وَعاذِلَةٍ تَلومُ عَلى اِصطِفائي

وَعاذِلَةٍ تَلومُ عَلى اِصطِفائي

غُلاماً واضِحاً مِثلَ المَهاةِ

غُلاماً واضِحاً مِثلَ المَهاةِ

And a reproaching woman blames me for choosing

And a nagging scold who blames me for my choice

a fair youth, like a female oryx.

Of a radiant lad, fair as the wild oryx;

وَقالَت قَد حُرِمتَ وَلَم تُوَفَّق

وَقالَت قَد حُرِمتَ وَلَم تُوَفَّق

لِطيبِ هَوى وِصالِ الغانِياتِ

لِطيبِ هَوى وِصالِ الغانِياتِ

And she said, "You have been deprived and found no success

She said, "You are deprived, and have found no luck

in the sweet passion of union with beautiful women."

In the sweet passion of union with fair maidens."

فَقُلتُ لَها جَهِلتُ فَلَيسَ مِثلي

فَقُلتُ لَها جَهِلتُ فَلَيسَ مِثلي

يُخادِعُ نَفسَهُ بِالتُرَّهاتِ

يُخادِعُ نَفسَهُ بِالتُرَّهاتِ

So I said to her, "I was ignorant; for one like me does not

So I replied to her, "You are ignorant; for one such as I

deceive himself with nonsense.

Does not deceive himself with empty vanities."

أَأَختارُ البِحارَ عَلى البَراري

أَأَختارُ البِحارَ عَلى البَراري

وَأَحياناً عَلى ظَبيِ الفَلاةِ

وَأَحياناً عَلى ظَبيِ الفَلاةِ

Would I choose the seas over the wildernesses,

"Would I choose the seas over the open plains?

and sometimes over the gazelle of the desert?

Or prefer them, at times, to the desert gazelle?"

دَعيني لا تَلوميني فَإِنّي

دَعيني لا تَلوميني فَإِنّي

عَلى ما تَكرَهينَ إِلى المَماتِ

عَلى ما تَكرَهينَ إِلى المَماتِ

Leave me be; do not blame me, for I

"Leave me be, do not blame me, for I shall persist

shall hold to what you dislike until death.

In that which you abhor, until the day I die."

بِذا أَوصى كِتابُ اللَهِ فينا

بِذا أَوصى كِتابُ اللَهِ فينا

بِتَفضيلِ البَنينَ عَلى البَناتِ

بِتَفضيلِ البَنينَ عَلى البَناتِ

This is what God's Book prescribed for us:

"For thus has the Book of God enjoined upon us:

to favor sons over daughters."

To favor the sons over the daughters."