مملوكةٌ عنديَ روميَّة

مملوكةٌ عنديَ روميَّة

كم نشَّفت رأسي وما من شفه

كم نشَّفت رأسي وما من شفه

In my keeping is a Rūmī slave-girl;

I have a Byzantine slave-girl;

how often she has dried my head, though she is no towel.

How often she has dried out my head—not for lack of water!

بعثتها مع بعض شعري وقد

بعثتها مع بعض شعري وقد

خلصت في الحالين من منشفه

خلصت في الحالين من منشفه

I sent her off with some of my shiʿr—my verse, my hair—and

I sent her away with some of my verse, and indeed

in both senses, I was rid of the drier.

In both cases I was rid of a drying rag.