يا خالدَ ابن الخالدا

يا خالدَ ابن الخالدا

ت مخازياً لا درَّ مَحْضُكْ

ت مخازياً لا درَّ مَحْضُكْ

O Khalid, son of women everlasting

O Khaled, son of the immortal,

in disgrace—may your pure milk never flow!

You acted shamefully, though you are pure

ودّعْ فإنَّك قدْ دنا

ودّعْ فإنَّك قدْ دنا

منك الرحيلُ وشُدَّ غَرْضُكْ

منك الرحيلُ وشُدَّ غَرْضُكْ

Bid farewell, for now there draws near

Say farewell, for you are close

your departure, and your saddle-girth is tightened.

To departing while your purpose remains tied

لأسيّرَنَّك في البلا

لأسيّرَنَّك في البلا

دِ بِما أقَمْتَ وطال خَفْضُك

دِ بِما أقَمْتَ وطال خَفْضُك

I shall surely send you roaming through the lands,

I will make you walk the country

because you have stayed put and long enjoyed ease.

For what you did and long has been your disgrace

ولأكحُلَنَّك بالسُّها

ولأكحُلَنَّك بالسُّها

دِ بما رقدْت وطاب غُمضُك

دِ بما رقدْت وطاب غُمضُك

And I shall surely line your eyes with sleeplessness,

And I will line your eyes with praise

because you have slept and relished your slumber.

For your sleep and rest while closed was your eye

أهجوْتَني وحسِبتني

أهجوْتَني وحسِبتني

ممَّن يضيعُ لديه قرضُك

ممَّن يضيعُ لديه قرضُك

Have you lampooned me, thinking me

You insulted me and thought me

one on whom your poetry would go to waste?

One who would lose to you what he loaned

أخطأت في التقدير يا اب

أخطأت في التقدير يا اب

نَ المومسات وعال فرضُك

نَ المومسات وعال فرضُك

You erred in your reckoning, O son

You were wrong in your judgement, O son

of prostitutes; your allotted share ran too high.

Of harlots, while high was your horse

أيُّ القبائلِ يُنتحَى

أيُّ القبائلِ يُنتحَى

بالشتم حين يُسبُّ عرضُك

بالشتم حين يُسبُّ عرضُك

Which tribe is singled out

Which of the tribes can be censured

for abuse when your honor is reviled?

With insults when your honor is attacked?

لا أيُّهنَّ وكيف ذا

لا أيُّهنَّ وكيف ذا

ك ومِنْ جميع الناس بعضُك

ك ومِنْ جميع الناس بعضُك

None of them! How could that be,

Neither of them, and how can that be

when a part of you comes from all mankind?

When you are but one of all people?

لا تسْمُ عينُك في العيو

لا تسْمُ عينُك في العيو

ن فلو عقلتَ لطال غضُّك

ن فلو عقلتَ لطال غضُّك

Let not your eye rise among other eyes;

Do not let your eyes wander in longing

had you sense, you would long keep your gaze lowered.

For if you had sense, long would be your chastity

أتناك ذاك وذاك طو

أتناك ذاك وذاك طو

لك في الرجال وذاك عرضُك

لك في الرجال وذاك عرضُك

Are you fucked like that, with such height

Did that one and this one come to you

among men, and such breadth?

Tall among men? And that is your honor?

لو كنْتَ تنفُضُ عارِضي

لو كنْتَ تنفُضُ عارِضي

كَ من التُّرابِ لطال نَفْضُك

كَ من التُّرابِ لطال نَفْضُك

If you shook your two cheeks free

If you were to shake the dust off your brow

of dust, your shaking would take a long time.

Long would be your dignity

سبحان شيطانٍ يُسَخْ

سبحان شيطانٍ يُسَخْ

خِر نائكيك وذاك بُفْضُك

خِر نائكيك وذاك بُفْضُك

Glory be to a devil who commands

Glory to the devil who ridicules you

those who fuck you—and that is your [unclear term].

And that is your worthlessness

لو كنت ما خُتم الرحي

لو كنت ما خُتم الرحي

قُ به لعُنّفَ مَنْ يَفُضُّك

قُ به لعُنّفَ مَنْ يَفُضُّك

If you were what the pure wine was sealed

If I were not bound by covenant

with, whoever broke you open would be rebuked.

I would chastise whoever belittles you

بظلامةِ الشوكيّ نا

بظلامةِ الشوكيّ نا

لك من عِقابي ما يَهُضُّك

لك من عِقابي ما يَهُضُّك

For the wrong done to al-Shawki, you have suffered

With the darkness of ash-Shawki

a punishment from me that crushes you.

You will get from me what will rouse you

فاخْرُجْ له من حَقّه

فاخْرُجْ له من حَقّه

وأنِبْ عسى يُنجيك ركْضُك

وأنِبْ عسى يُنجيك ركْضُك

So yield to him what is his by right,

So come out to claim your right

and repent; perhaps your running will save you.

And flee, perhaps your running will save you

البذْرُ للشَّوْكيِّ غَيْ

البذْرُ للشَّوْكيِّ غَيْ

رَ مدافَعٍ والأرضُ أرضُك

رَ مدافَعٍ والأرضُ أرضُك

The seed belongs to al-Shawki, without

The seeds are ash-Shawki's

dispute; and the land is your land.

Not yours, though the land is your land

دافعْتَه عن بِنْته

دافعْتَه عن بِنْته

والغصْبُ ما يحويه قبضُك

والغصْبُ ما يحويه قبضُك

You kept him from his daughter,

You defended his daughter

and what your grasp holds is usurped,

While rape fills your grip

كي تستهبّ بها الفحو

كي تستهبّ بها الفحو

ل إذا كَبِرْتَ وذاب نَحْضُك

ل إذا كَبِرْتَ وذاب نَحْضُك

so you may rouse the stallions with her

So you could fool around with her

when you grow old and your flesh melts away.

When you grew up and melted was your timidity

داء تمكَّن في عجا

داء تمكَّن في عجا

نِك قبل أن يشتدَّ نهضُك

نِك قبل أن يشتدَّ نهضُك

A disease took hold in your perineum

A sickness took hold in your mind

before your strength to rise grew firm.

Before you matured and stood tall

لا تعتذر مما أتيْ

لا تعتذر مما أتيْ

تَ من القبيح فمنك رُبْضُك

تَ من القبيح فمنك رُبْضُك

Do not make excuses for what you have done

Do not make excuses for what you did

that is ugly: your household is of your own kind.

That was ugly, for it came from you

العارُ منك وأنت من

العارُ منك وأنت من

هُ فليس من عار يمضُّك

هُ فليس من عار يمضُّك

Shame comes from you, and you from

The shame is yours and you are of it

it; no shame, then, can sting you.

So no shame will erase you

صبراً ستعْلَمُ أيّما

صبراً ستعْلَمُ أيّما

زُبْدٍ يُصَرّح عنه مَحْضُك

زُبْدٍ يُصَرّح عنه مَحْضُك

Be patient! You shall learn what kind of

Patience, you will know which

butter your pure milk reveals,

Froth speaks for your purity

في أيّما مُتورَّدٍ

في أيّما مُتورَّدٍ

دلّاكَ يا مغرورُ دحْضُك

دلّاكَ يا مغرورُ دحْضُك

into what sort of watering-place

In which pretender

your slip has lowered you, O deluded one.

Misguided you, O deluded one, his rebuke