ذَمَمتُكِ أُمَّ دَفرٍ فَاِسمَعيني

ذَمَمتُكِ أُمَّ دَفرٍ فَاِسمَعيني

وَجازيني بِذَلِكَ أَو دَعيني

وَجازيني بِذَلِكَ أَو دَعيني

I have reviled you, Umm Dafr—Mother of Stench—so hear me.

I blamed you, mother of misfortune, so listen to me

And repay me for that, or leave me be.

And repay me for that, or leave me be

فَما كُنتُ الحَبيبَ إِلَيكَ يَوماً

فَما كُنتُ الحَبيبَ إِلَيكَ يَوماً

فَأَقرُبُ في الثَوِيِّ لِتَخدَعيني

فَأَقرُبُ في الثَوِيِّ لِتَخدَعيني

For I was never your beloved,

For you were never a lover to me one day

That I should draw close as a guest for you to deceive me.

So to deceive me, you are closest in intimacy

لَعَنتُكَ جاهِداً وَقَد اِشتَبَهنا

لَعَنتُكَ جاهِداً وَقَد اِشتَبَهنا

كِلانا راحَ في بُردَي لَعينِ

كِلانا راحَ في بُردَي لَعينِ

I cursed you earnestly, and indeed we have become alike:

I cursed you intensely, and we became confused

Both of us went clad in an accursed one's two cloaks.

Both of us went in the garb of the eye's blindness

عَلى خُلقِ العَجوز غَدا بَنوها

عَلى خُلقِ العَجوز غَدا بَنوها

لَهُم وِردٌ مِنَ الغَدرِ المَعينِ

لَهُم وِردٌ مِنَ الغَدرِ المَعينِ

Her sons have come to share the old woman's character;

On the morals of the old woman her children tomorrow

They have their draught of flowing treachery.

For them is a stream of treachery gushing

إِذا ما الأَربَعونَ مَضَت كَمالاً

إِذا ما الأَربَعونَ مَضَت كَمالاً

فَما لِلمَرءِ مِن أَربٍ لِعينِ

فَما لِلمَرءِ مِن أَربٍ لِعينِ

When forty years have passed in full,

When the forty are completed in perfection

Then a man has no need of wide-eyed women.

Man has no intimate friend for the eye

وَغِشيانُ النِساءِ إِذا تَقَضَّت

وَغِشيانُ النِساءِ إِذا تَقَضَّت

لِسُلطانِ المَنِيَّةِ كَالمُعينِ

لِسُلطانِ المَنِيَّةِ كَالمُعينِ

And intercourse with women, once those years have passed,

And the deceits of women when they are fulfilled

Is like a helper to death's dominion.

To the authority of demise are like helpers