حميدُ ماذا دهاكا

جُنِنتَ أم ما اعتراكا

Hamid, what has possessed you?

Hamid, what calamity has struck your head?

Have you gone mad or what has afflicted you?

Have you gone mad, or by some madness led?

لو أنّ كفّي عنانٍ

رطوبةً كفّاكا

If only my palms were reins

Even if the palms of 'Anan, soft and fine,

Wetting your palms

Possessed the clammy moisture found in thine,

ووجنَتي تمتامٍ

تحكيهما وجنَتاكا

And my cheeks were bridles

And if the cheeks of Tamtam, fair and sleek,

That would restrain your cheeks

Were mimicked by the contours of your cheek,

ومُقلتي رحمةٍ في

زِناهُما مُقلتاكا

And my eyelashes were merciful

And if the eyes of Rahma, wild and free,

In their blinking upon your eyelashes

Found their wanton likeness reflected in thee,

ووزّةَ ابنِ تبيع

منوطةً من وراكا

And the son of Tabia were a mule

And if the goose of Ibn Tabi', dangling low,

Tied behind you

Were hung upon your backside to and fro,

وكنتَ في الحسن فردا

لما حملتُ جفاكا

Yet you were unique in beauty

And were you unique in beauty, set apart,

When I carried your disregard

I would not bear the harshness of your heart.

لأقمطَنَّك في عص

بةٍ بفضلِ رداكا

I will diminish you in a group

I shall surely swaddle you, bound in a band,

Through the excellence of my response to you

With the trailing excess of your robe in hand.

حتى إذا ما جدَلنا

كَ جانباً جئناكا

Until when we have turned

Until, when we have tossed you to the side,

Away from you, we will come to you

We shall descend upon you, stripped of pride.

من آخذٍ لكَ نعلاً

وآخذٍ مِشواكا

One who takes your slipper

One wielding a sandal to strike your face,

And one who takes your walking stick

Another with a stick to keep the pace.

وقد أتاكَ أُناسٌ

يقطّعونَ الشباكا

And people came to you

And folks have come to you, a gathered set,

Who tear apart the nets

Slicing through the cords of every trap and net.

وقد أمرتُ من الج

نِّ حوقلاً وضناكا

And I ordered the Jan

And I have ordered Jinn of dark decree,

Hawaqal and Dhinak

Hawqal and Dinak, to attend to thee.

أن يصفِناكَ على أر

بع وأن يُبركاكا

To line you up in fours and bless you

To yoke you on all fours, a beast in chain,

Until when you cannot bear the pounding of the rows moving

And force you to your knees in humble pain.

حتى إذا لم تُطِق من

وقع الصفان حِراكا

They kept you, and if

Until, when you no longer can withstand

You returned after that, they would crucify you

The heavy impact of the binding band,

استبقياكَ فإن عُد

تَ بعدها صلَباكا

They will spare you; but should you relapse to this,

They will crucify you in the dark abyss.