لما خطبتُ إلى خليعةَ نفسها

لما خطبتُ إلى خليعةَ نفسها

قالت خليعة ما أرى لك ما لا

قالت خليعة ما أرى لك ما لا

When I asked Khulayʿah herself to marry me,

When I asked Khali‘ah herself for her hand,

Khulayʿah said, “I see that you have no wealth.”

Khali‘ah said, “I see you have no wealth.”

أودى بمالي يا خليعُ تكرُّمي

أودى بمالي يا خليعُ تكرُّمي

وتخرُّقي وتحمُّلي الأثقالا

وتخرُّقي وتحمُّلي الأثقالا

“My wealth was consumed, O Khulayʿah, by my generosity,

“My generosity has consumed my wealth, O Khali‘,

my lavish spending, and my shouldering of heavy burdens.

and my extravagance and my shouldering of heavy burdens.

إني وجدِّكِ لو شهدتِ مواقفي

إني وجدِّكِ لو شهدتِ مواقفي

بالسفحِ يومَ أُجِلّل الأبطالا

بالسفحِ يومَ أُجِلّل الأبطالا

Truly, by your forefather, had you witnessed my stands in battle

Indeed, by your good fortune, had you witnessed my stands in battle

on the mountainside, the day I shrouded the champions,

on the slope, the day I cloaked the champions

سيفي لسرَّكِ أن تكوني خادماً

سيفي لسرَّكِ أن تكوني خادماً

عندي إذا كرهِ الكماةُ نِزالا

عندي إذا كرهِ الكماةُ نِزالا

my sword would surely have made you glad to become a servant

with my sword, you would have been glad to be a servant

in my household, when even armored warriors shrank from combat.”

at my side, when armored warriors dreaded combat.”