قِيانٌ غَدَت خَمساً وَعَشراً عَلى عَصا

لِخَمسٍ وَعَشرٍ لا يُحَسُّ لَها جَذرُ

Singing-girls became five and ten upon a staff—

five and ten whose root could not be perceived.

تَحَلَّت بِشَذرٍ بَعدَ أَطواقِ حِندِسٍ

قَديمٍ وَمِن صَوغِ النَدى ذَلِكَ الشَذرُ

They decked themselves in pearls, after collars of darkness—

ancient darkness; and dew was among those who fashioned those pearls.

لَقَد أَكثَرَت في يَومِها أُمُّ ناهِضٍ

مِنَ السَجعِ حَتّى مَلَّ مَنطِقَها الهَذرُ

Umm Nāhiḍ spoke profusely that day

in rhymed prose, until idle chatter itself grew weary of her speech.

وَقَد عُذِرَت في نَوحِها وَغِنائِها

فَلَمّا أَطالَت فيهِما بَطَلَ العُذرُ

She had been excused for her lament and her song;

but when she prolonged them both, the excuse was void.