كَم ذا التَصاغُرُ وَالتَصابي

كَم ذا التَصاغُرُ وَالتَصابي

غالَطتِ نَفسَكِ في الحِسابِ

غالَطتِ نَفسَكِ في الحِسابِ

How long this feigned youth and youthful dalliance?

How long this coquetry and flirting

You have deceived yourself in the reckoning.

You have fooled yourself in reckoning

لَم يَبقَ فيكِ بَقِيَّةٌ

لَم يَبقَ فيكِ بَقِيَّةٌ

إِلّا التَعَلُّلَ بِالخِضابِ

إِلّا التَعَلُّلَ بِالخِضابِ

Nothing remains in you

There is no goodness left in you

except the solace of hair dye.

Except decking with henna

لا أَقتَضيكِ مَوَدَّةً

لا أَقتَضيكِ مَوَدَّةً

رُفِعَ الخَراجُ عَنِ الخَرابِ

رُفِعَ الخَراجُ عَنِ الخَرابِ

I demand no affection from you;

I do not desire your affection

the land tax has been lifted from ruined land.

The tax has been lifted from the ruins

ما العَيشُ إِلّا في الشَبا

ما العَيشُ إِلّا في الشَبا

بِ وَفي مُعاشَرَةِ الشَبابِ

بِ وَفي مُعاشَرَةِ الشَبابِ

Life is only in youth

Life is only in youth

and in keeping company with young men.

And in the company of the youth

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُكِ في النِقا

وَلَقَد رَأَيتُكِ في النِقا

بِ وَذاكَ عُنوانُ الكِتابِ

بِ وَذاكَ عُنوانُ الكِتابِ

And indeed I saw you in a face veil,

I saw you carried in the coffin

and that is the title of the book.

That is the title of the book

وَسَأَلتُ عَمّا تَحتَهُ

وَسَأَلتُ عَمّا تَحتَهُ

قالوا عِظامٌ في جِرابِ

قالوا عِظامٌ في جِرابِ

And I asked what lay beneath it.

I asked what was underneath

They said: 'Bones in a sack.'

They said bones in a bag

وَسَمِعتُ عَنكِ فَضائِحاً

وَسَمِعتُ عَنكِ فَضائِحاً

سارَت يها أَيدي الرِكابِ

سارَت يها أَيدي الرِكابِ

And I heard scandals about you,

I heard disgraces about you

carried far and wide by the riding camels' forelegs.

Spread by the hands of riders

هَذا وَكَم مِن وَقفَةٍ

هَذا وَكَم مِن وَقفَةٍ

لَكِ في الأَزِقَّةِ لِلعِتابِ

لَكِ في الأَزِقَّةِ لِلعِتابِ

This—and how many a stop

And how many times you stood

you have made in the alleys to exchange reproaches!

In the alleys for reproach

وَاليَومَ قالوا حُرَّةً

وَاليَومَ قالوا حُرَّةً

سُتُّ الحَرائِرِ في الحِجابِ

سُتُّ الحَرائِرِ في الحِجابِ

And today they said: 'A freeborn woman—

And today they called you a free woman

mistress of freeborn women, behind the veil!'

The elite of the virtuous women in veils

وَأَرَدتُ أَنطِقُ بِالجَوا

وَأَرَدتُ أَنطِقُ بِالجَوا

بِ وَلَم يَكُن وَقتُ الجَوابِ

بِ وَلَم يَكُن وَقتُ الجَوابِ

And I wished to speak in reply,

I wanted to answer

but it was not the time for a reply.

But it was not the time for an answer

ياهَذِهِ ذَهَبَ الصِبا

ياهَذِهِ ذَهَبَ الصِبا

فَإِلى مَتى هَذا التَصابي

فَإِلى مَتى هَذا التَصابي

You there—youth has gone;

O you, youth has gone

so how long will this youthful dalliance last?

So how long this coquetry?

فَدَعي مُعاشَرَةَ الشَبا

فَدَعي مُعاشَرَةَ الشَبا

بِ فَقَد يَئِستِ مِنَ الشَبابِ

بِ فَقَد يَئِستِ مِنَ الشَبابِ

So leave off the company of young men,

Leave the company of youth

for you have lost hope of youth.

You have despaired of youth

ما هَذِهِ شِيَمُ الحَرا

ما هَذِهِ شِيَمُ الحَرا

ئِرِ لا وَلا شِيَمُ القِحابِ

ئِرِ لا وَلا شِيَمُ القِحابِ

These are not the ways of freeborn women,

This is not the trait of virtuous women

no, nor the ways of whores.

Nor the trait of vulgar women

فَإِذا عَدَدتُكِ في الكِلا

فَإِذا عَدَدتُكِ في الكِلا

بِ حَطَطتُ مِن قَدرِ الكِلابِ

بِ حَطَطتُ مِن قَدرِ الكِلابِ

So if I count you among the dogs,

When I count you among the dogs

I lower the dogs' standing.

I demean the status of dogs

ما أَنتِ مِمَّن يُرتَجى

ما أَنتِ مِمَّن يُرتَجى

لا في الخُطوبِ وَلا الخِطابِ

لا في الخُطوبِ وَلا الخِطابِ

You are not one in whom hope is placed,

You are not one to be hoped for

neither in calamities nor in conversation.

Neither in engagements nor in courtship