إِذا ما وَطِئَ الأَمرَ

دُ لِلعِلمِ حَصى المَسجِد

When the beardless lad steps

Upon the mosque's pebbles seeking knowledge,

فَقَد حَلَّ لَنا عَقداً

مِنَ التِكَّةِ تَستَعقِد

He has indeed undone for us a knot

Of the waistband that was tightly bound.

فَإِن كانَ عَروضِيّاً

فَقولوا سَجَدَ الهُدهُد

So if he is a student of prosody,

Then say: "The hoopoe has prostrated."

وَإِن أَعجَبَهُ النَحوُ

فَهَذاكَ لَنا أَجوَد

And if grammar appeals to him,

Then that is even better for us.

وَإِن مالَ إِلى الفِقهِ

فَلَلفِقهُ لَهُ أَفسَد

And if he inclines towards jurisprudence,

Then jurisprudence is surely the most corrupting path for him.

وَإِن كانَ كَلامِيّاً

فَحَرَّك طَرَفَ المِقوَد

And if he is a theologian,

Then pull gently at the tip of the rein.

وَمَيَّلهُ إِلى الجِدِّ

فَفيهِ قُربُ مَن يَبعُد

And sway him towards earnest matters,

For therein lies the approach to one who is distant.

وَنِلهُ كَيفَما شِئتَ اِق

تِضاباً وَعَلى مَوعِد

And possess him however you wish, whether seizing the instant,

Or by a prearranged appointment.

وَقُل هَذا قَضاءُ اللَ

هِ هَل تَدفَعُ أَو تَجحَد

And say: "This is the decree of God,"

"Can you repel it or deny it?"

فَيا مَن وَطِئَ المَسجِ

دَ مِن ذي بَهجَةٍ أَغيَد

O you who have trodden the mosque,

A figure of delight, soft and slender-necked.