تُعاتِبُنيshe reproaches me عِرسيmy wife عَلىwith a view to أَنthat أُطيعَهاI obey her
تُعاتِبُني عِرسي عَلى أَن أُطيعَها
لَقَدindeed كَذَبَتهاdeceived her نَفسُهاher own soul ماwhat تَمَنَّتِshe wished for
لَقَد كَذَبَتها نَفسُها ما تَمَنَّتِ
My wife reproaches me, insisting that I obey her.
My wife reproaches me so that I will obey her;
Her own soul has surely deceived her in what she wished for.
indeed, her own soul has deceived her in what she wished for.
وَظَنَّتand she thought بِأَنّيthat I كُلَّماwhenever رَضَيَتshe was pleased بِهِwith it
وَظَنَّت بِأَنّي كُلَّما رَضَيَت بِهِ
رَضِيتُI was pleased بِهِwith it ياoh جَهلَهاher ignorance كَيفَhow ظَنَّتِshe thought
رَضِيتُ بِهِ يا جَهلَها كَيفَ ظَنَّتِ
She imagined that whatever pleased her,
And she thought that whenever she was pleased with something,
would please me too—how ignorant she is! How could she think it?
I would be pleased with it—oh, her folly! How could she think so?
وَصاحَبتُهاand I kept her company ماin a way that لَوif صَحِبتُI kept company بِمثلِهِin a way like it
وَصاحَبتُها ما لَو صَحِبتُ بِمثلِهِ
عَلىdespite ذُعرِهاits fright أُروِيَّةًa female ibex لاطمَأَنَّتِit would surely have felt secure
عَلى ذُعرِها أُروِيَّةً لاطمَأَنَّتِ
I have lived with her so gently that, had I treated
And I kept her company in a way that, had I done the same
a frightened mountain gazelle the same way, it would surely have grown calm.
with a female ibex, despite its fright, it would surely have felt secure.
وَقَدand indeed غَرَّهاbeguiled her مِنّيfrom me عَلىdespite الشَيبِgray hair وَالبِلىand decline
وَقَد غَرَّها مِنّي عَلى الشَيبِ وَالبِلى
جُنونيmy madness بِهاfor her جُنَّتshe went mad حِياليbefore me وَخُنَّتِand she whimpered
جُنوني بِها جُنَّت حِيالي وَخُنَّتِ
What has misled her about me, despite my gray hair and decline,
And what beguiled her in me, despite gray hair and decline,
is my infatuation with her: she raves at me and whines.
was my madness for her—she went mad before me and whimpered.
وَلاand no ذَنبَfault ليis mine قَدalready قُلتُI said فيat بَدءِthe beginning أَمرِناof our affair
وَلا ذَنبَ لي قَد قُلتُ في بَدءِ أَمرِنا
وَلَوand if عَلِمَتshe knew ماwhat عُلِّمَتshe was taught ماnot تَعَيِّتِshe became perplexed
وَلَو عَلِمَت ما عُلِّمَت ما تَعَيِّتِ
I am not to blame; I said so at the very outset of our life together.
And I am not to blame; I spoke at the beginning of our affair,
Had she understood what she was taught, she would not have been at a loss.
and had she understood what she was taught, she would not have been perplexed.
تَشَكّىshe complains إِلىto جاراتِهاher female neighbors وَبَناتِهاand her daughters
تَشَكّى إِلى جاراتِها وَبَناتِها
إِذاwhen لَمnot تَجِدshe finds ذَنباًa fault عَلَيناagainst us تَجَنَّتِshe fabricates accusations
إِذا لَم تَجِد ذَنباً عَلَينا تَجَنَّتِ
She takes her complaints to her neighbors and daughters.
She complains to her neighbors and her daughters;
Whenever she finds no fault in us, she invents one.
when she finds no fault in us, she invents one.
أَلَمdid not تَعلَميyou know أَنّيthat I إِذاwhen خِفتُI feared جَفوَةًcold treatment
أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنّي إِذا خِفتُ جَفوَةً
بِمَنزِلَةٍat a dwelling أَبعَدتُI took far away عَنهاfrom it مَطيَّتيmy mount
بِمَنزِلَةٍ أَبعَدتُ عَنها مَطيَّتي
Do you not know that whenever I fear a cold reception
Did you not know that, when I fear cold treatment
at a stopping place, I drive my mount far away from it?
at a dwelling, I take my mount far away from it?
وَإِنّيand indeed I إِذاwhen شَقَّتshe made things difficult عَليَّfor me قَرينَتيmy wife
وَإِنّي إِذا شَقَّت عَليَّ قَرينَتي
ذَهَلتُI became heedless وَلَمand did not أَحنِنI yearn إِذاwhen هيَshe حَنَّتِshe yearned
ذَهَلتُ وَلَم أَحنِن إِذا هيَ حَنَّتِ
And whenever my wife makes life hard for me,
And indeed, when my wife makes things hard for me,
I turn away and do not yearn, even when she yearns.
I put her out of mind and do not yearn when she yearns.
