تَزَوَّجَ بَعدَ واحِدَةٍ ثَلاثاً

تَزَوَّجَ بَعدَ واحِدَةٍ ثَلاثاً

وَقالَ لِعِرسِهِ يَكفيكِ رُبعي

وَقالَ لِعِرسِهِ يَكفيكِ رُبعي

After one wife, he married three more.

And said to his bride, “My quarter is enough for you.”

فَيُرضيها إِذا قَنَعَت بِقوتٍ

فَيُرضيها إِذا قَنَعَت بِقوتٍ

وَيَرجُمُها إِذا مالَت لِتِبعِ

وَيَرجُمُها إِذا مالَت لِتِبعِ

He pleases her if she is content with mere sustenance,

And stones her if she inclines toward a follower.

وَمَن جَمَعَ اِثنَتَينِ فَما تَوَخّى

وَمَن جَمَعَ اِثنَتَينِ فَما تَوَخّى

سَبيلَ الحَقِّ في خَمسٍ وَرُبعِ

سَبيلَ الحَقِّ في خَمسٍ وَرُبعِ

And whoever has joined two wives has not sought

The path of justice in five and a quarter.

وَعَقلُكَ يا أَخا السَبعينَ واهٍ

وَعَقلُكَ يا أَخا السَبعينَ واهٍ

كَأَنَّكَ في مَلاعِبِكَ إِبنُ سَبعِ

كَأَنَّكَ في مَلاعِبِكَ إِبنُ سَبعِ

Your mind, O man of seventy, is feeble;

At your games, you are like a child of seven.

ظَلَمتَ وَكُلُّنا جانٍ ظَلومٌ

ظَلَمتَ وَكُلُّنا جانٍ ظَلومٌ

وَطَبعُكَ في الخِيانَةِ مِثلُ طَبعي

وَطَبعُكَ في الخِيانَةِ مِثلُ طَبعي

You have done wrong, and we are all guilty wrongdoers;

Your bent for betrayal is like mine.

يَسُرُّكَ أَنَّ رَبعَ سِواكَ خالٍ

يَسُرُّكَ أَنَّ رَبعَ سِواكَ خالٍ

إِذا مُكِّنتَ مِن أَهلٍ وَرَبعِ

إِذا مُكِّنتَ مِن أَهلٍ وَرَبعِ

It delights you that another’s dwelling stands empty

When you have been granted a family and a home.

وَلَولا ذاكَ ما حُمِلَت لِرَميٍ

وَلَولا ذاكَ ما حُمِلَت لِرَميٍ

مَعابِلُ صائِدٍ وَقِسِيُّ نَبعِ

مَعابِلُ صائِدٍ وَقِسِيُّ نَبعِ

Were it not for that, no one would carry out to shoot

A hunter’s arrows and bows of nabʿ wood.