1. أَبلِغ ذُفافِيَّنا رِسالَةَ مُش

    تاقٍ أَسرَّ الشَكوى وَأَعلَنَها

    Convey to our Dhufafi a message from a yearn—

    —ing man who concealed his complaint and proclaimed it.

  2. رُبَّ غَداةٍ لِلقَصفِ في حَلَبٍ

    يَجني ضُحىً وَردَها وَسَوسَنَها

    Many a morning of revelry in Aleppo,

    he would pluck its roses and irises at midmorning.

  3. لِلَّهِ أَزمانُنا بِعَلوَةِ ما

    أَطيَبَ أَيّامِها وَأَحسَنَها

    God be praised for our times with Alwa! How

    sweet her days were, and how beautiful!

  4. نُبِّئتَها زُوِّجَت أَخا خَنَثٍ

    أَغَنَّ رَطبَ الأَطرافِ لَيِّنَها

    You were told she was married off to an effeminate man,

    nasal-voiced, with supple, soft limbs.

  5. نيكَت زِناءً فَكَشخَنَتهُ وَقَد

    نيكَ بُغاءً أَيضاً فَكَشخَنَها

    She was fucked in adultery, thereby cuckolding him; and indeed,

    he too was fucked as a prostitute, thereby cuckolding her.

  6. تَرومُ إِخوانَها وَيَمنَعُها

    مِنهُم لَقَد ساءَها وَأَحزَنَها

    She seeks her companions, but he keeps her

    from them; he has indeed distressed and saddened her.

  7. لَو شاءَ لا بورِكَت مَشيأَتُهُ

    أَبلَغَها بِالطَلاقِ مَأمَنَها

    If he wished—may his will be unblessed!—

    he would bring her to her safe haven through divorce.