دع الأمطارَ تعتور الديارا

دع الأمطارَ تعتور الديارا

ودر عنها إلى ديرِ العذارى

ودر عنها إلى ديرِ العذارى

Let the rains assail the dwellings in turn,

Let the rains traverse the abodes

Let the rains efface the camping grounds and ruins,

And turn from them toward the Monastery of the Virgins.

And turn away from them to the monastery of virgins

And turn instead to the Convent of the Virgins.

وعَج عن نعتِ أروى أو لُبَيني

وعَج عن نعتِ أروى أو لُبَيني

بعبدِ يشوع فاعدل عن أوارى

بعبدِ يشوع فاعدل عن أوارى

Turn aside from describing Arwa or Lubayna

And refrain from describing the maid of Arwa or Labina

Swerve from the praise of Arwa or Lubayna;

To Abd Yashu; turn away from tethering-posts,

With the worshipper of Jesus so turn away from the brides

With Abd-Yishu, replace the memory of Awara.

بظبي كالهلال من النصارى

بظبي كالهلال من النصارى

محاسنهُ تزهّدُ في العذارى

محاسنهُ تزهّدُ في العذارى

To a gazelle like the crescent moon, one of the Christians.

With a gazelle like the crescent of Christians

Choose a gazelle among Christians, gleaming like the crescent moon,

His charms make one lose interest in virgins.

Its beauty makes virgins ascetic

Whose charms make one renounce all maidens.

تركتُ له الحسانَ الحورَ لمّا

تركتُ له الحسانَ الحورَ لمّا

شغلتُ بحبّهِ قلبي فبارى

شغلتُ بحبّهِ قلبي فبارى

I forsook the beautiful, dark-eyed women for him when

I left it with beautiful houris when

For him I abandoned the fair, dark-eyed beauties,

I occupied my heart with love for him, and it vied.

I busied my heart with love for him so it was evident

When his love seized my heart and prevailed.

يقُلنَ وقد صرفتُ هواي عنها

يقُلنَ وقد صرفتُ هواي عنها

فهنّ لنبوَتي عنها حيارى

فهنّ لنبوَتي عنها حيارى

They say—now that I have turned my desire from them—

They say when I diverted my love from them

They say—now that I have turned my passion from them,

For they are baffled by my aversion to them:

So they were confused about my prophethood because of it

Bewildered by my shunning and my distance—

بأيّةِ حجّةٍ أم أيِّ رأي

بأيّةِ حجّةٍ أم أيِّ رأي

عدلتَ عن الحنيفِ إلى النصارى

عدلتَ عن الحنيفِ إلى النصارى

By what argument, or what reasoning,

With what argument or what opinion

"By what logic, or by what strange decree,"

Have you turned from the upright believer to the Christians?

Did you turn from the Hanifite to the Christians?

"Have you swerved from the True Faith to the Christians?"

فقلتُ لأنّ بُرصوماً نصيبي

فقلتُ لأنّ بُرصوماً نصيبي

يرخّصُ في الفخار لهم جهارى

يرخّصُ في الفخار لهم جهارى

I said: because Barsuma, a Nisibene,

So I said because Barsoum is my fate

I replied: "Because Barsoum is my destiny,"

Openly permits them to boast,

Who permits clay vessels for them openly

"Who openly permits them their proud delights."

وكانَ نكاحُهنَّ يراهُ حوباً

وكانَ نكاحُهنَّ يراهُ حوباً

مخافةَ أن يناسلنَ الشرارا

مخافةَ أن يناسلنَ الشرارا

And he deemed intercourse with them a sin,

And he saw their marriage as love

"He considers the bedding of women a sin,"

For fear they might breed the wicked.

Fearing they would multiply evildoers

"Dreading they might birth a wicked brood."

يرى الأفخاذَ جنّةَ كل أيرٍ

يرى الأفخاذَ جنّةَ كل أيرٍ

إذا ما قامَ ليلاً أو نهارا

إذا ما قامَ ليلاً أو نهارا

He sees thighs as a paradise for every cock,

He sees thighs as the paradise of every penis

"He deems the thighs a paradise for every rod,"

Whenever it rises, by night or by day,

If he stands at night or day

"Whenever it rises up, by night or day,"

قيامَ مؤذنٍ في يوم غيم

قيامَ مؤذنٍ في يوم غيم

يميناً ظلّ ينظرُ واليسارا

يميناً ظلّ ينظرُ واليسارا

Standing like a muezzin on a cloudy day,

Like the standing of a muezzin on a cloudy day

"Rising like a muezzin on a cloudy day,"

Who keeps looking to the right and the left.

Looking right and left

"Who gazes anxiously to the right and left."

فإن عدمَ استراحَ براحتيهِ

فإن عدمَ استراحَ براحتيهِ

ولم يخشَ الأثامَ ولا الشنار

ولم يخشَ الأثامَ ولا الشنار

If he finds none, he finds relief with his two palms,

So if he doesn't rest his two legs

"If a partner is lacking, he finds solace in his palms,"

And fears neither punishment for sin nor disgrace.

And doesn't fear sins or disgrace

"Fearing neither sin nor public shame."

لذلك بولسٌ قد كان قدماً

لذلك بولسٌ قد كان قدماً

يرى نيكَ الورى أمراً كبارا

يرى نيكَ الورى أمراً كبارا

For this reason, Paul long ago

That's why Paul used to be foremost

"For this reason, Paul, in times of old,"

Considered fucking humankind a grave affair.

In seeing the intimacy of people as a great matter

"Deemed the bedding of mortals a heavy burden,"

وقال ألا ترى الإنسانَ مهما

وقال ألا ترى الإنسانَ مهما

تحرّكَ أيرهُ يوماً وثارا

تحرّكَ أيرهُ يوماً وثارا

And he said: do you not see that a man, whenever

And he said don't you see that man no matter

"Saying: 'Do you not see that whenever man,'"

His cock stirs one day and rises,

How his penis moved one day and stirred

"'Has his member stir and rise in revolt,'"

ثناه عن عبادتهِ فقيسوا

ثناه عن عبادتهِ فقيسوا

بما قد قلتُ واعتبروا اعتبارا

بما قد قلتُ واعتبروا اعتبارا

Is turned away from his worship? So reason by analogy

Distracting him from His worship so judge

"'It distracts him from worship? So judge by this,'"

From what I have said, and take due heed

Based on what I said and consider carefully

"'By what I have spoken, and take heed.'"

بعيسى لم يرق يوماً دماءً

بعيسى لم يرق يوماً دماءً

ولا عن غادةٍ كشفَ الإزارا

ولا عن غادةٍ كشفَ الإزارا

From Jesus: he never once shed blood,

With Jesus he never shed blood one day

"Look to Jesus: he never shed the blood of a virgin,"

Nor lifted the waistcloth from a lovely woman.

Or uncovered the genitals of a maiden

"Nor did he ever lift a maiden's veil."

وبالبرهان فاعتبروا فما إن

وبالبرهان فاعتبروا فما إن

يرى مَن ساح في الدنيا وسارا

يرى مَن ساح في الدنيا وسارا

And take heed of the proof: never

And consider with evidence so indeed

"Consider the proof, for never was he seen,"

Is one who roams and travels the world seen

Whoever roams the world and traveled

"By any who roamed or wandered the earth,"

وحيداً ليس يصحبه رفيقٌ

وحيداً ليس يصحبه رفيقٌ

يبادله جهاراً أو سرارا

يبادله جهاراً أو سرارا

Alone, without a companion

Alone with no companion

"Solitary, without a male companion,"

To take turns with him, openly or secretly.

Who reciprocates with him openly or secretly

"To exchange intimacies, in secret or open sight."

وفي الإفراد ألفي ذا اغتلام

وفي الإفراد ألفي ذا اغتلام

على بطّيخةٍ ينزو بدارا

على بطّيخةٍ ينزو بدارا

And in solitude he was found full of lust,

And I found pleasure while infatuated

"And in his solitude, he found release for his lust,"

Hastily mounting a melon,

With a melon vendor in a house

"Upon a watermelon, thrusting in haste,"

يقولُ النيك كرّرهُ مراراً

يقولُ النيك كرّرهُ مراراً

إلى أن صبَّ نطفتَهُ درارا

إلى أن صبَّ نطفتَهُ درارا

Saying: fucking—repeat it over and over!

He says good, repeat it repeatedly

"Saying: 'Repeat the act, again and again,'"

Until he poured out his semen in streams.

Until he poured his semen copiously

"'Until the seed pours forth in a streaming flow.'"

لذا عنكنّ ملتُ إلى النصارى

لذا عنكنّ ملتُ إلى النصارى

إلى مَن لا يرى ذا النيكَ عارا

إلى مَن لا يرى ذا النيكَ عارا

That is why I turned from you women to the Christians,

Thus from you I turned to the Christians

"Therefore, I turned from you women to the Christians,"

To those who do not consider this fucking a disgrace.

To those who don't see this good as shameful

"To those who see no shame in this delight."