أَقولُ لَها لَمّا أَتَتني تَدُلُّني

عَلى امرَأَةٍ مَوصوفَةٍ بِجَمالِ

I say to her when she comes to me, leading

I answered her, when she came recommending,

Me to a woman described as beautiful:

A woman described as possessing great beauty:

أَصَبتِ لَها يا أُختُ فَحلاً كَما اشتَهَت

إِذا أَغفَلَت مِنّي ثَلاثَ خِلالِ

“You have found a solution for her, sister, as she desired,

"O sister, you have found the stallion she desires,

If she overlooks in me three traits:

Provided she overlooks three faults of mine:

فَمِنهُنَّ فِسقٌ لا يُنادى وَليدُهُ

وَرِقَّةُ إِسلامٍ وَقِلَّةُ مالِ

Among them transgression, for which her child is not called Waleed,

Among them is a depravity that knows no rival,

And the softness of Islam, and lack of money;

A fragility of faith, and a scarcity of coin.

وَلَو أَنَّها في الحُسنِ كانَت كَيوسُفٍ

وَبَلقيسَ أَو كانَت كَخَطِّ مِثالِ

And even if in beauty she were like Joseph,

Even if she possessed the comeliness of Joseph,

Or Bilqis or the ideal exemplar,

Or Balqis, or were flawless as a painted ideal,

وَقالَت تَزَوَّجني عَلى مَهرِ دِرهَمٍ

لَقُلتُ اذهَبي عَنّي فَمَهرُكِ غالِ

And she says 'Marry me for a dowry of a single dirham,'

And said, 'Marry me for the dowry of a single dirham,'

I would say 'Go away from me, for your dowry is too high.'”

I would reply, 'Begone from me, your price is far too high!'"