وقينةٍand a singing girl أبردُcolder منthan ثلجَهْa lump of snow
وقينةٍ أبردُ من ثلجَهْ
تظلُّremains منهاbecause of her النفسُthe soul فيin ضجَّهْan uproar
تظلُّ منها النفسُ في ضجَّهْ
And a singing girl, colder than a lump of snow,
A beast cold as ice
Because of her, the soul remains in turmoil.
The soul shudders at her sight
ماhow أكذبَdeceitful المطِنبَthe long-winded speaker فيin وصفهاdescribing her
ما أكذبَ المطِنبَ في وصفها
لاmay ... not صَدَّقconfirm as true اللهGod لهfor him لهجَهْan utterance
لا صَدَّق الله له لهجَهْ
How false the man who describes her at length!
How the praiser lied describing her
May God never confirm a word he utters!
May God not believe his words
فظيعةhideous فالحلقُso the throat فيin سَكْتةٍsilence
فظيعة فالحلقُ في سَكْتةٍ
وبطنهاand her belly القَرْقارloudly rumbling فيin رَجَّهْa shaking
وبطنها القَرْقار في رَجَّهْ
Hideous: her throat is silent,
Horrid with a silent throat
And her rumbling belly is in upheaval.
And a snarling belly in turmoil
خالصةُpure النَّتْنstench ولكنهاbut she
خالصةُ النَّتْن ولكنها
فيin ريقهاher saliva منfrom سَلْحهاher shit مجَّهْa gob
في ريقها من سَلْحها مجَّهْ
She is pure stench, yet
The essence of stench yet
In her saliva is a gob of her shit.
Her spit masked in perfume
كأنهاas though she were فيin نَتْنهاher stench ثُومةٌa garlic bulb
كأنها في نَتْنها ثُومةٌ
لكنهاbut she فيin اللونcolor أَتْرُجَّهْa citron
لكنها في اللون أَتْرُجَّهْ
In her stench she is like a garlic bulb,
Like garlic in her stench
But in color she is a citron.
Though purple in color
تبدوshe appears بوجهٍwith a face قحِلٍshriveled يابسٍdry
تبدو بوجهٍ قحِلٍ يابسٍ
قدalready نُزعَتْwas stripped away منfrom صحْنِهِits surface البهجَهْradiance
قد نُزعَتْ من صحْنِهِ البهجَهْ
She appears with a shriveled, dry face,
With a withered, faded face
From whose surface radiance has been stripped.
Stripped of all joy
ذاتpossessing فمٍa mouth أخْطأَmore off-key منthan كلبةٍa bitch
ذات فمٍ أخْطأَ من كلبةٍ
ومَضْرَطٍand a farting-hole أوقعَmore rhythmic منthan قَبْجَهْa hen partridge
ومَضْرَطٍ أوقعَ من قَبْجَهْ
She has a mouth more off-key than a bitch's,
A mouth worse than a bitch's
And a farting-hole more rhythmic than a hen partridge.
And fangs more deadly than a snake's
تفاوتتwas uneven خِلْقَتُهاher form فاغتدتْso she became
تفاوتت خِلْقَتُها فاغتدتْ
لكلِّfor everyone منwho عطَّلَdenies a Creator مُحْتَجَّهْa supporting argument
لكلِّ من عطَّلَ مُحْتَجَّهْ
Her form is so uneven that she has become
Her looks are mismatched, arousing
An argument for everyone who denies a Creator.
All whose needs drive them to her
لاnot تلكُمُthose الأوصالُlimbs مهتزةٌswaying
لا تلكُمُ الأوصالُ مهتزةٌ
كلّاno indeed ولاnor الأردافُthe buttocks مرتجَّهْquivering
كلّا ولا الأردافُ مرتجَّهْ
Those limbs do not sway;
Neither limbs that quiver
No indeed, nor do her buttocks quiver.
Nor hips that sway
ماnot جُنَّwent mad منfrom عشقٍlove فؤادٌa heart بهاfor her
ما جُنَّ من عشقٍ فؤادٌ بها
كلّاno indeed ولاnor ذابتmelted بهاfor her مهجَهْa soul
كلّا ولا ذابت بها مهجَهْ
No heart has gone mad with love for her,
No heart in love with her
No indeed, nor has a soul melted for her.
Nor passions set ablaze
رسمٌa ruin مُحيلٌtimeworn بانَdeparted سكانُهُits inhabitants
رسمٌ مُحيلٌ بانَ سكانُهُ
فماso there is no علىat أمثالهthe likes of it عَرْجَهْa stop
فما على أمثاله عَرْجَهْ
A timeworn ruin whose inhabitants have departed—
An absurd image, its dwellers
So no one stops at the likes of it.
Having no dignity
قدalready كَتبتْshe inscribed فيon بدنٍa body ناحلٍscrawny
قد كَتبتْ في بدنٍ ناحلٍ
أسماءَthe names منthose who لاعَبَهاdallied with her الفَحْجَهْthe splay-legged woman
أسماءَ من لاعَبَها الفَحْجَهْ
She has inscribed on her scrawny body
Inscribed in a gaunt body
The names of those who dallied with her, the splay-legged woman.
Names of those who toyed with her
كأنهاas though she were والوشمُand the tattooing فيon جلدهاher skin
كأنها والوشمُ في جلدها
زِرْنيخةٌa lump of orpiment شِيبتwas mixed بنِيلَنْجهْwith indigo
زِرْنيخةٌ شِيبت بنِيلَنْجهْ
With the tattoos on her skin, she looks like
As if tattoos on her skin
A lump of orpiment mixed with indigo.
Turned grey with indigo
ماno لامرئٍfor a man أظهرshowed وَجْداًpassion بهاfor her
ما لامرئٍ أظهر وَجْداً بها
عذرٌan excuse لدىbefore الناسpeople ولاnor حجَّهْan argument
عذرٌ لدى الناس ولا حجَّهْ
No man who displays passion for her
No man showed desire for her
Has an excuse before people, or any defense.
Excuses before people or dignity
تروحshe goes out للفسقfor debauchery فإنand if عُوتبتshe is reproached
تروح للفسق فإن عُوتبت
أعتبتِshe appeases اللائمَthe reproacher بالدَّلْجَهْby a nighttime outing
أعتبتِ اللائمَ بالدَّلْجَهْ
She goes out for debauchery, and if reproached,
She goes into vice, and if blamed
She appeases her reproacher by going out at night.
Blames the critic as confused
خرّاجةٌever going out للفسقِfor debauchery دخّالةٌever coming in
خرّاجةٌ للفسقِ دخّالةٌ
تُعجِبُهاpleases her الدخلةُthe going in والخرجَهْand the coming out
تُعجِبُها الدخلةُ والخرجَهْ
Ever going out for debauchery, ever coming in,
A broker of vice, a procurer
She enjoys the going in and coming out.
Who loves the incoming and outgoing
تسابقshe outruns الوعدَthe promise بإنجازهاby her fulfillment
تسابق الوعدَ بإنجازها
وتفتديand she pays for القبلةَthe kiss بالعَفْجَهْwith a fuck
وتفتدي القبلةَ بالعَفْجَهْ
She outruns the promise by fulfilling it,
Racing to fulfill a promise
And pays for a kiss with a fuck.
And buying a kiss with gifts
تُغَيِّضُshe dries up الأمواهthe waters فيin دُبْرِهَاher anus
تُغَيِّضُ الأمواه في دُبْرِهَا
فسَلْحُهاso her shit فيin صورةthe form of العُجَّهْthe omelette
فسَلْحُها في صورة العُجَّهْ
She dries up the waters in her arse,
She distorts faces with her behind
So her shit looks like an omelette.
Her weapon masked as shyness
سوداءblack بابِthe mouth of الجُحْرِthe hole شمطاؤهgray-haired around it
سوداء بابِ الجُحْرِ شمطاؤه
لِكلِّfor everyone منwho كشَّفهlays it bare عَجَّهْan outcry
لِكلِّ من كشَّفه عَجَّهْ
She is black at her hole's mouth, grizzled around it;
Black as a cave's entrance, rough
Whoever uncovers it lets out a cry.
To all who approached her with desire
كأنماas though فَقْحتهاher anus فحمةٌa lump of charcoal
كأنما فَقْحتها فحمةٌ
فَتَّcrumbled عليهاonto it عابثٌa prankster ثلجَهْa lump of snow
فَتَّ عليها عابثٌ ثلجَهْ
Her anus is like a lump of charcoal
As if her vulva's a piece of coal
On which a prankster has crumbled a lump of snow.
Played with by a joker with ice
ماnever نهضتْshe rose عنfrom مجلسa seat ساعةًfor a moment
ما نهضتْ عن مجلس ساعةً
إلاexcept وجدناwe found تحتهاbeneath her مَجَّهْa small discharge
إلا وجدنا تحتها مَجَّهْ
Never did she rise from a seat, even for a moment,
Never rose from a sitting
Without our finding a little puddle beneath her.
Without leaving a stain beneath her
لوif حُدِّثتْshe were told عنabout فيشةٍa cock-head ضخمةٍhuge
لو حُدِّثتْ عن فيشةٍ ضخمةٍ
بطَنْجةٍin Tangier سارتْshe would travel إلىto طنجَهْTangier
بطَنْجةٍ سارتْ إلى طنجَهْ
If she were told of a huge cock-head
If told about a massive rod
In Tangier, she would set out for Tangier.
A hot pepper she went to a jar
أوor قيلit were said منin تهوينdisparagement قالتshe would say فتىa youth
أو قيل من تهوين قالت فتى
أَصلعbald فيon يافوخهhis crown شجهْa gash
أَصلع في يافوخه شجهْ
Or, if someone spoke dismissively, she'd say: ‘A youth,
Or it's said to diminish she said a lad
Bald, with a gash on his crown.’
Bald with folds in his cheek
ماnot كشفتْhas bared عنfrom عُطْعطٍa cock فَيْشةa cock-head
ما كشفتْ عن عُطْعطٍ فَيْشة
تُجيدdoes skillfully فيin أحشائهاher innards البَعْجَهْthe piercing thrust
تُجيد في أحشائها البَعْجَهْ
No cock-head has ever bared a cock
She never revealed a slit or crevice
That can properly stab her innards.
Skilled at contractions inside her
تقولshe says إنif هاجرهاhe leaves her ساعةًfor a moment
تقول إن هاجرها ساعةً
كمhow many غمةٍa distress تتبعهاfollows it فَرْجَهْrelief
كم غمةٍ تتبعها فَرْجَهْ
She says, if he leaves her for a moment:
She says if her lover leaves her
‘How many a distress is followed by relief!
How many worries follow her absence
لاdo not تيأسيdespair ياO نفسُsoul منof عَوْدةٍa return
لا تيأسي يا نفسُ من عَوْدةٍ
فالكبشُfor the ram لاdoes not يلهوget distracted عنfrom النَّعجَهْthe ewe
فالكبشُ لا يلهو عن النَّعجَهْ
Do not despair, O soul, of his return:
Don't despair my soul of a return
For the ram is not distracted from the ewe.’
The ram never plays far from the ewe
ماno حقُّdue أيرٍa cock ناكfucked أمثالَهاthe likes of her
ما حقُّ أيرٍ ناك أمثالَها
إلاexcept مَواسِيthe razors أهلthe people of إفْرَنْجَهْFrankland
إلا مَواسِي أهل إفْرَنْجَهْ
A cock that fucked the likes of her deserves nothing
The likes of her deserve no pity
But the razors of the Franks.
Except comforts of Europeans
بلrather حقُّهits due الرحمةmercy إنindeed الفتىthe young man
بل حقُّه الرحمة إن الفتى
قدindeed زُجَّwas thrust فيinto البحرthe sea بهwith it زَجَّهْa shove
قد زُجَّ في البحر به زَجَّهْ
Rather, it deserves mercy, for the young man
Rather, mercy is deserved, for the lad
Has been thrust into the sea with it in one shove.
Was thrown by her into a stormy sea
أستودعI entrust to اللهGod فتىًa young man ناكهاfucked her
أستودع الله فتىً ناكها
فإنهfor he المسكينthe poor fellow فيin اللُّجَّهْthe deep sea
فإنه المسكين في اللُّجَّهْ
I entrust to God a young man who fucked her,
I trust to God a boy who knew her
For the poor fellow is in the depths.
For he is the poor wretch drowned
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.