1. لا عرتك الخطوبُ يا ابنَ حريثٍ

    لا ولا نالكَ الفناءُ الوشيكُ

    May misfortunes never befall you, Ibn Hurayth.

    No, nor may imminent death overtake you.

  2. فلعمري ما حاتمٌ بمُدانٍ

    لك لولا الشَّنارُ والتهتيكُ

    For, by my life, Hatim would be no match

    For you, were it not for infamy and scandalous exposure.

  3. أنت شيخٌ عطاؤه حيوانٌ

    إذ عطاياهُمُ الجمادُ السبيكُ

    You are an old man whose gifts are living beings,

    Whereas their gifts are lifeless, cast metal.

  4. يا ضعيفاً في رأسه ألفُ قرنٍ

    عدداً كلُّها غليظٌ سميك

    O weakling, with a thousand horns upon his head,

    In number, each one thick and stout.

  5. يا فتى حينَ يلبسُ الكشخَ غرَّ

    وبه دون فلْسِهِ تحنيك

    O youth, naïve when donning cuckoldry,

    And his worldly wisdom is worth less than his penny.

  6. لم تزل نسوةٌ لديه قِراهُ

    منذ ناغَى ثُديَّها التفليك

    Women have always been his guests' fare,

    Since roundness cooed to their breasts.

  7. ليمَ في أختِه فقال مجيباً

    تِلك نعلٌ وحقُّها التشريك

    Reproached over his sister, he answered:

    “She is a sandal: her due is strapping—and sharing.”

  8. منحَ اللَّه جدَّةَ الشُّركِ الشي

    خَ ولا انفكَّ ذلك التفكيك

    May God grant fresh sandal-straps to the old

    man, and may that unfastening never cease.

  9. هكذا يفضحُ الرجالُ لعمري

    وكذا يحلمُ السفيهُ الركيك

    Thus men are disgraced, by my life,

    And thus the feeble fool shows forbearance.

  10. ولقد لامها فأربت عليه

    ورُقاهُ في مثلها لا تُحيك

    And he did reproach her, but she outdid him,

    And his incantations have no effect on one like her.

  11. قال ما لي متى حَبِلتِ فقالت

    لك لطمٌ أخفُّهُ التتريك

    He said, “What do I get when you conceive?” She replied:

    “Slaps for you, the mildest a Turkish-style blow.”

  12. تلك أختٌ فمَنْ بلاكَ بعرسٍ

    قل لنا أيها السمين الوديك

    That is a sister—so who afflicted you with a wife?

    Tell us, you fat, greasy fellow.

  13. بع بُناناً فأنت عنها غنيٌّ

    إنما يقتني الدجاجة ديك

    Sell Bunan: you have no need of her.

    Only a cock keeps a hen.

  14. لا وجُردانِكَ المُطلِّ عليه

    ذلك البطنُ لا استطعتَ تنيك

    No! By your prick, over which

    That belly looms—may you never manage to fuck.

  15. ومحالٌ قبول عِرسكَ منك ال

    خسف ما لم يَشْركك فيها شريك

    And your wife cannot accept from you the

    humiliation, unless a partner shares her with you.

  16. مَلكَتها الفحولُ دونك يا شي

    خُ جهاراً ولم يقع تمليك

    The studs have possessed her instead of you, O old

    man, openly, with no transfer of ownership.

  17. ليُبرِّد حشاكَ أن شواها

    فوق أعناقهم وأنت المليك

    Let this cool your innards: her limbs

    Are above their necks, while you are the king.

  18. وليسكِّنْ جواك إذ حلقَتْهُ

    أنْ سيدمي خُصاهُمُ التشويك

    And let this soothe your anguish, since she shaved it:

    The prickly stubble will make their testicles bleed.

  19. قد صدقناك عن بُنانك يا شي

    خُ فلا يستفزَّك التشكيك

    We have told you the truth about your Bunan, O old

    man; so do not let doubt unsettle you.

  20. كلَّ يومٍ لها بغيرك عُرسٌ

    لك منه الدعاء والتبريك

    Every day she has a wedding with someone other than you;

    Your share of it is prayers and blessings.

  21. ولماذا تردُّها عن هواها

    جثةٌ فَدْمةٌ وعقلٌ نهيك

    And why would you turn her from her desire—

    A sluggish body and an enfeebled mind,

  22. وقرونٌ يسير في سَمكها القم

    لُ حِثاثاً والسير حَوْلٌ دكيك

    And horns in whose height the lice travel

    Swiftly, the journey taking a whole year?

  23. هي في شأنها وأنت فريدٌ

    في هوانٍ ضجيعك التدليكُ

    She goes about her business, while you are alone,

    In humiliation, with self-rubbing for your bedfellow.

  24. يا ثقيلَ القرونِ يا جبلَ العا

    رِ أما يستفزك التحريكُ

    O heavy-horned one, O mountain of shame,

    Does shaking not rouse you?