أَلا أَسماءُ صَرَّمتِ الحِبالا

فَأَصبَحَ غادِياً عَزَمَ اِرتِحالا

Alas, Asma had tied up the camels

So he was determined to set off traveling

وَذاتُ العِرضِ قَد تَأتي إِذا ما

أَرادت صُرمَ خُلِّتِها الجِمالا

And Zatul Irdh can come when she wants

To change her beautiful clothes

تَعاوَرَها الوُشاةُ فَغَيَّروها

عَنِ الحالِ الَّتي في الدَهرِ حالا

The scandal-mongers attacked her

From the state she had always been in

وَمَن لا يَفثَإِ الواشينَ عَنهُ

صَباحَ مَساءَ يَبغوهُ الخَبالا

And whoever does not prevent the slanderers

Morning and evening they seek to discredit him

فَسَلِّ طِلابَها وَتعَزَّ عَنها

بِناجِيَةٍ كَأَنَّ بِها خَيالا

So ask those who desire her and be aloof from her

With a girlfriend as if she were a specter

أَمونٌ ما تَمَلُّ وَما تَشَكّى

إِذا جَشَّمتَها يَوماً كَلالا

Secure from tiring or complaining

When you have faced her one day in the moonlight

كَأَنَّ الرَحلَ مِنها فَوق جَأبٍ

يُقَلِّبُ آتُناً خُلُجاً حِيالا

As if the camel litter were above a valley

Turning the howdah this way and that

مِن اللاتي أَلفِنَ جَنوبَ إيرٍ

كَأَنَّ لَهُنَّ مِن سِبتٍ نِعالا

Of those accustomed to the south wind of Iyr

As if their sandals were made of ebony

يَظَلُ جَبينُهُ غَرَضاً لِسُمرٍ

كَأَنَّ نُسورَها حُشِيَت نِصالا

His brow remains exposed to Sumar

As if its eagles were armed with spearheads

أَجَشُّ تَخالُه عَلِقاً إِذا ما

أَرَنَّ عَلى جَواحِرَها وَجالا

Slender is her imagination if

Brought face to face with her necklaces

فَأَبِلِغ إِن عَرَضتَ بِنا رَسولاً

أَبا المَملوحِ إِنَّ لَهُ جَلالا

So if you meet, inform the messenger there

Abu Mamlouh—truly he possesses glory—

أَمودٍ خَلفُكُم هَرَماً وَلمّا

تَذوقوا مِن عَداوَتِنا وَبالا

A mood old behind you a ruin though

You have not yet tasted our enmity and affliction

وَلَمّا تَفعلوا إِلّا وَعيداً

كَفى بِوَعيدِكُم لَهُمُ قِتالا

Nor have you done anything but threaten

Your threats against them are enough for battle

وَعيدٌ تَخدِجُ الأَرحامُ مِنهُ

وَيَنقُلُ مِن أَماكِنها الجِبالا

A threat that shakes the womb

And moves mountains from their places

خَفيفُ الغَيثِ تُعجِبُ مَن رَآهُ

مَخيلَتُهُ وَلَم تَقطُر بِلالا

Light rain is pleasing to whoever sees it

His imagination though no drops have fallen