هَزِئَتْ مَيَّةُ أَنْ ضَاحَكْتُهَا

هَزِئَتْ مَيَّةُ أَنْ ضَاحَكْتُهَا

فَرَأَتْ عَارِضَ عَوْدٍ قَدْ ثَرِمْ

فَرَأَتْ عَارِضَ عَوْدٍ قَدْ ثَرِمْ

Mayyah mocked me for laughing with her,

And saw an old man's jaw with missing teeth,

وبَيَاضاً أَحْدَثَتْهُ لِمَّتِي

وبَيَاضاً أَحْدَثَتْهُ لِمَّتِي

مِثْلَ عِيدَانِ الحَصَادِ المُنْحَصِمْ

مِثْلَ عِيدَانِ الحَصَادِ المُنْحَصِمْ

And the whiteness that my locks had developed,

Like stalks of harvested grain, snapped and broken.

يا ابْنَةض الرِّحَّالِ لَوْ جَارَيْتِني

يا ابْنَةض الرِّحَّالِ لَوْ جَارَيْتِني

سَالِفَ الدَّهْرِ لجَارَيْتِ الرَّقِمْ

سَالِفَ الدَّهْرِ لجَارَيْتِ الرَّقِمْ

O daughter of al-Rihhal, had you competed with me

In days gone by, you would have faced a wily adversary.

وخُصُومٍ شُمُسٍ أَرْمِي بِهِمْ

وخُصُومٍ شُمُسٍ أَرْمِي بِهِمْ

شُعَبَ الجَوْرِ إِذَا لْمْ يَسْتَقِمْ

شُعَبَ الجَوْرِ إِذَا لْمْ يَسْتَقِمْ

And headstrong opponents whom I hurl

Into the branching paths of injustice when things will not run straight;

وقُعُودِي عِنْدَ ذِي غَادِيَةٍ

وقُعُودِي عِنْدَ ذِي غَادِيَةٍ

تَقْذِفُ الأَعْدَاءَ عَنِّي بِالكَلِمْ

تَقْذِفُ الأَعْدَاءَ عَنِّي بِالكَلِمْ

And my sitting beside one with a morning raincloud

That drives enemies away from me with words.

نَتَنَادَى ثُمَّ يَنْمِي صَوْتَنَا

نَتَنَادَى ثُمَّ يَنْمِي صَوْتَنَا

صَلَقٌ يَهْدِمُ حَافَاتِ الأُطُمْ

صَلَقٌ يَهْدِمُ حَافَاتِ الأُطُمْ

We call to one another; then our voice is raised

By a clamor that demolishes the ramparts of fortresses,

وحَنِين مِنْ عَنُودٍ بَدْأَةٍ

وحَنِين مِنْ عَنُودٍ بَدْأَةٍ

أَقرَعِ النقْبَةِ حَنَّانِ لَحِمْ

أَقرَعِ النقْبَةِ حَنَّانِ لَحِمْ

And the groaning of a stubborn, impetuous one,

Bare-skinned, ever groaning, hungry for flesh.