نَباتُ بِنتِ سَباكِ اللَهُ مِن أَمَةٍ

كَمِ اعتَرَتكِ عَلى الدَهرِ المَشاغيلُ

Nabatu, daughter of the blacksmith

Nabat, my girl—may God strike you, what a slave girl you are!

How many troubles have beset you in life!

How often have distractions seized you throughout the days!

كَم قَد عَذَلتُ وَكَم عاتَبتُ مُجتَهِداً

وَقُلتُ لَو أَخَذَت فيكِ الأَقاويلُ

How often have I blamed and reproached you in vain,

How often I have chided and how often reproached with all my might,

Saying, "What lies people spread about you!"

Saying, "If only my warnings would take hold within you."

ما أَنتِ إِلّا عَروسٌ يَومَ جَلوَتِها

عَلى المِنَصَّةِ تَجلوها العَطابيلُ

You are but a bride on her wedding day,

You are nothing but a bride on the day of her unveiling,

Adorned on the dais with splendid robes.

Upon the dais, displayed by full-figured attendants.

أَما نَباتُ فَقَد أَضحَت مُخَضَّبَةً

وَالشِعرُ مُفتَرِقٌ بِالبانِ مَغسولُ

As for Nabatu, now she is stained with henna,

As for Nabat, she has appeared dyed with henna,

Her hair parted and washed with bán.

Her hair parted down the middle, washed with fragrant oil.

قالَت تَعَلَّلتُ بِالحَنّاءِ قُلتُ لَها

ما بِالتَطاريفِ بِالحَنّاءِ تَعليلُ

She pleaded the henna as her excuse,

She said, "I sought a cure with henna." I said to her:

But I said, "Do not make vain excuses."

"There is no medical cure in dyeing the fingertips with henna."

هاذي التَطاريفُ مِن غُنجٍ وَمِن عَبَثٍ

كَما زَعَمتِ فَما لِلطَرفِ مَكحولُ

These adornments are out of frivolity and nonsense,

"These fingertips speak of coquetry and playful wantonness,"

Not, as you claimed, kohl around your eyes.

"Just as you claimed—but why then is your eye rimmed with kohl?"

قالَت كَحِلتُ بِعُذرِ العَينِ مِن رَمَدٍ

فَقُلتُ عُذراً فَما لِلشَعرِ مَبلولُ

She claimed an eye inflammation as her excuse,

She said, "I applied kohl to treat the eye for inflammation;"

So I said, "What excuse for your soaked hair?"

So I said, "Accepting that excuse—but why is your hair wet?"

قالَت مُطِرنا وَلَم تُمطِر فَقُلتُ لَها

ما بالُ مِئزَرِكِ المَصقولِ مَحلولُ

She said it rained on us, but I told her,

She said, "We were rained upon," though it did not rain. So I said to her:

"Why then are your polished undergarments wet?"

"What is the matter with your polished waist-wrapper being untied?"

قالَت بَرِمتُ بِهِ حَملاً فَأَثقَلَني

هَذا الإِزارُ فَلَم حُلُّ السَراويلُ

She said she carried a load and it weighed her down,

She said, "I grew weary of wearing it, for it weighed me down;"

That this loincloth would not release her pants.

"That explains the wrapper—but why are your trousers undone?"

قالَت غُلِبتُ عَلى نَفسي فَقُلتُ لَها

هَذا زِناكِ فَما هاذي الأَباطيلُ

She admitted she was overcome with desire,

She said, "I was overcome against my will." So I said to her:

So I said, "This is your adultery, enough of lies!"

"This is your adultery plain and simple—so why these falsehoods?"

زالَ الحِمارُ وَكانَت تِلكَ مُنيَتَهُ

في الطينِ إِنَّ حِمارَ السوءِ مَوحولُ

The donkey slipped and thus met its fate—

"The donkey has slipped, and that was his desire,"

An evil donkey falls into the mud.

"Into the mud; indeed, the wicked donkey is mired deep."