عَذابُكَ يا اِبنَةَ الساداتِ سَهلُ

وَجورُ أَبيكِ إِنصافٌ وَعَدلُ

Your torment, daughter of nobles, is easy,

And your father's tyranny is justice and equity.

فَجوروا وَاِطلُبوا قَتلي وَظُلمي

وَتَعذيبي فَإِنّي لا أَمَلُّ

So be unjust and seek to kill me, oppress me,

And torture me, for I do not hope,

وَلا أَسلو وَلا أَشفي الأَعادي

فَساداتي لَهُم فَخرٌ وَفَضلُ

Nor become tranquil, nor reconcile with enemies.

My nobles have pride and favour.

أُناسٌ أَنزَلونا في مَكانٍ

مِنَ العَلياءِ فَوقَ النَجمِ يَعلو

A people who have brought us to a place,

Above the heights, above the stars rising high.

إِذا جاروا عَدَلنا في هَواهُم

وَإِن عَزّوا لِعِزِّتِهِم نَذِلُّ

When they were unjust we were just in their passion,

And if they were mighty due to their might we submitted.

وَكَيفَ يَكونُ لي عَزمٌ وَجِسمي

تَراهُ قَد بَقي مِنهُ الأَقَلُّ

How can I have resolve when my body—

You see—has diminished leaving the lesser part?

فَيا طَيرَ الأَراكِ بِحَقِّ رَبٍّ

بَراكَ عَساكَ تَعلَمُ أَينَ حَلّوا

O birds of prey, by the right of the Lord,

Blessings be upon you, perhaps you may know where they camped,

وَتُطلِقُ عاشِقاً مِن أَسرِ قَومٍ

لَهُ في حُبِّهِم أُسُرٌ وَغُلُّ

And release a lover from the captivity of a people

For whom his love holds captivity and anguish.

يُنادوني وَخَيلُ المَوتِ تَجري

مَحَلُّكَ لا يُعادِلُهُ مَحَلُّ

They call me while the horses of death run.

Your place cannot be matched by any place.

وَقَد أَمسَوا يَعيبوني بِأُمّي

وَلَوني كُلَّما عَقَدوا وَحَلّوا

And now they criticise me for my mother

And my complexion whenever they gather and pitch camp.

لَقَد هانَت صُروفُ الدَهرِ عِندي

وَهانَت أَهلُهُ عِندي وَقَلّوا

The turns of fate have become despicable to me

And its people have become despicable and few to me.

وَلي في كُلِّ مَعرَكَةٍ حَديثٌ

إِذا سَمِعَت بِهِ الأَبطالُ ذَلّوا

And I have in every battle a narrative

When the heroes hear it they submit.

قَطَعتُ رِقابَهُم وَأَسَرتُ مِنهُم

وَهُم في عُظمِ جَمعِهِمِ اِستَقَلّوا

I severed their necks and captured many of them

While they in their great numbers thought little of it.

وَأَحصَنتُ النِساءَ بِحَدِّ سَيفي

وَأَعدائي لِعُظمِ الخَوفِ فَلّوا

And I protected the women with the edge of my sword

While my enemies in their great fear turned in retreat.

أُثيرُ عَجاجَها وَالخَيلُ تَجري

ثِقالاً بِالفَوارِسِ لا تَمَلُّ

I would arouse the din and the horses would charge

Heavily with the horsemen, they do not tire.

وَأَرجِعُ وَهيَ قَد وَلَّت خِفاف

مُحَيَّرَةً مِنَ الشَكوى تَكِلُّ

And I would return while they have retreated lightly,

Confused by the complaints, recoiling.

وَأَرضى بِالإِهانَةِ مَع أُناسٍ

أُراعيهِم وَلَو قَتلي أَحَلّوا

And I would be content with humiliation among people

Whose rights I observe even if they made my murder licit.

وَأَصبُرُ لِلحَبيبِ وَإِن جَفاني

وَلَم أَترُك هَواهُ وَلَستُ أَسلو

And I would be patient for the beloved even if he is unkind to me

And I do not leave his love nor do I become tranquil.

عَسى الأَيّامُ تُنعِمُ لي بِقُربٍ

وَبَعدَ الهَجرِ مُرُّ العَيشِ يَحلو

Perhaps time will favour me with closeness

And after estrangement the bitter life becomes sweet.