يا طَيلَسانَ اِبنَ حَربٍ قَد هَمَمتَ بَأَن

يا طَيلَسانَ اِبنَ حَربٍ قَد هَمَمتَ بَأَن

تودي بِجِسمي كَما أَودى بِكَ الزَمَنُ

تودي بِجِسمي كَما أَودى بِكَ الزَمَنُ

O shawl of Ibn Harb, you have resolved to

O Talisan, son of Harb, you have intended

bring ruin upon my body, as time has brought ruin upon you.

To do away with my body as time has done away with you

ما فيكَ مِن مَلبَسٍ يُغني وَلا ثَمَنٍ

ما فيكَ مِن مَلبَسٍ يُغني وَلا ثَمَنٍ

قَد أَوهَنَت حيلَتي أَركانُكَ الوُهُنُ

قَد أَوهَنَت حيلَتي أَركانُكَ الوُهُنُ

In you there is no clothing of any use, nor any value.

You have no garment that avails me nor price

Your frail corners have sapped my resourcefulness.

Your weakened strategems have undone your pillars of weakness

فَلَو تَراني لَدى الرَفّاءِ مُرتَبِطاً

فَلَو تَراني لَدى الرَفّاءِ مُرتَبِطاً

كَأَنَّني في يَدَيهِ الدَهرَ مُرتَهَنُ

كَأَنَّني في يَدَيهِ الدَهرَ مُرتَهَنُ

If only you could see me bound at the darner's,

If you could see me with the usurers, tied up

as though I were forever held in pawn in his hands.

As if I were in the hands of fate, mortgaged

أَقولُ حينَ رَآني الناسُ أَلزَمُهُ

أَقولُ حينَ رَآني الناسُ أَلزَمُهُ

كَأَنَّما لِيَ في حانوتِهِ وَطَنُ

كَأَنَّما لِيَ في حانوتِهِ وَطَنُ

I say, when people have seen me keeping close to him:

I say, when people saw me stick to him

as though I had a home in his shop.

As if I had a home in his shop

مَن كانَ يَسأَلُ عَنّا أَينَ مَنزلُنا

مَن كانَ يَسأَلُ عَنّا أَينَ مَنزلُنا

فَالأُقحُوانَةِ مِنّا مَنزِلٌ قَمَنُ

فَالأُقحُوانَةِ مِنّا مَنزِلٌ قَمَنُ

Whoever asks about us—where our home is—

Whoever asked about us, where is our dwelling

then al-Uqhuwanah is a fitting dwelling for us.

The dunghill is for us a fragrant dwelling