تقولُ حَليلتي لمّا قَلَتني

تقولُ حَليلتي لمّا قَلَتني

شَرائجُ بين كُدرِيٍ وجُونِ

شَرائجُ بين كُدرِيٍ وجُونِ

My wife says, now that she has come to loathe me:

My darling said when she abandoned me,

“Locks mingled between dusky gray and white.”

"The curtains between my gloom and sorrow."

تَراهُ كالثَّغامِ يُعَلُّ مِسكاً

تَراهُ كالثَّغامِ يُعَلُّ مِسكاً

يَسُوءُ الفالياتِ إِذا فَلَيني

يَسُوءُ الفالياتِ إِذا فَلَيني

You see it like thughām grass, repeatedly drenched in musk;

I see her like a rising fog, spreading musk,

it displeases the women delousing me when they pick through my hair.

Ruining the meadows when she neglected me.

فَزَينُكِ في شَريطِكِ أُمَّ عمروٍ

فَزَينُكِ في شَريطِكِ أُمَّ عمروٍ

وسابغةٌ وذو النُونَينِ زَيني

وسابغةٌ وذو النُونَينِ زَيني

So your adornment lies in your braided cord, Umm ʿAmr,

Your beauty in your veil, O Um Amr,

while a full coat of mail and Dhū al-Nūnayn are my adornment.

Perfect and the one with the two fishhooks adorned me.

فلو شَمَّرنَ ثم عَدَونَ رَهواً

فلو شَمَّرنَ ثم عَدَونَ رَهواً

بكلِّ مُدَجَّجٍ لَعَرَفتِ لَوني

بكلِّ مُدَجَّجٍ لَعَرَفتِ لَوني

So, if the mares gathered themselves, then galloped smoothly,

If they hurried then raced swiftly,

each bearing a fully armored warrior, you would know my true colors.

With every fully armed one, you'd recognize my quality.

إِذا ما قلتُ إِنَّ عَلَيَّ دَيناً

إِذا ما قلتُ إِنَّ عَلَيَّ دَيناً

بِطَعنةِ فارسٍ قَضَّيتُ دَيني

بِطَعنةِ فارسٍ قَضَّيتُ دَيني

Whenever I say, “There is a debt upon me,”

When I say I have a debt,

with a spear-thrust at a horseman I pay off my debt.

By the stab of a knight I’d pay my debt.

لَقَعقَعةُ اللِّجامِ برأسِ طِرفٍ

لَقَعقَعةُ اللِّجامِ برأسِ طِرفٍ

أَحَبُّ إِليَّ من أَن تَنكِحيني

أَحَبُّ إِليَّ من أَن تَنكِحيني

Surely the bridle’s clatter at a noble steed’s head

The jingling of the bridle on the head of a swift horse

is dearer to me than your lying with me.

Is dearer to me than for you to marry me.

أَخافُ إِذا هَبَطنَ بنا خَبَاراً

أَخافُ إِذا هَبَطنَ بنا خَبَاراً

وَجَدَّ الركضُ أَن لا تحمليني

وَجَدَّ الركضُ أَن لا تحمليني

I fear, when they descend with us onto loose ground,

I fear that if news descended upon us,

and the galloping grows fierce, that you will not carry me.

Galloping would find that you cannot carry me.

فلولا إِخوتي وَبَنيَّ منها

فلولا إِخوتي وَبَنيَّ منها

ملأتُ لها بذي شُطَبٍ يَميني

ملأتُ لها بذي شُطَبٍ يَميني

But for my brothers and my sons by her,

If not for my brothers and her children among them

I would fill my right hand with a grooved sword against her.

I would have filled my right hand for her with those of Shutab.