أَأَسماءُ لَم تسئَلي عَن أَبيـ

ـكِ وَالقَومُ قَد كانَ فيهِم خُطوب

Aasma, you did not ask about your father

While there was turmoil amongst the people

إِنَّ عَريباً وَإِن ساءَني

أَحَبَّ حَبيبٍ وَأَدنى قَريب

Indeed an Arab, though he wronged me

Loved a lover and drew near a relative

سَأَجعَلُ نَفسي لَهُ جُنَّةً

بِشاكي السِلاحِ نَهيكٍ أَريب

I will make myself a shield for him

With my clashing weaponry, unsheathed and ready

وَأَهلَكَ مُهرَ أَبيكِ الدَوا

ءُ لَيسَ لَهُ مِن طَعامٍ نَصيب

And he destroyed your father’s wedding gift

He has no share in food

خَلا أَنَّهُم كُلَّما أَورَدوا

يُضَيَّحُ قَعباً عَلَيهِ ذَنوب

Except whenever they come to water

He fouls every water-skin with sins

فَيُصبِحُ حاجِلَةً عَينُهُ

لِحِنوِ اِستِهِ وَصَلاهُ غُيوب

So his eye awakens bleary

From the sleeplessness of his love and his vigils

فَأَعدَدتُ عَجلى لِحُسنِ الدَوا

ءِ لَم يَتَلَمَّس حَشاها طَبيب

So I prepared a quick medicine for the beautiful one

No doctor had touched its bandages

أَخي وَأَخوكِ بِبَطنِ النُسَي

رِ لِيسَ بِهِ مِن مَعَدٍّ عَريب

My brother and your brother in the abdomen of the she-camel

There is no intestines in him like an Arab

فَأَقسَمَ بِاللَهِ لا يَأتَلي

وَأَقسمَتُ أَن نِلتُهُ لا يَؤوب

So he swore by God, he will not be twisted

And I swore he will be twisted and will not recover

فَأَقبَلَ نَحوي عَلى قُدرَةٍ

فَلَمّا دَنا صَدَقَتهُ الكَذوب

So he approached me with intent

But when he drew near, his lies proved him false

أَحالَ بِها كَفَّهُ مُدبِراً

وَهَل يُنجِيَنَّكَ شَدٌّ وَعيب

He turned his palm, retreating

Can violence and disgrace save you?

فَتَبَّعتُهُ طَعنَةً ثَرَّةً

يَسيلُ عَلى الوَجهِ مِنها صَبيب

So I pursued him with a copious stab

From which flows a stream of blood

فَإِن قَتَلَتهُ فَلَم آلُهُ

وَإِن يَنجُ مِنها فَجُرحٌ رَغيب

If I killed him, I will not blame him

And if he survives it, it's a wound that heals

وَإِن يَلقَني بَعدَها يَلقَني

عَلَيهِ مِنَ الذُلِّ ثَوبٌ قَشيب

And if after it he meets me, he will meet me

Upon him a garment of abasement and coarse haircloth