فاقبلوا نحوي معاً بالقنا

فاقبلوا نحوي معاً بالقنا

وكلهم يسأل ما شاني

وكلهم يسأل ما شاني

So they came toward me together, bearing spears,

Come together toward me all at once with spears

and all of them asked what was the matter with me.

And they all ask what my affair is

فقلت شأني كله أنني

فقلت شأني كله أنني

في تعبٍ من لفظ جرداني

في تعبٍ من لفظ جرداني

So I said: my whole trouble is that I

So I said my whole affair is that

am worn out by my penis's utterance.

I'm exhausted by naked words that have worn me out

يا ابن سليمٍ أنت لي عصمةٌ

يا ابن سليمٍ أنت لي عصمةٌ

من حدثٍ أفزع جيراني

من حدثٍ أفزع جيراني

O son of Salim, you are my protection

O son of Sulaym, you are my protection

from a calamity that terrified my neighbors.

From an event that startled my neighbors

فقد رماني الدهر عن فقره

فقد رماني الدهر عن فقره

بسهم فقرٍ غير لغبان

بسهم فقرٍ غير لغبان

For Time has shot me, out of his poverty,

For time has cast me out from its poverty

with an unwearying arrow of poverty.

With the arrow of poverty that is no deceiver

صار فؤادي بعدما قد سلا

صار فؤادي بعدما قد سلا

فصرت كالمقتبل العاني

فصرت كالمقتبل العاني

My heart changed after it had found solace,

My heart became tranquil after having raged

so I became like a young captive.

So I became like one greeting the outcast

فانعش فدتك النفس مني ومن

فانعش فدتك النفس مني ومن

أطاعني من جل إخواني

أطاعني من جل إخواني

So revive me—may my life ransom you, and that of whoever

So revive, your soul ransoms me, and from

obeys me among my foremost brethren.

Whichever of my eminent brothers obeys me

وهب فدتك النفس لي طفلةً

وهب فدتك النفس لي طفلةً

يقمع حسرها رأس شيطاني

يقمع حسرها رأس شيطاني

And give me—may my life ransom you—a tender maiden

And your soul grants me, ransoms for me a lad

whose nakedness subdues my devil's head.

Who will repress his sorrow with the head of my devil

فإن قد عتا واعتدى

فإن قد عتا واعتدى

وصار يبغي بغية الزاني

وصار يبغي بغية الزاني

For if he has grown insolent and transgressed,

For he has rebelled and transgressed

and begun to seek what an adulterer seeks,

And desires the yearning of the adulterer

فاللَه ثم اللَه في قمعه

فاللَه ثم اللَه في قمعه

من قبل أن أمني بسلطان

من قبل أن أمني بسلطان

then, for God's sake—again, for God's sake—subdue him,

By Allah, then by Allah in suppressing him

before I am afflicted by a ruler

Before I wish with authority

يتركني أضحوكةً بعدما

يتركني أضحوكةً بعدما

أضرب في سرٍّ وإعلان

أضرب في سرٍّ وإعلان

who leaves me a laughingstock after

Leaving me a laughingstock after having

I am beaten in secret and in public.

Struck in secret and openly

أحصني اللَه بكفي فتىً

أحصني اللَه بكفي فتىً

مهذب من سر قحطان

مهذب من سر قحطان

May God keep me chaste through the hands of a young man,

May Allah protect me with your hands, O youth

refined, from the noblest stock of Qahtan,

Well-mannered from the lineage of Qahtan

من حمير أهل السدى والندى

من حمير أهل السدى والندى

وعصمة الخائف والجاني

وعصمة الخائف والجاني

of Himyar, people of bounty and generosity,

From the donkeys of the people of perversion and deviation

and a refuge for the fearful and the offender.

And protection of the fearful and the criminal

يا خير خلق اللَه أنت الذي

يا خير خلق اللَه أنت الذي

أيأست من فسقي شيطاني

أيأست من فسقي شيطاني

O best of God's creation, you are the one who

O best of Allah's creation, you are the one

made my devil give up hope of my debauchery.

From whose corruption my devil despaired