1. تَحَسَّسُ عَنّي أُمُّ سَكنٍ وَأَهوَنُ الش

    شَكاةِ شِفاءً ظِنَّةُ المُتَحَسِّسِ

    Umm Sakan seeks news of me; and the easiest

    ailment to cure is the inquirer's suspicion.

  2. وَلَيسَت بوَكباءِ الصِدارِ إِذا مَشَت

    تَوَكَّنُ مَشيَ الكَودَنِ المُتَحَبِّسِ

    And she is no grimy-bodiced woman who, when she walks,

    shuffles with the gait of a balking packhorse,

  3. لَها وَلجَةٌ في كُلِّ بَيتٍ وَخَرجَةٌ

    تَحَكُّكَ جَنبِ الأَجرَبِ المُتَمَرِّسِ

    going into and out of every house,

    like a mangy beast rubbing its flank.

  4. وَلَكِنَّها زَهواءُ جُمٌّ عِظامُها

    كَحٌقِّيَّةِ الرَيطِ الَّتي لَم تُدَنَّسِ

    But she is proud, with smoothly rounded bones,

    like fine cloth kept in a casket, never soiled.

  5. مِنَ المُمسِكاتِ لا تُرى غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

    مَتّى حانَ يَوماً زينَةُ الناسِ تَلبَسِ

    Among the self-restrained, she is unseen, except that

    when a day for people's finery comes, she dresses up.