أَشكوI complain إِلىto اللَهِGod حَماتيmy mother-in-law فَماfor no one
أَشكو إِلى اللَهِ حَماتي فَما
يَعلَمُknows ماwhat لاقَيتُI suffered مِنهاfrom her سِواهexcept Him
يَعلَمُ ما لاقَيتُ مِنها سِواه
I complain to God of my mother-in-law, for no one
I complain to Allah about my mother-in-law though
Knows what I have suffered from her except Him.
None knows what I have suffered from her but He.
عَجوزُan old woman سوءٍwickedness لَوif رَأَتshe saw قودَةًan opportunity for pimping
عَجوزُ سوءٍ لَو رَأَت قودَةً
فيin النسرِthe Vulture star طارَتshe would fly بِجَناحَيwith the two wings of قَطاهa sandgrouse
في النسرِ طارَت بِجَناحَي قَطاه
A wicked old woman—if she saw a chance for pimping
An evil old hag, if she saw a vulture
In the Vulture star, she would fly on a sandgrouse’s wings.
She would fly up with the wings of an eagle.
تَقولُshe says لِلبِنتِto the daughter الطَميslap خَدَّهُhis cheek
تَقولُ لِلبِنتِ الطَمي خَدَّهُ
وَلاand do not تَهابيهِfear him وَصُكّيand strike قَفاهthe back of his neck
وَلا تَهابيهِ وَصُكّي قَفاه
She tells her daughter, “Slap his cheek,
She says to her ugly daughter, “Slap his cheek
And do not fear him; strike the back of his neck.
And fear him not, but pummel his skull.”
وَلَيَّنيand soften بِالمُخِّwith marrow أَخلاقَهُhis temperament
وَلَيَّني بِالمُخِّ أَخلاقَهُ
وَضَمّخيand smear لِحيَتَهُhis beard مِنfrom حَراهhis excrement (probable reading)
وَضَمّخي لِحيَتَهُ مِن حَراه
And soften his temper with marrow,
“Demean him with slyness, corrode his nature,
And smear his beard with his excrement.
Smear his beard with pus and blood and gore.”
وَباهِتيهِand confront him with lies إِنif رَأىhe sees ريبَةًsomething suspicious
وَباهِتيهِ إِن رَأى ريبَةً
وَابكيand weep وَسُبّيهِand curse him وَسُبّيand curse أَباهhis father
وَابكي وَسُبّيهِ وَسُبّي أَباه
And confront him with lies if he sees anything suspicious,
“If you see him annoyed, start crying and wailing
And weep, and curse him, and curse his father.”
Curse him and curse his father in your bawling.”
وَاللَهِby God لاnot أُفلِحُI prosper ماas long as عُمِّرَتshe lives
وَاللَهِ لا أُفلِحُ ما عُمِّرَت
قُلtell ليto me مَتىwhen أَفلَحَprospered صاحِبُa man with حَماهa mother-in-law
قُل لي مَتى أَفلَحَ صاحِبُ حَماه
By God, I shall not prosper as long as she lives.
By Allah! I'll never prosper as long as I live
Tell me: when has a man with a mother-in-law ever prospered?
Tell me, when does one with a mother-in-law thrive?
Sol 6.1