يا بَغلُ بَغلَ أَبي مَضاءَ تَعَلَّمَن

يا بَغلُ بَغلَ أَبي مَضاءَ تَعَلَّمَن

أَنّي حَلَفتُ وَلِليَمينِ نُذورُ

أَنّي حَلَفتُ وَلِليَمينِ نُذورُ

O mule, mule of Abu Maḍāʾ, know full well

O mule, my father's white mule, you have learned

that I have sworn—and an oath entails vows:

That I swore oaths and made vows

لَتُعَسِّفَنَّ وَإِن كَرِهتَ مَهامِهاً

لَتُعَسِّفَنَّ وَإِن كَرِهتَ مَهامِهاً

فيما أَحُلُّ وَكُلُّ ذاكَ يَسيرُ

فيما أَحُلُّ وَكُلُّ ذاكَ يَسيرُ

You shall traverse trackless deserts, even if you loathe them,

That you would surely be saddled, though you hate it,

wherever I lodge—and all that is easy.

With what pleases me, and all that is easy.

بِالرَغمِ يا وَلَدَ الحِمارِ قَطَعتَها

بِالرَغمِ يا وَلَدَ الحِمارِ قَطَعتَها

عَمداً وَأَنتَ مُذَلَّلٌ مَصبورُ

عَمداً وَأَنتَ مُذَلَّلٌ مَصبورُ

Against your will, O son of an ass, you crossed them,

In spite, o son of a donkey, you cut it short,

deliberately, while subdued and restrained,

Deliberately, while you are pampered and patient,

حَتّى تَزورَ مُسَمِّعاً في دارِهِ

حَتّى تَزورَ مُسَمِّعاً في دارِهِ

وَتَرى المُدامَةَ بِالأَكُفِّ تَدورُ

وَتَرى المُدامَةَ بِالأَكُفِّ تَدورُ

until you visit Musammiʿ in his home

Until you visited, listening in his house,

and see the wine pass round from hand to hand.

And saw the maid with jugs turning around.

لا يَعرِفونَ بِما يَسوؤُكَ نُعرَةً

لا يَعرِفونَ بِما يَسوؤُكَ نُعرَةً

وَإِذا سَخِطتَ فَخَطبُ ذاكَ صَغيرُ

وَإِذا سَخِطتَ فَخَطبُ ذاكَ صَغيرُ

They heed no protest at what displeases you,

They don't know the harm your neighing causes me,

and if you grow angry, that is a trifling matter.

And if you get angry, that matter is small.