تذكَّرْتُ ما سخَّى بنفسيَ عنكُمُ

تذكَّرْتُ ما سخَّى بنفسيَ عنكُمُ

فلم أرهُ مالاً ولم أره أهْلا

فلم أرهُ مالاً ولم أره أهْلا

I recalled what made me willing to part from you;

I recall how freely I gave myself for you

I found it was neither wealth nor family.

Yet I saw it as neither money nor family

بلى خطراتٌ مِن طويلة كلّما

بلى خطراتٌ مِن طويلة كلّما

خطرْنَ وجدْتُ الوعْر من بعدِكُم سهلا

خطرْنَ وجدْتُ الوعْر من بعدِكُم سهلا

Rather, passing thoughts of Tawilah: whenever

Rather, ideas that came to mind, whenever

they crossed my mind, I found the rough ground of separation from you smooth.

They came to mind, I found the rough path after you easy

إذا مُثّلتْ لي لحية الليفِ خطرةً

إذا مُثّلتْ لي لحية الليفِ خطرةً

سلوتكمُ كرهاً وإن كنتُ لا أسلا

سلوتكمُ كرهاً وإن كنتُ لا أسلا

Whenever Palm-Fiber Beard is pictured to me in a fleeting thought,

When the beard of hay twisted before me

I forget you unwillingly, though I am not one to forget.

I avoided you reluctantly, though I am no shunner

وما خِلتُ نفسي تقتضيني لقاءَكم

وما خِلتُ نفسي تقتضيني لقاءَكم

فأمنحها لولا شناءتُه المطلا

فأمنحها لولا شناءتُه المطلا

I never imagined my soul would demand a meeting with you,

And my soul did not stop wanting to meet you

only for me to put it off—were it not for his hideousness.

Except I refused its request due to prolonged separation

أرى قربكم عِدلَ الحياة وروحَها

أرى قربكم عِدلَ الحياة وروحَها

ويعدل عندي قُربه الموت والقتلا

ويعدل عندي قُربه الموت والقتلا

I see nearness to you as life's equal and its soul;

I see your nearness as the justice and spirit of life

while nearness to him, to me, equals death and slaughter.

And in my eyes, nearness to you equals death and killing

وكيف تلذُّ العينُ وجهَ حبيبها

وكيف تلذُّ العينُ وجهَ حبيبها

وفيها قذاة لا تزال لها كُحلا

وفيها قذاة لا تزال لها كُحلا

And how can the eye delight in its beloved's face,

How can the eye relish the face of its beloved

while a speck of grit within it is its constant kohl?

When in it is a speck that blackens its kohl?

خذوا بإباقي لحيةَ الليفِ أو خُذُوا

خذوا بإباقي لحيةَ الليفِ أو خُذُوا

بتشريده عني معزّمكم فضلا

بتشريده عني معزّمكم فضلا

Hold Palm-Fiber Beard responsible for my flight, or charge

Take the twisting beard of hay or take

your exorcist with driving him away from me, as a favor.

Your resolve to banish it from me, excelling

لئنْ كان للصبيان أُمٌّ دميمةٌ

لئنْ كان للصبيان أُمٌّ دميمةٌ

تُخَنّقُهم صَرعاً وتُوسِعهم خبلا

تُخَنّقُهم صَرعاً وتُوسِعهم خبلا

If indeed the children have an ugly mother,

If young boys have a filthy mother

who chokes them with seizures and overwhelms them with madness,

Who strangles them violently and enlarges their confusion

فإن أخانا لحية الليفِ بعلُها

فإن أخانا لحية الليفِ بعلُها

ألا قبَّح اللَّه الحليلة والبعلا

ألا قبَّح اللَّه الحليلة والبعلا

then our brother Palm-Fiber Beard is her husband.

Then our brother, the beard of hay, is her husband

Ah, may God make both wife and husband hideous!

Cursed by God is the licentious wife and husband