أَنَسيتَ صُحبَتِها وَمَن يَكُ مُقرِفاً
تُخرِج مُغَيَّبَ سِرِّهِ الأَخبارُ
You've forgotten her company, who does that?
Rumors bring out hidden secrets.
لَمّا شَبِعتَ ذَكَرتَ ريحَ كِسائِها
وَتَرَكتَها وَشِتاؤُها هَرّارُ
When you were full, you recalled the scent of her garments
Yet abandoned her, while it's cold and wet.
هَلّا وَقَد غَمَرَت فُؤادَكَ كَثبَةٌ
وَالضَأنُ مُخصَبَةُ الجَنابِ غِزارُ
Hasn't a thick darkness flooded your heart?
While the rain pours heavily on the pastures.
هَجهَجتَ حينَ دَعَتكَ إِن لَم تَأتِها
حَيثُ السِباعُ شَوارِعٌ كُشّارُ
You raved when she called you, that if you don't come
Where hyenas prowl down the streets.
نَهَضَت لِتَحرُزَ شِلوَها فَتَجَوَّرَت
وَالمُخَّ مِن قَصَبِ القَوائِمِ رارُ
She got up to protect her belongings, so she became tattered,
And the bending reeds creak from her thin legs.
قالَت وَقَد جَنَحَت عَلى مَملولِها
وَالنارُ تَخبو مَرَّةً وَتُثارُ
She said while leaning on her walking stick,
As the fire dies down at times and flares up at others.
عَجفاءُ عارِيَةُ العِظامِ أَصابَها
حَدَثُ الزَمانِ وَجَدُّها العَثّارُ
A scrawny, meatless old hag, time has worn her down.
And her heavy makeup cannot conceal it.
أَبَني الحَرامَ فَتاتُكُم لا تُهزَلَن
إِنَّ الهُزالَ عَلى الحَرائِرِ عارُ
My sons, do not let your woman become thin.
Weakness is a disgrace upon free women.
لا تَترُكُنَّ وَلا يَزالَن عِندَها
مِنكُم بِحَدِّ شِتائِها مَيّارُ
Do not abandon her, some of you should stay with her,
To help her through the cold times.
وَبِحَقِّها وَأَبيكَ تُهزَلُ مالَها
مالٌ فَيَعصِمَها وَلا أَيسارُ
For her sake and your father’s, spend your money on her.
Money that will protect her, you have no excuses.
وَتَرى شُيوخَ بَني كُلَيبٍ بَعدَها
شَمِطَ اللِحى وَتَسَعسَعَ الأَعمارُ
You see the elders of the Banu Kilab after her.
With shriveled beards and worn down by old age.
يَتَكَلَّمونَ مَعَ الرِجالِ تَراهُمُ
زُبَّ اللِحى وَقُلوبُهُم أَصفارُ
Talking to men, their beards are like rags.
And their hearts are empty.
وَنُسَيَّةٌ لِبَني كُلَيبٍ عِندَهُم
مِثلُ الخَنافِسِ بَينَهُنَّ وِبارُ
Nusaiba is nothing to the Banu Kilab.
Like insects among them, a fading memory.
مُتَقَبِّضاتٌ عِندَ شَرِّ بُعولَةٍ
شَمِطَت رُؤوسُهُمُ وَهُم أَغمارُ
All huddled up when disaster struck her husband.
Heads bent down while they are immersed in gloom.
أَمَةُ اليَدَينِ لَئيمَةٌ آباؤُها
سَوداءُ حَيثُ يُعَلَّقُ التِقصارُ
A slave girl of vile origins, her forefathers,
Black where palm fiber ropes are hung.
مُتَعالِمُ النَفَرِ الَّذينَ هُمُ هُمُ
بِالتَبلِ لا غُمُرٌ وَلا أَفتارُ
Acting superior is that group of people who they really are,
With no tents or herds.
