إِذا ما العَذارى قُلنَ عَمِّ فَلَيتَني

إِذا كانَ لي اِسماً كُنتُ تَحتَ الصَفائِحِ

If the maidens say, “Who is he?” I wish

I had a name while you lie under the sheets

دَنَونَ وَأَدناهُنَّ لي أَن رَأَينَني

أَخَذتُ العَصا وَاِبيَضَّ لَونُ المَسائِحِ

They came near and closer so I could see them

I took my stick and my face turned white

فَقَد جَعَلَ المَفروكُ لا نامَ لَيلُهُ

بِحُبِّ حَديثي وَالغَيورِ المُشايِحِ

So the jealous one doesn’t sleep at night

For love of my talk and the jealous whisperers

وَقَد كُنتُ مِمّا أَعرِفُ الوَحيَ ما لَهُ

رَسولٌ سِوى طَرفٌ مِنَ العَينِ لامِحِ

And I knew what revelation is for him

A messenger other than a hint from the eye perceiving

وَقُلتُ لِعَمروٍ إِذ مَرَرنَ أَقاطِعٌ

بِها أَنتَ آثارَ الظِباءِ السَوانِحِ

And I said to Amr when separatists passed by

With it you are the traces of fleeing gazelles

لَئِن سَكَنَت بي الوَحشُ يَوماً لَطالَما

ذَعَرتُ قُلوبَ المُرشِقاتِ المَلائِحِ

If the wild beasts dwell with me one day, for long

I have startled the hearts of the radiant beauties

لَقَد عَلِقَت بِالعَبدِ زَيداً وَريحِهِ

حَماليقُ عَينَيها قَذىً غَيرُ بارِحِ

She has clung to the slave Zayd and his scent

The carriers of her eyes specks of dust not sleeping

وَمِن قَبلِها حَنَّت عَجوزُكَ حِنَّةً

وَأُختُكَ لِلأَدنى حَنينَ النَوائِحِ

And before her your old woman pined

And your sister for the nearest the wailing of lamenters

تُبَكّي عَلى زَيدٍ وَلَم تَلقَ مِثلَهُ

بَريئاً مِنَ الحُمّى صَحيحَ الجَوانِحِ

Crying over Zayd and did not find his equal

Innocent of fever, intact of sideburns

وَلَو أَنَّها يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ حُرَّةٌ

سَقَتكَ بِكَفَّيكَ دِماءَ الذَرارِحِ

And if she, O son of Maragha, were free

She would have watered you with her hands the blood of predators

وَلَكِنَّها مَملوكَةٌ عافَ أَنفُها

لَهُ عَرَقاً يَهمي بِأَخبَثَ راشِحِ

But she is owned, her self-respect prohibiting her

For him sweat that smells of the filthiest armpit

لَئِن أَنشَدَت بي أُمُّ غَيلانَ أَو رَوَت

عَلَيَّ لِتَرتَدَّنَّ مِنّي بِناطِحِ

If Umm Ghailan recited poetry to me or transmitted

About me she would surely return from me with a smasher