beauty and a supple neck,

تقيسون بكم نفسي

وفي الشأن ألا أُجحِد

You judge me by yourselves

You measure my soul against yours,

And in this matter, I do not deny.

And in this matter I am not denied.