يا صاحِبَي رَحلِيَ لا تُكثِرا
مِن شَتمِ عَبدِ اللَهِ مِن عَذلِ
O my two companions, do not blame
Abdullah excessively for his faults
سُبحانَ مَن خَصَّ ابنَ مَعنٍ بِما
أَرى بِهِ مِن قِلَّةِ العَقلِ
Glory to Him who endowed Ibn Maʿn with
The lack of sense I see in him
قالَ ابنُ مَعنٍ وَجَلا نَفسَهُ
عَلى مَنِ الجَلوَةُ يا أَهلي
Ibn Maʿn said, boasting of himself
Woe to me from my people
أَنا فَتاةُ الحَيِّ مِن وائِلٍ
في الشَرَفِ الشامِخِ وَالنُبلِ
I am the maiden of Hayy from Wāʾil
In noble and lofty lineage
ما في بَني شَيبانَ أَهلِ الحِجا
جارِيَةٌ واحِدَةٌ مِثلي
Among the clan of Shaybān, people of Hijāz
There is no maiden like me
يا لَيتَني أَبصَرتُ دَلّالَةً
تَدُلُّني اليَومَ عَلى فَحلِ
Oh, would that I had seen a matchmaker
To match me today to a stallion
وَيلي وَيالَهفي عَلى أَمرَدٍ
يُلصِقُ مِنّي القُرطَ بِالحِجلِ
Woe is me, longing for ʿAmrud
Who joins my anklet with my necklace
صافَحتُهُ يَوماً عَلى خَلوَةٍ
فَقالَ دَع كَفّي وَخُذ رِجلي
I met him privately one day
He said: “Leave my hand and take my leg”
أُختُ بَني شَيبانَ مَرَّت بِنا
مَمشوطَةً كوراً عَلى بَغلِ
The sister of Shaybān’s clan passed by us
Riding comfortably on a mule
تُكنى أَبا الفَضلِ وَيا مَن رَأى
جارِيَةً تُكنى أَبا الفَضلِ
Nicknamed Abu al-Faḍl - seeing a girl
Nicknamed Abu al-Faḍl!
قَدنَقَّطَت في وَجهِها نُقطَةً
مَخافَةَ العَينِ مِنَ الكُحلِ
She dotted kohl on her face
Fearing the evil eye would get her
إِن زُرتُموها قالَ حُجّابُها
نَحنُ عَنِ الزوّارِ في شُغلِ
If you visit her, her guard says
“We are busy with visitors”
مَولاتُنا مَشغولَةٌ عِندَها
بَعلٌ وَلا إِذنَ عَلى البَعلِ
“Our mistress is busy, she has
A husband, and no permission for husbands”
يا بِنتَ مَعنِ الخَيرِ لا تَجهَلي
وَأَينَ إِقصارٌ عَنِ الجَهلِ
O Daughter of Maʿn the Benevolent, do not be ignorant
Where is withholding from ignorance?
أَتَجلِدُ الناسَ وَأَنتَ امرُؤٌ
تُجلَدُ في الدُبرِ وَفي القُبلِ
You blame people while you are a man
Who is blamed from behind and from the front
ما يَنبَغي لِلناسِ أَن يَنسُبوا
مَن كانَ ذا جودٍ إِلى البُخلِ
It is not fitting for people to attribute
Generosity to one known for stinginess
يَبذُلُ ما يَمنَعُ أَهلُ النَدى
هَذا لَعَمري مُنتَهى البَذلِ
He gives what people of bounty
Refuse - this is the utmost generosity
ما قُلتُ هَذا فيكَ إِلّا وَقَد
جَفَّت بِهِ الأَقلامُ مِن قَبلي
I have not said this about you, except
The pens had already written it before me
