تَكْتُبُ يَوْمِيَّاتِهَا عَادِلَهْ

نَاقِدَةً فِي حُكْمِهَا عَادِلَهْ

Aadilah writes her diary daily

Critically judging in her right mind

تَذْكُرُ مَا يَخْطُرُ فِي بَالِهَا

فِي كَلِمٍ مَعْدُودَةٍ حَافِلَهْ

She mentions whatever comes across her mind

In chosen and loaded words

وَتَصِفُ النَّاسَ عَلَى خِبْرَةٍ

حَتَّى تَرَاهُمْ صُوَراً مَاثِلَهْ

She describes people out of experience

Until she sees them as vivid images

وَتَصِفُ الأَحْوَالَ مَشْهُودَةً

كَأَنَّهَا المِرْسَمَةُ النَّاقِلَهْ

She depicts witnessed states

As if she's the carrying painter

فِي جُمَلٍ مُوجَزَةٍ جَزْلَةٍ

وَاضِحَةٍ نُرْسِلُهَا عَاجِلَهْ

In concise, solid, clear sentences

We swiftly send them out

أَعْجَبَنِي مِنْ نَقْدِهَا قَوْلُهَا

فِي غَادَةٍ بَادِنَةٍ جَاهِلَهْ

What pleased me most about her critique

Was her saying about an ignorant, thick girl

فُلانَةٌ حَسْنَاءُ لَكِنَّهَا

عَلَى صِبَاهَا بَضَّةٌ خَامِلَهْ

So-and-so is pretty but in her youth

She's a withering, languishing bud

إِنْ تَتَكَلَّمْ فَهْيَ مَجْهُودَةٌ

أَوْ تَتَحَرَّكْ فَهْيَ مُثَّاقِلَهْ

If she speaks, she makes an effort

If she moves, she's heavy

كَوَرْدَةٍ أُكْثِرَ إِرْوَاؤُهَا

فَنَشَأَتْ مَائِيَّةً ذَابِلَهْ

Like a rose that was overwatered

So it grew up watery and withering

وَقَوْلُهَا فِي هَرِمٍ جَاعِلٍ

هَوَى الغوَانِي شُغُلاً شَاغِلَهْ

And her saying about an old man

Who busies fond hearts with occupation

وَجْهُ الثَّمَانِينَ وَشِعْرُ الصِّبَا

أَلشَّيْبُ حِلْيَ الأَنْفُسِ الكَامِلَهْ

The face of eighty and the hair of youth

Isn't gray hair the jewel of perfect souls?

لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ وَهْوَ شَأْنُ امْرِيءٍ

يَحْسَبُ جَهْلاً نِسْوَةَ النَّاسِ لَهْ

He never married, which is the way of a fool

Who ignorantly takes women for granted

فَضَاعَ فِي إِسْرَافِهِ عُمْرُهُ

وَلَمْ يَنَلْ إِلاَّ المُنَى السَّافِلَهْ

So he wasted his life in extravagance

And got nothing but the lowest demise

وَمَا دَرَى أَنَّ سُعُودَ الْهَوَى

لِفَاضِلٍ زَوْجَتُهُ فَاضِلَهْ

And he never knew that the happiness of passion

For a virtuous man is a virtuous wife

وَقَوْلُهَا خَطْرَة فِكْرٍ لَهَا

كَأَنَّهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهَا قَائلَهْ

And her subtle reflection

As if speaking of herself

فُلانَةٌ حَسْنَاءُ لي زَعْمِهِمْ

أَدِيبَةٌ آنِسَةٌ عَاقِلَهْ

So-and-so is pretty, so they claim

Cultured, friendly, and sensible

لَكِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ عَلَى ثَرْوَةٍ

إِذَن فَهَاتِيكَ الحِلَى بَاطِلَهْ

But she has no wealth

So those jewels are false

يَزْدَحِمُ الفِتْيَانُ فِي بَابِهَا

وَتَتْبَعُ الْقَافِلَةُ الَقَافِلَهْ

The youths crowd at her door

And the caravan follows the caravan

كَأَنَّهَا التِّمْثَالُ فِي مُتْحَفٍ

تَزُورُهُ لِلرُّؤُيَةِ السَّابِلَهْ

As if she's a statue in a museum

That people continuously visit just to see