بيد العفاف أَصون عز حجابي

بيد العفاف أَصون عز حجابي

وِبِعِصمَتي أَسمو عَلى أَترابي

وِبِعِصمَتي أَسمو عَلى أَترابي

With chastity's hand I guard the honor of my veil,

With chastity I guard the honor of my veil,

And through my virtue I rise above my peers.

And with my virtue I rise above my peers.

وَبِفِكرَة وَقادَة وَقَريحة

وَبِفِكرَة وَقادَة وَقَريحة

نَقادَة قَد كَمَلَت آدابي

نَقادَة قَد كَمَلَت آدابي

And with a keen mind and a poetic gift

With intellect, leadership and talent -

Discerning in judgment, my learning has reached perfection.

My manners perfected and refined.

وَلَقَد نَظَمت الشِعرَ شيمَة مَعشَر

وَلَقَد نَظَمت الشِعرَ شيمَة مَعشَر

قَبلى ذَوات الخُدور وَالاِحساب

قَبلى ذَوات الخُدور وَالاِحساب

Indeed, I have composed verse, the custom of a company

And I have composed poetry as a trait,

Before me—women of secluded chambers and noble lineage.

Of my genteel people of repute and prestige.

ما قُلتُه الافكاهة ناطِق

ما قُلتُه الافكاهة ناطِق

يَهوى بَلاغَة مَنطِق وَكِتاب

يَهوى بَلاغَة مَنطِق وَكِتاب

I uttered it only as the amusement of a speaker

I say only eloquent words,

Who loves eloquence in speech and writing.

Seeking excellence in speech and writing.

فَبِنِيَّة المهدى وَلَيلى قُدوَتي

فَبِنِيَّة المهدى وَلَيلى قُدوَتي

وَبِفِطنَتي أَعطي فَصل خطابي

وَبِفِطنَتي أَعطي فَصل خطابي

So al-Mahdi's daughter and Layla are my exemplars,

With Naiya's grace and Layla's example,

And through my discernment I give my speech decisiveness.

And with my wisdom I deliver my discourse.

لِلَّهِ در كَواعِب منوالها

لِلَّهِ در كَواعِب منوالها

نَسج العُلا لِعَوانِس وَكِعاب

نَسج العُلا لِعَوانِس وَكِعاب

God bless the maidens whose loom

Praise be to God for the inspiration,

Weaves high honor for unmarried women and young maidens.

That wove majesty for the exalted ladies.

وَخَصَّصَت بِالدُر الثَمين وَحامَت ال

وَخَصَّصَت بِالدُر الثَمين وَحامَت ال

خَنساء في صَخر وجوب صِعاب

خَنساء في صَخر وجوب صِعاب

And she singled him out with precious pearls, and al-

She adorned with precious pearls, and protected -

Khansa, on Sakhr, ranged through difficult passages.

Al-Khansa in the rock of rugged terrain.

فَجَعَلَت مِرآنى جَبين دَفاتِري

فَجَعَلَت مِرآنى جَبين دَفاتِري

وَجَعَلَت من نقش المداد خضابي

وَجَعَلَت من نقش المداد خضابي

So I made the brow of my notebooks my mirror,

She made my forehead the mirror of my notebooks,

And made the ink's tracery my henna.

And made ink decoration for my hands.

كم زَخرَفَت وَجنات طرسى أَنملى

كم زَخرَفَت وَجنات طرسى أَنملى

بعذار خط أَواهاب شَباب

بعذار خط أَواهاب شَباب

How often my fingertips adorned the cheeks of my page

How my fingers have adorned the gardens of Tarasa,

With the cheek-down of script, or the skin of youth.

With the bracelets' touch of youthful palms.

وَلَكُم زها شَمع الذكا وَتَضوعَت

وَلَكُم زها شَمع الذكا وَتَضوعَت

بِعَبيرِ قَولى رَوضَة الاِحباب

بِعَبيرِ قَولى رَوضَة الاِحباب

And how often wit's candle shone, and fragrance rose

For you the light of glory shone, and exuded -

From the garden of loved ones, with my words' perfume.

In the meadow of loved ones, the scent of my words.

منطقت ربات اِلَيها بِمَناطِق

منطقت ربات اِلَيها بِمَناطِق

يَغبطها في حضرتي وَغِيابي

يَغبطها في حضرتي وَغِيابي

I girded ladies—'toward her' [text unclear]—with girdles,

I have gifted the ladies with eloquence,

She is envied in my presence and my absence.

That makes them envy me whether present or absent.

وَحَلَّلَت في نادى الشُعور ذَوائِبا

وَحَلَّلَت في نادى الشُعور ذَوائِبا

عَرَفت شَعائِر ما ذو الاِنساب

عَرَفت شَعائِر ما ذو الاِنساب

And in the assembly of feeling I loosened tresses,

And I have solved in the gathering of passions,

I recognized rites—'what one of noble lineage' [text unclear].

The rituals of genealogy and lineage.

عوذت مِن فِكري فُنون بَلاغَتي

عوذت مِن فِكري فُنون بَلاغَتي

بِتَميمَة غَرا وَحرز حِجاب

بِتَميمَة غَرا وَحرز حِجاب

From my thought I protected the arts of my eloquence

I have sought refuge for my ideas in the arts of rhetoric,

With a radiant amulet and a veil's protective charm.

With a talisman of honor and veil of modesty.

ما ضَرَّني أَدبي وَحُسنُ تَعَلُّمي

ما ضَرَّني أَدبي وَحُسنُ تَعَلُّمي

الا يَكونى زَهرَة الاِلباب

الا يَكونى زَهرَة الاِلباب

My learning and my fine education did me no harm,

Neither my education nor learning,

Except in making me a flower of discerning minds.

Harmed me, but made me the flower of reason.

ما ساءَني خدري وَعَقد عِصابَتي

ما ساءَني خدري وَعَقد عِصابَتي

وَطَرازُ ثَوبي وَاِعتِزاز رَحابي

وَطَرازُ ثَوبي وَاِعتِزاز رَحابي

My secluded chamber and the knot of my headband did not trouble me,

Neither my bashfulness, nor fastening of my headscarf,

Nor my dress's embroidery, nor the dignity of my home.

Nor the style of my dress and pride of my abode.

ما عاقَني خَجلي عَن العليا وَلا

ما عاقَني خَجلي عَن العليا وَلا

سَدل الخِمار بِلِمَّتي وَنِقابي

سَدل الخِمار بِلِمَّتي وَنِقابي

My modesty did not bar me from the heights, nor

Neither my shyness from the sublime,

The veil draped over my locks, nor my face-veil,

Nor dropping the veil with my sign and mask.

عَن طي مِضمار الرَهان اِذا اِشتَكَت

عَن طي مِضمار الرَهان اِذا اِشتَكَت

صَعب السِياق مطامح الرِكاب

صَعب السِياق مطامح الرِكاب

From covering the racecourse when they lamented

From entering the racecourse when the path,

The harshness of the driving—the riding camels' ambitions.

Became difficult for the hopes of the riders.

بَل صَولَتي في راحَتي وَنفرسى

بَل صَولَتي في راحَتي وَنفرسى

في حُسنِ ما أَسعى لِخَير مَآب

في حُسنِ ما أَسعى لِخَير مَآب

Rather, my prowess lies in my palm, and my discernment [reading uncertain]

Rather my ferocity in comfort and my vigor,

In the worth of what I strive for, toward a good return.

In seeking the best outcome of my efforts.

ناهيكَ من سر مَصون كنهَه

ناهيكَ من سر مَصون كنهَه

شاعَت غَرابَتِه لَدى الاِغراب

شاعَت غَرابَتِه لَدى الاِغراب

Enough for you is a secret whose essence is guarded,

Not to mention the secret well preserved,

Its strangeness has become known among strangers.

Whose strangeness spread amongst strangers.

كَالمِسكِ مَختوم بِدُرج خَزائِن

كَالمِسكِ مَختوم بِدُرج خَزائِن

وَيَضوع طيبُ طيبِهِ بِمَلاب

وَيَضوع طيبُ طيبِهِ بِمَلاب

Like musk, sealed in a casket within treasure vaults,

Like musk sealed in treasure chests,

And the sweetness of its perfume wafts with a fragrant blend.

Its beautiful scent permeates the wrappings.

أَو كَالبِحار حوت جَواهِر لُؤلُؤ

أَو كَالبِحار حوت جَواهِر لُؤلُؤ

عَن مَسِّها شَلت يَد الطلاب

عَن مَسِّها شَلت يَد الطلاب

Or like seas that hold jewels of pearl,

Or like the sea where pearls of treasure lie,

The seekers' hand is paralyzed, unable to touch them.

That made the seeker's hand go limp.

در لِشَوق نَوالِها وَمَنالُها

در لِشَوق نَوالِها وَمَنالُها

كَم كابِد الغَواس فَصل عَذاب

كَم كابِد الغَواس فَصل عَذاب

Pearls! In longing to obtain and attain them,

Praise the longing and attaining,

How often the diver endured a spell of torment!

That made the diver suffer such torment.

وَالعَنبَر المَشهود وافَق صونَها

وَالعَنبَر المَشهود وافَق صونَها

وَشُؤنَه تَتلى بِكُل كِتاب

وَشُؤنَه تَتلى بِكُل كِتاب

And renowned ambergris matched their guarded state,

And commended chastity befitted her,

And its accounts are recounted in every book.

As told in every scripture.

فَأَنَرتَ مِصباح البَراعَةِ وَهيَ لي

فَأَنَرتَ مِصباح البَراعَةِ وَهيَ لي

مَنح الا لَهُ مَواهِب الوَهاب

مَنح الا لَهُ مَواهِب الوَهاب

So you lit the lamp of mastery, and it is mine:

You have lit the lamp of eloquence, and it is for me,

Gifts [apparently of God], the Bestower's blessings.

A gift from the Giver of Gifts.