ألا قُل لأَبي الفَتحِ

ألا قُل لأَبي الفَتحِ

إذا لاقَيتَه سِرَّا

إذا لاقَيتَه سِرَّا

Now tell Abu al-Fath,

Listen, tell Abu al-Fath,

when you meet him in private:

when you meet him in secret:

لقد أنكرتَ من عِرسِ

لقد أنكرتَ من عِرسِ

كَ أَمراً لم يكُن نُكرا

كَ أَمراً لم يكُن نُكرا

Indeed, I found fault with your bri—

You have indeed found fault with your wife

—de over something that was no fault at all.

for something that was no offense.

إلى كم تَصبرُ المرأَ

إلى كم تَصبرُ المرأَ

ةُ في بيتِ الفَتى بِكرا

ةُ في بيتِ الفَتى بِكرا

How long must the wom—

How long can a woman endure

—an endure as a virgin in the young man’s house?

being a virgin in a young man's house?

أتَتني امرأةُ الشاع

أتَتني امرأةُ الشاع

رِ تستَنشِدُني شِعرا

رِ تستَنشِدُني شِعرا

There came to me the po—

The poet's wife came to me,

—et’s wife, asking me for verse.

asking me to recite poetry.

فرحَّبتُ وأكرَمتُ

فرحَّبتُ وأكرَمتُ

وأظهرتُ لها بِشرا

وأظهرتُ لها بِشرا

So I welcomed her and treated her generously,

So I welcomed and honored her,

and showed her a cheerful face.

and showed her a cheerful face.

وما فارَقتُها شِبراً

وما فارَقتُها شِبراً

إلى أن بلعَت شِبرا

إلى أن بلعَت شِبرا

I did not part from her by so much as a handspan,

And I did not move a handspan away from her

until she swallowed a handspan.

until she swallowed a handspan.

فلا تَستَصغِرَن شِعري

فلا تَستَصغِرَن شِعري

فقَد حزتُ به شُكرا

فقَد حزتُ به شُكرا

So never belittle my poetry:

So never belittle my poetry,

through it I won gratitude.

for through it I have earned thanks.

سبقتُ الناسَ حتَّى جَ

سبقتُ الناسَ حتَّى جَ

سَروا أَن يَعبُروا الجِسرا

سَروا أَن يَعبُروا الجِسرا

I went before everyone, until they da—

I went ahead of the others, until

—red to cross the bridge.

they dared to cross the bridge.