أَعَثَمَةُ اِطلِقي العَلَقَ الرَهينا
بِعَيشِكِ وَاِرحَمي الصَبَّ الحَزينا
A'thamah, let the captive bird go free
For your life's sake, and have mercy on this sad lover
رَبيعَةُ مُغرمٌ بِكِ مُستَهامٌ
يَحِنُّ إِلَيكِ مِن شَوقٍ حنينا
Rabi'ah is infatuated with you, rapturous
He longs for you, with a yearning so keen
تَعَرَّضَ زائِراً لَكِ فَاِرحَميهِ
فَقَد أَورَثتِ زائِرَكِ الجُنونا
He came visiting you, so have mercy on him
For your visitor you have maddened into madness
رَآكِ وَأَنتِ مُقبِلَة فَلَمّا
رَأَتكِ العَينُ هِجتِ لَنا فُتونا
He saw you approaching, but when
His eyes saw you, they stirred up turmoil for us
وَقُمتِ تَأَوَّدينَ وَعَهدُ عَيني
بِحُسنِكِ في الحُزونِ تَأَوَّدينا
You got up to bid him farewell, and my eyes
In sorrow at your beauty, bid you farewell
فَلَمّا أَن رَآكِ الناسُ قالوا
تَعالى اللَهُ رَبُّ العالَمينا
So when the people saw you they said
"Glory to Allah, Lord of all beings"
بَدَت مِنكِ الرَوادِفُ مُشرِفاتٍ
رَوادِفُ لَم تَدَع لِلناسِ دينا
Your shapely hips appeared, rising
Hips that left nothing for the people of faith
وَقَد أَعطاكِ رَبُّكِ فَاِكُريهِ
جَمالاً فَوقَ وَصفِ الواصِفينا
And your Lord has granted you, so thank Him
A beauty beyond the description of describers
فَما الشَمسُ المُضيئَةُ يَومَ دَجنٍ
بِأَحسَنِ مِنكِ يَومَ تَبذُلينا
The bright sun on a gloomy day
Is not more beautiful than you when you display yourself
إِذا أَقبَلتِ رُعتِ الناسَ حُسناً
وَإِن أَدبَرتِ قَيَّدتِ العُيونا
If you turn your face the people see beauty
And if you turn away, you shackle their eyes
فَلَو أَنَّ المُلوكَ رَأَوكِ يَوماً
لَخَرّوا مِن جَمالِكِ ساجِدينا
If kings saw you one day
They would prostrate before your beauty
وَلَو أَنَّ النِساءَ مَلَكنَ أَمراً
لَكُنتِ إِذَن أَميرَ المُؤمِنينا
If women ruled affairs
Then you would be Commander of the Faithful
لَقَد أُعطيتِ أَردافاً ثِقالاً
وَقَد حُمِّلتِ مالاً تَحمِلينا
You were given heavy thighs
And you were burdened with a load you carry
إِذا رُمتِ القِيامَ تَخالُ دِعصاً
يُمانِعُكِ القِيامَ فَتَقعُدينا
If you stand up straight like a pillar
Your hips protest and you sit back down
إِذا صَلَّيتِ ثُمَّ سَجَدتِ قُلنا
أَلا يا لَيتَها سَجَدَت سِنينا
When you pray and then prostrate we say
"Would that she had prostrated for years"
