لَقَدindeed وَدَّعَتbade farewell حُبّيmy love وَهامَand wandered astray رَقيبيmy watcher
لَقَد وَدَّعَت حُبّي وَهامَ رَقيبي
وَأَصبَحَand became واديthe valley of اللَهوِpleasure غَيرَnot عَشيبِgrassy
وَأَصبَحَ وادي اللَهوِ غَيرَ عَشيبِ
My love has indeed said farewell, and my watcher has wandered astray.
And the valley of pleasure has become grassless.
تَرَكتُI let go لِوَجهِfor the sake of اللَهِGod فِزراًFizr فَقُلso tell لَهُhim
تَرَكتُ لِوَجهِ اللَهِ فِزراً فَقُل لَهُ
عَتَقتَyou have become free وَلَكِنand yet كَيفَhow أُمُّthe mother of حَبيبِḤabīb
عَتَقتَ وَلَكِن كَيفَ أُمُّ حَبيبِ
I let Fizr go for God's sake; tell him:
You are free—but how is Umm Ḥabīb?
وَجُنَّand went mad فُرَيخُthe fledgling of الزِنجِthe Zanj بَلrather جُنَّتِwent mad اِستُهُhis arse
وَجُنَّ فُرَيخُ الزِنجِ بَل جُنَّتِ اِستُهُ
فَأَصبَحتُso I became دَلّاقاًa gusher (unclear epithet) لَهُfor him بِطَبيبِas a physician
فَأَصبَحتُ دَلّاقاً لَهُ بِطَبيبِ
And the Zanj fledgling went mad—rather, his arse went mad.
So I became a 'gusher' for him, as a physician [wording unclear].
شَتَمتُI reviled فُرَيخَthe fledgling of الزِنجِthe Zanj عِرضيmy honor خَسارَةًa loss
شَتَمتُ فُرَيخَ الزِنجِ عِرضي خَسارَةً
فَإِنfor if كُنتَyou were كَعبِيّاًa Kaʿbī وَكُنتَand you were حَبيبيmy beloved
فَإِن كُنتَ كَعبِيّاً وَكُنتَ حَبيبي
I reviled the Zanj fledgling, at the cost of my honor.
For if you are a Kaʿbī and were my beloved,
لَقَدindeed وَقَعَstamped الكَعبِيُّthe Kaʿbī ناراًfire بِميسَمٍwith a branding iron
لَقَد وَقَعَ الكَعبِيُّ ناراً بِميسَمٍ
عَلىupon اِستِthe arse of أَبيكَyour father العَبدِthe slave بَعدَafter شَبيبِShabīb
عَلى اِستِ أَبيكَ العَبدِ بَعدَ شَبيبِ
The Kaʿbī indeed branded with fire, using a branding iron,
Upon your slave father's arse, after Shabīb.
رَأىsaw اِبنُthe son of خُلَيقٍKhulayq طَعنَتيmy thrust فيin اِستِthe arse of أُمِّهِhis mother
رَأى اِبنُ خُلَيقٍ طَعنَتي في اِستِ أُمِّهِ
فَراحَthen he set about يُغَطّيهاcovering it وَذَمَّand condemned قَضيبيmy penis
فَراحَ يُغَطّيها وَذَمَّ قَضيبي
Ibn Khulayq saw my thrust in his mother's arse,
Then set about covering it and condemned my penis.
فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him قَدalready فارَقَتshe departed وَحِمَدتُهاand I praised her
فَقُلتُ لَهُ قَد فارَقَت وَحِمَدتُها
فَلاso do not تَشتُمَنّيrevile me بِاِستِin the arse of أُمِّكَyour mother حوبيmy sin
فَلا تَشتُمَنّي بِاِستِ أُمِّكَ حوبي
So I told him: She has departed, and I praised her;
So do not revile me for my sin in your mother's arse.
رُوَيدَhold back اِبنَson of زِنجِيِّthe Zanj man of العَشيرَةِthe clan إِنَّماit was only
رُوَيدَ اِبنَ زِنجِيِّ العَشيرَةِ إِنَّما
دَعاكَprompted you إِلىto شَتميreviling me خِيانَةُthe treachery of حيبِsin (uncertain reading)
دَعاكَ إِلى شَتمي خِيانَةُ حيبِ
Steady, son of the clan's Zanj man; it was only
Sinful treachery that prompted you to revile me.
فَخَرتَyou boasted بِرَأسٍof a head مِنfrom أَبيكَyour father مُفَلفَلٍpeppercorn-curled
فَخَرتَ بِرَأسٍ مِن أَبيكَ مُفَلفَلٍ
عَلَيناover us وَبَرصاءِand a white-spotted woman العِجانِthe perineum لَعوبِwanton
عَلَينا وَبَرصاءِ العِجانِ لَعوبِ
You boasted of a peppercorn-curled head from your father
Over us, and of a wanton woman with a white-spotted perineum.
فَياso, oh عَجَباًwhat a wonder مِنat باهِلِيٍّa Bāhilī يَسُبُّنيwho reviles me
فَيا عَجَباً مِن باهِلِيٍّ يَسُبُّني
مَطِيَّةِa mount for كِنديرٍKindīr قَرىًa back وَأَريبِand Arīb
مَطِيَّةِ كِنديرٍ قَرىً وَأَريبِ
How astonishing: a Bāhilī reviles me,
A mount whose back serves Kindīr and Arīb.
لَقَدindeed ماتَdied كِنديرٌKindīr فَأَبكاكَso made you weep مَوتُهُhis death
لَقَد ماتَ كِنديرٌ فَأَبكاكَ مَوتُهُ
فُجِعتَyou were bereft بِأَيرٍof a penis كَالشُواظِlike a smokeless flame صَليبِhard
فُجِعتَ بِأَيرٍ كَالشُواظِ صَليبِ
Kindīr has indeed died, and his death made you weep.
You were bereft of a hard penis like a smokeless flame.
تَسَرَّقتَyou stole شِعريmy poetry فَاِكتَسَبتَso you gained بِهِthrough it الغِنىwealth
تَسَرَّقتَ شِعري فَاِكتَسَبتَ بِهِ الغِنى
وَماand not كانَwas لَقّاطُa picker-up of النَوىdate stones بِكَسوبِa good earner at all
وَما كانَ لَقّاطُ النَوى بِكَسوبِ
You stole my poetry and gained wealth through it,
Yet a picker of date stones was never a good earner.
أَلاnow, hear this قُلsay لِعُزّابِto the bachelors of البُصَيرَةِal-Buṣayrah أَقبِلواcome
أَلا قُل لِعُزّابِ البُصَيرَةِ أَقبِلوا
بِحاجَتِكُمwith your need مِنfrom نازِحٍsomeone far away وَقَريبِand someone near
بِحاجَتِكُم مِن نازِحٍ وَقَريبِ
Now tell the bachelors of al-Buṣayrah: Come,
With your need, from far away and near.
بَناتُthe daughters of خُلَيقٍKhulayq مُلجَماتٌbridled مُعَدَّةٌmade ready
بَناتُ خُلَيقٍ مُلجَماتٌ مُعَدَّةٌ
إِذاwhen القَومُthe men راحواset off in the evening سُرِّجَتthey were saddled لِرُكوبِfor riding
إِذا القَومُ راحوا سُرِّجَت لِرُكوبِ
Khulayq's daughters are bridled and ready;
When the men set off in the evening, they are saddled for riding.
لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أُعطيتَyou were given عِرساًa wife مُريبَةًof dubious conduct
لَعَمري لَقَد أُعطيتَ عِرساً مُريبَةً
وَقَدand sometimes يَقطَعُdispels الهَمَّcare الفَتىthe young man بِمُريبِwith a dubious one
وَقَد يَقطَعُ الهَمَّ الفَتى بِمُريبِ
By my life, you have indeed been given a wife of dubious conduct,
And a young man may banish care with a dubious companion:
جَزوراًa slaughter-camel لِأَيسارِfor the gamblers over الجَزورِthe slaughter-camel سَمينَةًfat
جَزوراً لِأَيسارِ الجَزورِ سَمينَةً
وَنَفّاعَةًand a very useful woman تَجنيearns الفَتىfor the young man بِذَنيبِwith a small share (uncertain)
وَنَفّاعَةً تَجني الفَتى بِذَنيبِ
A fat slaughter-camel for the camel-lottery gamblers,
And a useful woman who earns the young man a small share [sense uncertain].
فَأَمّاbut as for فِرَيخَthe fledgling of الزِنجِthe Zanj حينَwhen عَرَفتَهاyou knew her
فَأَمّا فِرَيخَ الزِنجِ حينَ عَرَفتَها
صَديقاًas a friend لِزِنجِto the Zanj of القَريَتَينِthe two villages وَنوبِand the Nubians
صَديقاً لِزِنجِ القَريَتَينِ وَنوبِ
But, Zanj fledgling, when you knew her
As a friend to the Zanj of the two villages and to the Nubians,
أَخَذتَyou took لِإِخوانِfor the brothers of الصَفاءِtrue friendship مِنfrom اِستِهاher arse
أَخَذتَ لِإِخوانِ الصَفاءِ مِن اِستِها
نَصيباًa share فَخُذso take ليfor me فيin اِستِهاher arse بِنَصيبِa share
نَصيباً فَخُذ لي في اِستِها بِنَصيبِ
You took, for your truehearted friends, from her arse
A share—so secure a share in her arse for me.
سَأُعطيكَI shall give you ماwhat يُعطيgives الفَتىthe young man مِنfrom تِلادِهِhis inherited property
سَأُعطيكَ ما يُعطي الفَتى مِن تِلادِهِ
بِعَضدٍwith an arm's support وَإِنand even if كانَتit should be فُضوحَan exposure of ذُنوبيmy sins
بِعَضدٍ وَإِن كانَت فُضوحَ ذُنوبي
I shall give you what a young man gives of his inherited property,
With an arm's support, even if it exposes my sins.
بَنيO sons of خَلَقٍKhalaq يُخزيكُمُdisgraces you اليَومَtoday والِدٌa father
بَني خَلَقٍ يُخزيكُمُ اليَومَ والِدٌ
دَعِيٌّa bastard أَحَمُّcoal-black اللَونِin color غَيرُnot نَجيبِnobly born
دَعِيٌّ أَحَمُّ اللَونِ غَيرُ نَجيبِ
Sons of Khalaq, today your father disgraces you:
A bastard, coal-black in color, of no noble stock.
مَواريثُهُhis inherited traits مَعروفَةٌrecognizable فيin وُجوهِكُمyour faces
مَواريثُهُ مَعروفَةٌ في وُجوهِكُم
مَناخِرُهُhis nostrils وَالرَأسُand the head غَيرُnot كَذوبِa liar
مَناخِرُهُ وَالرَأسُ غَيرُ كَذوبِ
His inherited traits are plain in your faces:
His nostrils—and the head does not lie.
تَعَزَّconsole yourself لَهاover them ياO اِبنَson of الخُلَيقَal-Khulayq فَإِنَّهاfor they are
تَعَزَّ لَها يا اِبنَ الخُلَيقَ فَإِنَّها
مَواريثُthe inherited traits of زِنجِيٍّa Zanj man جَرَتpassed down بِعُيوبِwith defects
مَواريثُ زِنجِيٍّ جَرَت بِعُيوبِ
Resign yourself to them, O son of al-Khulayq, for they are
A Zanj man's inherited traits, passed down with defects.
لَحاmay curse اللَهُGod أَبناءَthe sons of الخُلَيقَal-Khulayq فَإِنَّهُمfor they are
لَحا اللَهُ أَبناءَ الخُلَيقَ فَإِنَّهُم
خَنازيرُpigs of حُشٍّa privy سُخِّرَتmade to serve لِسُروبِfor burrowing
خَنازيرُ حُشٍّ سُخِّرَت لِسُروبِ
May God curse the sons of al-Khulayq, for they are
Pigs of a privy, set to burrowing.
Sol 6.1