يا أُولي العِلمِ خَبِّروني فَإِنّي

يا أُولي العِلمِ خَبِّروني فَإِنّي

ضاقَ ذَرعي وَضَلَّ ثاقِبُ فَهمي

ضاقَ ذَرعي وَضَلَّ ثاقِبُ فَهمي

O people of learning, tell me—for I

O people of knowledge, inform me, for my patience has worn thin, and my penetrating insight has gone astray,

am at my wits' end, and my keen understanding has gone astray—

About three sisters who have clung to me, articulate women, adorned with two mute ones,

عَن ثَلاثٍ لَزِمنَني أَخواتٍ

عَن ثَلاثٍ لَزِمنَني أَخواتٍ

مُفصِحاتٍ نيطَت بِثَنتَينِ عُجمِ

مُفصِحاتٍ نيطَت بِثَنتَينِ عُجمِ

about three sisters who have clung to me,

So wonder at old women who have clung to me, their coming to me every day against my will,

speaking clearly, bound to two mute ones.

Neither fleeing from them in the sea, nor in the mountains' heights delivers me,

فَاِعجَبوا مِن عَجائِزٍ لَزِمَتني

فَاِعجَبوا مِن عَجائِزٍ لَزِمَتني

كُلَّ يَومٍ إِتيانُهُنَّ بِرُغمي

كُلَّ يَومٍ إِتيانُهُنَّ بِرُغمي

Marvel, then, at old women who cling to me:

And if I divorce them, I would be cloaked in the disgrace of this world and steeped in sin,

every day I must visit them against my will.

Woe to my limbs from the marriage of Christians, except for death, my anxiety will not be relieved.

لا يُنَجّي الفِرارُ مِنهُنَّ في البَحـ

لا يُنَجّي الفِرارُ مِنهُنَّ في البَحـ

ـرِ وَلا في ذُرى الجِبالِ الشُمِّ

ـرِ وَلا في ذُرى الجِبالِ الشُمِّ

Flight from them cannot save me at sea,

nor on the summits of lofty mountains.

وَلَو انّي طَلقتُهُنَّ تَسربلـ

وَلَو انّي طَلقتُهُنَّ تَسربلـ

ـتُ بِعارِ الدُنيا وَبُؤتُ بِإِثمِ

ـتُ بِعارِ الدُنيا وَبُؤتُ بِإِثمِ

And were I to divorce them, I would be clothed

in the world's disgrace and incur sin.

وَيحَ أَعضايَ مِن زَواجِ النَصارى

وَيحَ أَعضايَ مِن زَواجِ النَصارى

بِسوى المَوتِ لا يُفَرَّجُ هَمّي

بِسوى المَوتِ لا يُفَرَّجُ هَمّي

Alas for my limbs in this Christian marriage!

Nothing but death can relieve my distress.