حَلَفَ المُفَقَّعُ أَنني في كَفِّهِ

حَلَفَ المُفَقَّعُ أَنني في كَفِّهِ

كَفٌّ لعَمْرُكَ حَبسُها اِطْلاقُ

كَفٌّ لعَمْرُكَ حَبسُها اِطْلاقُ

Al-Mufaqqaʿ swore that I was in his hand;

The braggart swore I'm in his palm,

a hand, by your life, whose confinement is release.

A palm, by your life, whose grip is freedom.

لا تجعلنْ لطلاقِ عِرسِكَ عِلَّةً

لا تجعلنْ لطلاقِ عِرسِكَ عِلَّةً

انَّ الطوالقَ ما لهنَّ طَلاقُ

انَّ الطوالقَ ما لهنَّ طَلاقُ

Do not devise a pretext for divorcing your wife:

Do not make divorce your wedding's excuse.

for women already divorced cannot be divorced again.

For divorces, they have no freedom.

يُخفي ضَغينتَه ويُبدي ثَغْرَهُ

يُخفي ضَغينتَه ويُبدي ثَغْرَهُ

ليغرَّني بالوُدِ وهو نِفاقُ

ليغرَّني بالوُدِ وهو نِفاقُ

He hides his rancor and displays his teeth,

He hides his rancor and shows his grin

to deceive me with affection, though it is hypocrisy.

To delude me with love, that hypocrite.

ضَحِكتْ اليكَ كما ضَحِكَتَ أَراقمٌ

ضَحِكتْ اليكَ كما ضَحِكَتَ أَراقمٌ

تَفْتَرُّ عن أَنيابها الأشدَاقُ

تَفْتَرُّ عن أَنيابها الأشدَاقُ

She smiled at you as speckled serpents smiled,

I laughed at you as Hirakum laughed,

their jaws parting to reveal their fangs.

Baring the fangs, those vicious wolves.