أَغرَّكِ يا أَسماءُ ما ظنَّ قاسمُ

أَغرَّكِ يا أَسماءُ ما ظنَّ قاسمُ

أَقيمي وَراءَ الخِدرِ فَالمرءُ واهمُ

أَقيمي وَراءَ الخِدرِ فَالمرءُ واهمُ

Has what Qasim thought beguiled you, Asma?

Has Qasim been deceived, O Asma, by what he supposed?

Remain behind the chamber curtain, for the man is deluded.

Stay behind the curtain, for man is deluded.

ذكرتُكِ إِنّي إِن تجَلّت غَيابتي

ذكرتُكِ إِنّي إِن تجَلّت غَيابتي

عَلى ما نَمى مِن ذكركِ اليَومَ نادمُ

عَلى ما نَمى مِن ذكركِ اليَومَ نادمُ

I mentioned you; indeed, if my darkness has lifted,

If my absence is revealed, I will remember you

I regret today the mention of you that has spread.

And regret the growth today of your memory in me.

تَضِيقينَ ذرعاً بِالحِجابِ وَما بِهِ

تَضِيقينَ ذرعاً بِالحِجابِ وَما بِهِ

سِوى ما جَنَت تِلكَ الرُؤَى وَالمَزاعمُ

سِوى ما جَنَت تِلكَ الرُؤَى وَالمَزاعمُ

You chafe at the veil, yet nothing is amiss with it

You are extremely distressed by the veil when there is in it

save what those visions and claims have wrought.

Nothing but what those visions and allegations have yielded.

سَلامٌ عَلى الأَخلاقِ في الشَرقِ كلِّه

سَلامٌ عَلى الأَخلاقِ في الشَرقِ كلِّه

إِذا ما اِستُبيحَت في الخُدورِ الكَرائِمُ

إِذا ما اِستُبيحَت في الخُدورِ الكَرائِمُ

Farewell to morality throughout the East,

Greetings to morals in all of the East

if noble women are made fair game in their chambers.

When honours are violated in homes.

أَقاسمُ لا تَقذِف بِجيشكَ تَبتَغي

أَقاسمُ لا تَقذِف بِجيشكَ تَبتَغي

بِقَومِكَ وَالإِسلامِ ما اللَهُ عالمُ

بِقَومِكَ وَالإِسلامِ ما اللَهُ عالمُ

Qasim, do not hurl your army forward, seeking

O Qasim, do not attack with your army seeking

for your people and Islam what God knows.

Through your people and Islam what Allah knows.

لَنا من بِناءِ الأَوّلينَ بَقِيَّةٌ

لَنا من بِناءِ الأَوّلينَ بَقِيَّةٌ

تَلُوذُ بِها أَعراضُنا وَالمحارمُ

تَلُوذُ بِها أَعراضُنا وَالمحارمُ

We have a remnant of the forebears' edifice,

From the first builders we have a remaining

in which our honor and sanctities take refuge.

With which our honours and the sacred things seek refuge.

أُسائِلُ نَفسي إِذ دلفتَ تُريدُها

أُسائِلُ نَفسي إِذ دلفتَ تُريدُها

أَأَنتَ مِن البانينَ أَم أَنتَ هادمُ

أَأَنتَ مِن البانينَ أَم أَنتَ هادمُ

I ask myself, as you advanced seeking it:

I ask myself when you crept in wanting it,

Are you among the builders, or are you a destroyer?

Are you of the builders or are you a demolisher?

وَلَولا اللَواتي أَنتَ تَبكي مُصابَها

وَلَولا اللَواتي أَنتَ تَبكي مُصابَها

لَما قامَ لِلأَخلاقِ في مِصرَ قائِمُ

لَما قامَ لِلأَخلاقِ في مِصرَ قائِمُ

Were it not for those women whose misfortune you lament,

Were it not for those whose afflictions you weep for

morality would have had no champion in Egypt.

No upholder of morals in Egypt would have stood.

نَبذتَ إِلَينا بِالكِتابِ كَأَنَّما

نَبذتَ إِلَينا بِالكِتابِ كَأَنَّما

صَحائِفُه مَمّا حَمَلنَ مَلاحمُ

صَحائِفُه مَمّا حَمَلنَ مَلاحمُ

You flung the book at us, as though

You tossed to us in the book as though

its pages, through what they bore, were battlefields.

Its pages were of battles the warriors carried.

فَفي كُلِّ سَطرٍ مِنهُ حَتفٌ مُفاجئٌ

فَفي كُلِّ سَطرٍ مِنهُ حَتفٌ مُفاجئٌ

وَفي كُلِّ حَرفٍ مِنهُ جَيشٌ مُهاجِمُ

وَفي كُلِّ حَرفٍ مِنهُ جَيشٌ مُهاجِمُ

For in every line of it is sudden death,

So in each of its lines there is a sudden calamity,

and in every letter of it, an attacking army.

And in each of its letters an attacking army.

حَنانَك إِنّ الأَمرَ قَد جاوزَ المَدى

حَنانَك إِنّ الأَمرَ قَد جاوزَ المَدى

وَلَم يَبقَ في الدُنيا لِقَومِكَ راحمُ

وَلَم يَبقَ في الدُنيا لِقَومِكَ راحمُ

Have mercy! This affair has gone beyond all bounds,

Your affection - the matter has exceeded the boundary

and no one in the world remains to show your people mercy.

And there remains in the world for your people no compassionate one.

أَحاطَت بِنا الأُسدُ المُغِيرَةُ جَهرَةً

أَحاطَت بِنا الأُسدُ المُغِيرَةُ جَهرَةً

وَدبَّت إِلَينا في الظَلامِ الأَراقمُ

وَدبَّت إِلَينا في الظَلامِ الأَراقمُ

Raiding lions have openly surrounded us,

The roaring lions have besieged us openly

and speckled serpents have crept toward us in the dark.

And the wolves crept toward us in the darkness.

وَأَبرَحُ ما يَجني العَدُوُّ إِذا رَمى

وَأَبرَحُ ما يَجني العَدُوُّ إِذا رَمى

كَأَهون ما يَجني الصديقُ المُسالمُ

كَأَهون ما يَجني الصديقُ المُسالمُ

And the worst harm an enemy inflicts when he strikes

And I care not what the enemy reaps when he shoots

is like the slightest harm inflicted by a peaceable friend.

Like the least that the friendly peaceful one reaps.

لَنا في كِتاب اللَهِ مَجدٌ مُؤَثَّلٌ

لَنا في كِتاب اللَهِ مَجدٌ مُؤَثَّلٌ

وَمُلكٌ عَلى الحدثانِ وَالدَهر دائِمُ

وَمُلكٌ عَلى الحدثانِ وَالدَهر دائِمُ

In God's Book we have a firmly rooted glory,

For us in God's book there is an adorned glory

and a dominion enduring through vicissitudes and time.

And eternal kingdom over eras and time.

إِذا نَحنُ شِئنا زَلزلَ الأَرضَ بَأسُنا

إِذا نَحنُ شِئنا زَلزلَ الأَرضَ بَأسُنا

وَدانَت لَنا أَقطارُها وَالعَواصمُ

وَدانَت لَنا أَقطارُها وَالعَواصمُ

If we will it, our might shakes the earth,

When we will, our might makes the earth quake,

and its regions and capitals submit to us.

And its regions and capitals submit to us.

نَصولُ فَنجتاحُ الشُعوبَ وَننثني

نَصولُ فَنجتاحُ الشُعوبَ وَننثني

بِأَيماننا أَسلابُها وَالغَنائمُ

بِأَيماننا أَسلابُها وَالغَنائمُ

We charge, overrun the peoples, and return,

We attack and overwhelm the nations and we bend

their spoils and booty in our right hands.

With our oaths their booty and spoils.

قَضَينا المَدى صَرعى تَخورُ نُفوسُنا

قَضَينا المَدى صَرعى تَخورُ نُفوسُنا

وَتَخذِلُنا في الناهضينَ العَزائِمُ

وَتَخذِلُنا في الناهضينَ العَزائِمُ

We have spent our days laid low, our spirits flagging,

We have spent our lives vanquished, our souls withering

and our resolve fails us among those who rise.

And determination failing us among the risers.

فَلم يَكُ إِلّا أَن أَحيط بِملكنا

فَلم يَكُ إِلّا أَن أَحيط بِملكنا

وَلَم يَك إِلّا أن دَهتنا العَظائِمُ

وَلَم يَك إِلّا أن دَهتنا العَظائِمُ

So the outcome was only that our dominion was besieged,

There remained only that our kingdom be surrounded

and only that dire calamities befell us.

And only that the greatest things make us anxious.

تَداعَت شُعوبُ الأَرضِ تَسعى لِشأنها

تَداعَت شُعوبُ الأَرضِ تَسعى لِشأنها

وَغُودِرَ شَعبٌ في الكِنانَةِ نائِمُ

وَغُودِرَ شَعبٌ في الكِنانَةِ نائِمُ

The peoples of the earth rallied, pursuing their affairs,

The earth's peoples hastened seeking their own affairs

while a people in Kinana was left asleep.

While a people slept in Egypt unconcerned.

هَمَمنا بربّاتِ الحِجالِ نُريدُها

هَمَمنا بربّاتِ الحِجالِ نُريدُها

أَقاطيعَ تَرعى العَيشَ وَهيَ سَوائِمُ

أَقاطيعَ تَرعى العَيشَ وَهيَ سَوائِمُ

We turned our thoughts to the ladies of curtained chambers, wanting them

We sought the virtuous ladies, wanting them

as flocks grazing for a living, roaming at pasture.

Herds grazing sustenance and they are sublime.

وَإِن امرأً يُلقِي بِلَيلٍ نِعاجَهُ

وَإِن امرأً يُلقِي بِلَيلٍ نِعاجَهُ

إِلى حَيثُ تستنُّ الذئابُ لَظالمُ

إِلى حَيثُ تستنُّ الذئابُ لَظالمُ

And a man who casts his ewes out by night

But a man who at night casts his sheep

where wolves run free is surely a wrongdoer.

To where the wolves lounge in the darkness is unjust.

وَكُلُّ حَياةٍ تَثلِمُ العرضَ سُبّةٌ

وَكُلُّ حَياةٍ تَثلِمُ العرضَ سُبّةٌ

وَلا كَحياةٍ جَلَّلتها المَآثمُ

وَلا كَحياةٍ جَلَّلتها المَآثمُ

And every life that mars honor is a disgrace,

And every life that wrongs honour is disgraceful booty

and none so shameful as a life shrouded in sins.

And no life made great by misdeeds is protected.

أَتأتِي الثَنايا الغُرُّ وَالطُرَرُ العُلى

أَتأتِي الثَنايا الغُرُّ وَالطُرَرُ العُلى

بِما عَجزت عَنهُ اللِحى وَالعَمائمُ

بِما عَجزت عَنهُ اللِحى وَالعَمائمُ

Will gleaming front teeth and lofty forelocks achieve

Do the glorious and the highborn come

what beards and turbans have been unable to do?

With what the beards and turbans failed against?

عَفا اللَهُ عَن قَومٍ تَمادَت ظُنونُهم

عَفا اللَهُ عَن قَومٍ تَمادَت ظُنونُهم

فَلا النَهجُ مَأمونٌ وَلا الرَأيُ حازمُ

فَلا النَهجُ مَأمونٌ وَلا الرَأيُ حازمُ

May God pardon a people whose conjectures have gone too far,

May God forgive a people whose suspicions went too far

for neither is the path safe nor the judgment prudent.

So neither the approach is safe nor is opinion wise.

أَلا إِنَّ بالإِسلامِ داءً مُخامِراً

أَلا إِنَّ بالإِسلامِ داءً مُخامِراً

وَإِنَّ كِتابَ اللَهِ للدّاءِ حاسمُ

وَإِنَّ كِتابَ اللَهِ للدّاءِ حاسمُ

Behold, a disease has indeed taken hold in Islam,

Beware - in Islam there is a festering disease

and God's Book indeed eradicates the disease.

And God's book for the disease is decisive.