صاحبةَ القَرقرِ لا تشغَبي

تحمّلي طالقةً واذهبي

O she of anklets that chime, do not act capriciously,

O Mistress of the Cavern, cease your strife,

Bear with composure and go away,

Take up your load, divorced, and leave my life.

مرّي فكَم مثلكِ من حرّةٍ

رائعةٍ لم تكُ من مَطلبي

Pass by, for how many like you, O free woman,

Move on, for many a free and noble dame,

Are lovely and were not what I sought.

Splendid to see, was never my heart's aim.

لا أبتغي بالطمثِ مطمومةً

ولا أبيعُ الظبيَ بالأرنبِ

I do not crave a scent mixed with mentruation,

I seek no one defiled by monthly red,

Nor do I hawk a gazelle in place of a rabbit.

Nor sell the gazelle for the rabbit in my bed.

لا أشتهي الحيضَ ولا أهلَهُ

غيركِ أشهى منكِ بالأرنبِ

I do not lust for menstruation or its people,

I loathe the menses and the folk who bleed,

You are more delicious to me than a rabbit.

Others excite me more than you—the hare—indeed.

بَلى فإن كنتِ غلاميّةُ

من شرط مثلي فردي مشربي

Rather if you were a youth compliant

But nay, if you were like a beardless lad,

To one like me, conforming to my taste,

Conditioned to my taste, to quench the thirst I had.

لا أدخلُ الجحرَ يدي طائعاً

أخشى من الحيّةِ والعقربِ

I would not put my hand in the hole,

I will not willingly thrust my hand inside,

Fearing the snake and scorpion within.

The hole where snakes and scorpions abide.