لَعَمرُكَ مَرسوعٌ مِن آلِ مُجالِدٍ

لَعَمرُكَ مَرسوعٌ مِن آلِ مُجالِدٍ

لَخَرشَبتَ لي يَومَ التَقَينا جَوابَكا

لَخَرشَبتَ لي يَومَ التَقَينا جَوابَكا

By your life, Marsuʿ of the clan of Mujalid,

For the days of your life, you are fashioned from illustrious folk,

you certainly botched your answer to me the day we met.

You would have resented me, the day we met, for my response.

تُحَدِّثُني أَنّي كَبيرٌ فَإِنَّني

تُحَدِّثُني أَنّي كَبيرٌ فَإِنَّني

كَبيرٌ وَلَكِن أَيَّ شَيءٍ أَشابَكا

كَبيرٌ وَلَكِن أَيَّ شَيءٍ أَشابَكا

You tell me I am old; indeed, I am

You tell me that I'm old, and indeed I am,

old—but what has turned you gray?

Old, but what misfortune made you this way?

أَمِن كِبَرٍ فَالشَيبُ عاقِبَةُ الفَتى

أَمِن كِبَرٍ فَالشَيبُ عاقِبَةُ الفَتى

فَتُخبِرُنا أَم كانَ طِبّاً أَصابَكا

فَتُخبِرُنا أَم كانَ طِبّاً أَصابَكا

Was it old age? For gray hair is a young man's eventual lot.

If from aging - graying is the destiny of youth -

Tell us, then—or was it sorcery that afflicted you?

So tell us, was it pure or evil that afflicted you?

لَعَمري لَقَد أَنكَحتَها ذا قَرابَةٍ

لَعَمري لَقَد أَنكَحتَها ذا قَرابَةٍ

بَرِيّاً سَرِيّاً كارِهاً ما أَرابَكا

بَرِيّاً سَرِيّاً كارِهاً ما أَرابَكا

By my life, you have indeed married her to a kinsman,

By my life! You married her, a kinswoman,

blameless and noble, hating whatever aroused your suspicion.

Secretly, forcibly, though it did not please you.

وَخُبِّرتُهُ أَهدى جَزوراً سَمينَةً

وَخُبِّرتُهُ أَهدى جَزوراً سَمينَةً

أَتَمَّ الحِبا أَن لَو أَجَدَّ ثيابَكا

أَتَمَّ الحِبا أَن لَو أَجَدَّ ثيابَكا

And I was told he gave a fat camel for slaughter;

And I was told you gifted plump camels,

his gifts would have been complete had he renewed your clothes.

Perfect gifts - if only he could find your clothes!