Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

“And be thou modest in thy walk, and lower thou thy voice; the most loathsome of voices is the voice of the donkey.”

وَاقْصِدْ ف۪ي مَشْيِكَ وَاغْضُضْ مِنْ صَوْتِكَۜ اِنَّ اَنْكَرَ الْاَصْوَاتِ لَصَوْتُ الْحَم۪يرِ۟
Waqsid fee mashyika waghdudmin sawtika inna ankara al-aswati lasawtualhameer
#wordmeaningroot
1wa-iq'ṣidAnd be moderateقصد
2in
3mashyikayour paceمشي
4wa-ugh'ḍuḍand lowerغضض
5min[of]
6ṣawtikayour voiceصوت
7innaIndeed
8ankara(the) harshestنكر
9l-aṣwāti(of all) soundsصوت
10laṣawtu(is) surely (the) voiceصوت
11l-ḥamīri(of) the donkeysحمر
  • Aisha Bewley

    Be moderate in your tread and lower your voice. The most hateful of voices is the donkey’s bray.’

  • Progressive Muslims

    "And be humble in how you walk and lower your voice. For the harshest of all voices is the donkey's voice."

  • Shabbir Ahmed

    "Hence, be modest in your pace and in your bearing, and lower your voice, for, behold the harshest voice is the braying of a donkey. "

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    “And be thou modest in thy walk, and lower thou thy voice; the most loathsome of voices is the voice of the donkey.”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    "And be humble in how you walk and lower your voice. For the harshest of all voices is the voice of the donkeys."

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    "Be humble in how you walk and lower your voice. For the harshest of all voices is the donkey's voice."

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    "Walk humbly and lower your voice - the ugliest voice is the donkey's voice."

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    Be moderate in your bearing, and keep your voice low. Surely the most repulsive voice is the donkey's."

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    And be moderate in your pace and lower your voice; indeed, the most disagreeable of sounds is the voice of donkeys. "

  • Muhammad Asad

    "Hence, be modest in thy bearing, and lower thy voice: for, behold, the ugliest of all voices is the voice of asses…"

  • Marmaduke Pickthall

    Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice. Lo! the harshest of all voices is the voice of the ass.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Be moderate in your stride* and lower your voice. Verily the most disgusting of all voices is the braying of the donkey."*

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    "And walk forth" he said, " with moderate steps and with regular pace comformable to a standard recognized as formally correct". "And.lower your voice when you give utterance or expression to an emotion, opinion, feeling, thought, or discussion and in your natural action, for the most repulsive, objectionable and displeasing sound produced by the vocal organs is the braying or the loud harsh sound of asses".

  • Bijan Moeinian

    "Walk in a humble manner and do not talk loud; the most disgraceful of all voices is the loud voice of a donkey. "

  • Al-Hilali & Khan

    "And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the braying of the asses."

  • Abdullah Yusuf Ali

    "And be moderate in thy pace, and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass."

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    Be moderate in your pace. And lower your voice, for the ugliest of all voices is certainly the braying of donkeys."

  • Taqi Usmani

    and be moderate in your walk, and lower your voice. Surely, the ugliest of voices is the voice of the donkeys."

  • Abdul Haleem

    Go at a moderate pace and lower your voice, for the ugliest of all voices is the braying of asses.’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    Be modest in thy walk, and lower thy voice; the most hideous of voices is the ass's. '

  • E. Henry Palmer

    but be moderate in thy walk, and lower thy voice; verily, the most disagreeable of voices is the voice of asses!'

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    "And twist not your cheek in scorn towards folk, nor walk haughtily (or insolently) in the land; verily, Allah loves not any arrogant boaster:

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    And be moderate in your walk, and tone down your voice; surely the most repugnant of voices is indeed that of the asses. "

  • George Sale

    And be moderate in thy pace: And lower thy voice; for the most ungrateful of all voices surely is the voice of asses.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    "And be moderate in your walking (and actions) and lower your voice, verily, (without a doubt), the harshest of sounds is the call (braying) of an ass. "

  • Amatul Rahman Omar

    `Rather walk with modest pace and talk in soft gentle tone. Surely, the most repugnant of voices is the braying of the donkey.'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    Be modest in your bearing, and lower your voice. Indeed the ungainliest of voices is the donkey’s voice.’