أَبلِغ ذُفافِيَّنا رِسالَةَ مُش
تاقٍ أَسرَّ الشَكوى وَأَعلَنَها
Convey to our Dhufafi a message from a yearn—
Deliver to my beloveds a message from a longing lover
—ing man who concealed his complaint and proclaimed it.
Who has confided his complaint and declared it
رُبَّ غَداةٍ لِلقَصفِ في حَلَبٍ
يَجني ضُحىً وَردَها وَسَوسَنَها
Many a morning of revelry in Aleppo,
Many a dawn in Aleppo's orchard
he would pluck its roses and irises at midmorning.
He gathers at noontime its roses and lilies
لِلَّهِ أَزمانُنا بِعَلوَةِ ما
أَطيَبَ أَيّامِها وَأَحسَنَها
God be praised for our times with Alwa! How
By God, our times at their best
sweet her days were, and how beautiful!
And their most beautiful days
نُبِّئتَها زُوِّجَت أَخا خَنَثٍ
أَغَنَّ رَطبَ الأَطرافِ لَيِّنَها
You were told she was married off to an effeminate man,
You told her, she was married to an effeminate brother
nasal-voiced, with supple, soft limbs.
Who softened the juicy ends of her limbs
نيكَت زِناءً فَكَشخَنَتهُ وَقَد
نيكَ بُغاءً أَيضاً فَكَشخَنَها
She was fucked in adultery, thereby cuckolding him; and indeed,
She fornicated with a adulterer so she exposed him
he too was fucked as a prostitute, thereby cuckolding her.
She also fornicated with a whore so she exposed her
تَرومُ إِخوانَها وَيَمنَعُها
مِنهُم لَقَد ساءَها وَأَحزَنَها
She seeks her companions, but he keeps her
She envies her female cousins and he prevents her
from them; he has indeed distressed and saddened her.
From seeing them, it saddened and grieved her
لَو شاءَ لا بورِكَت مَشيأَتُهُ
أَبلَغَها بِالطَلاقِ مَأمَنَها
If he wished—may his will be unblessed!—
If he wanted, she would not be blessed in her desire
he would bring her to her safe haven through divorce.
He would divorce her and deliver her to her refuge
Sol 6.1