للَهto God, expressing wonder أعينناour eyes وهنّand they منfrom الخدىunclear in the supplied text
للَه أعيننا وهنّ من الخدى
وطفٌlong-lashed بدُفّاعِwith torrents of الدموعtears غِصاصُchoked
وطفٌ بدُفّاعِ الدموع غِصاصُ
God bless our eyes, which, from [an unclear word],
Our eyes are for God, though they are worn by love's ardour,
To God belong our eyes, weary from sleeplessness, heavy-lashed and choking on gushing tears.
are long-lashed and choked with torrents of tears.
And tears flow copiously to bathe our eyelids.
They journeyed Levantine-bound away from you, yet their ruins and courtyards in Karkh remain fair.
سارواthey departed شآميينَSyria-bound عنكaway from you وأحسنتand did well
ساروا شآميينَ عنك وأحسنت
بالكرخِin al-Karkh منهمof theirs دِمنةٌa ruined campsite وعِراصُand open grounds
بالكرخِ منهم دِمنةٌ وعِراصُ
They left you, Syria-bound, and 'did well' [sense unclear];
They went northwards, leaving you, though you treated them kindly,
A sweet scent called you to a pearl, for whose sake the diver endures harsh destruction.
in al-Karkh, a ruined campsite and open grounds of theirs.
A few remained in al-Karkh, humbled and downcast.
Oh, the misery of Zunbur! Betrayed by a yellowness the hunter spotted in the grazing field.
ودعاكَand summoned you ريحٌa breeze طيّبٌsweet فيin درّةٍa pearl
ودعاكَ ريحٌ طيّبٌ في درّةٍ
قاسيendured, reading uncertain الردىdeath فيin أثرهاits pursuit الغَوّاصُthe diver
قاسي الردى في أثرها الغَوّاصُ
And a sweet breeze within a pearl summoned you;
A sweet wind summoned you in Darra,
He remembered his home and thought my rope on him was loose, attempting a sudden bucking escape.
in its pursuit, the diver braved death.
While the harsh sands beyond it drowned the diver.
Until the satire scorched his backside, and he saw that no salvation lay within his grasp.
ياO بؤسَwretchedness of زنبورِZanbur لهُhe has منof صُفرةٍyellowness
يا بؤسَ زنبورِ لهُ من صُفرةٍ
فيin المُسترادِthe ground being scouted رأىsaw لهاfor it القنّاصُthe hunter
في المُسترادِ رأى لها القنّاصُ
O wretched Zanbur, with his yellow pallor!
Woe for the wasp that saw a yellow flower
The crushing force bit into the wretch as if he were lead caught between the shears and the pincers.
On the scouted ground, the hunter watched for it [sense unclear].
In the meadow, sighted by the hunter!
If you regret the retribution, know that in the testicles of Muhalhil's sons, I find my due revenge.
ذكرhe recalled الديارَthe dwellings فظنّso he imagined فيin شَطنيtwo ropes, reading uncertain لهُbelonging to him
ذكر الديارَ فظنّ في شَطني لهُ
جِنحa wing or side تداركcatching up بينهُbetween him وقِماصُand bucking
جِنح تدارك بينهُ وقِماصُ
He recalled the dwellings, and imagined, in two ropes of his,
Remembering his home, he thought he saw wings for himself
And when adultery boils the pots of the Muhalhil clan, the verses of lechery within them are cheap.
a wing, catching up between him, and bucking [sense unclear].
In Shathniya that might save him from the falcon.
The daughters of Muhalhil sin from the front, while his sons—from behind—have covenanted to do the same.
حتىuntil إذاwhen حميgrew hot الهجاءُsatire علىupon استهِhis arse
حتى إذا حمي الهجاءُ على استهِ
ورأىand he realized بأنthat ماnot فيin يديهِhis two hands خلاصُescape
ورأى بأن ما في يديهِ خلاصُ
Until, when satire grew hot upon his arse,
But when the winds grew fierce against his will
They were born regarding wind from their rears as vital, wherein dried dung hangs in matted knots.
and he realized that escape was not in his hands—
He saw that what was in his hands was no salvation.
And if they lack for phalluses, they console themselves with fingertips; truly, they are ravenous.
والسحُand the saḥ, an unclear term عضَّbit الكيرجانthe kīrajān, an unclear term كأنّهas though it
والسحُ عضَّ الكيرجان كأنّه
بينbetween الشَباthe sharp edges والكلبتينand the tongs رصاصُlead
بين الشَبا والكلبتين رصاصُ
and the saḥ [unclear] bit the kīrajān [unclear], as though it
The torrent seized the bend in the river as though it were
What excellent masters have taken charge of Zunbur, on a day when a driver urges them on.
were lead between the sharp edges and the tongs.
Shot between sycamores and sandbanks.
A people who, in the secret rites of bastardy, possess a lineage that reaches the very stars.
فلئنso if indeed ندمتَyou regretted علىover القصاصِretaliation ففيthen in خِصاthe testicles of
فلئن ندمتَ على القصاصِ ففي خِصا
ولدِthe offspring of المُهلهلِal-Muhalhil منكagainst you ليfor me لقصاصُsurely revenge
ولدِ المُهلهلِ منك لي لقصاصُ
So if you regretted retaliation, then in the testicles
If you regret taking vengeance, through me
O Zunbur, look to see if any ally remains, for a bone-crushing lion has risen against you.
of al-Muhalhil's offspring lies sure revenge for me against you.
You can take vengeance on the whoreson of Muhallal.
Satire has departed leaving the face of your honor black, unless the plasterer whitewashes it for you.
وإذاand when الزناءُfornication غلاgrew costly قدورَthe cauldrons of مهلهلِMuhalhil
وإذا الزناءُ غلا قدورَ مهلهلِ
فيهنّwithin them أشعارُthe verses of الزناءِfornication رخاصُcheap
فيهنّ أشعارُ الزناءِ رخاصُ
And when fornication grows costly—Muhalhil's cauldrons:
When the adulterers stir the cauldrons of Muhallal
It polishes its verses upon the tongues of narrators, and remains a goad to spur the camels on.
within them, the verses of fornication are cheap.
In them are the marks of adultery, steaming hot.
يفجرنَthey fornicate منthrough قُبُلthe front genitals بناتُthe daughters of مهلهلMuhalhil
يفجرنَ من قُبُل بناتُ مهلهل
وبنوهُand his sons منthrough دُبُرٍthe anus بذاكَto that تواصواthey urged one another
وبنوهُ من دُبُرٍ بذاكَ تواصوا
Muhalhil's daughters fornicate through the front,
The daughters of Muhallal spew forth from the front,
and his sons through the rear; this they urge on one another.
While his sons penetrate them from behind.
نُتجواthey were born يرونَthey see الريحَthe wind منfrom استاههمُtheir arses
نُتجوا يرونَ الريحَ من استاههمُ
وبهاand on them منof الجعرِshit اليبيسِdried عقاصُplaits
وبها من الجعرِ اليبيسِ عقاصُ
They were born seeing wind come from their arses,
They couple shamelessly, seeing the wind as their pander,
and on them are plaits of dried shit.
Using the dried-up camel-thorn as a dildo.
وإذاand when همُthey فقدواlacked الأيورَcocks تعلّلواthey made do
وإذا همُ فقدوا الأيورَ تعلّلوا
بذُرىwith the tips of الأصابعthe fingers إنّهمindeed they لحراصُtruly eager
بذُرى الأصابع إنّهم لحراصُ
And when they lack cocks, they make do
When they lose their penis they make excuses,
with fingertips—indeed, they are eager.
Swearing by their fingers - what shameless folk!
نِعمhow fine are المواليthe patrons قدindeed تولّىtook into his care زنبراًZanbar
نِعم الموالي قد تولّى زنبراً
يوماًone day إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle نصّهمquestioned them thoroughly نصّاصُa thorough questioner
يوماً إذا ما نصّهم نصّاصُ
What fine patrons have indeed taken Zanbar into their care,
Good allies Muhallal chose for himself one day
one day, when a thorough questioner probes them!
When their defender gets his just deserts!
قومٌa people لهمthey have فيamong سرِّthe cream of أولادthe offspring of الزناfornication
قومٌ لهم في سرِّ أولاد الزنا
حسبٌancestral honor ينالُreaches الفرقدينthe two Farqad stars نصاصُtowering, sense uncertain
حسبٌ ينالُ الفرقدين نصاصُ
A people who, among the cream of bastard offspring, have
A people who can match the children of adultery,
towering ancestral honor reaching the two Farqad stars.
Rivals achieving full vengeance.
زنبورُZanbur فانظرso look هلwhether بقىremains لكَfor you مغرمٌa debt
زنبورُ فانظر هل بقى لكَ مغرمٌ
فلقدfor indeed سماrose لكagainst you ضيغمٌa lion قعصاصُinstantly lethal
فلقد سما لك ضيغمٌ قعصاصُ
Zanbur, look: does any debt remain for you?
Wasp, look and see if you have a lover left,
For a lion that kills outright has risen against you.
For Zigham has poured for you a brimful cup.
رحلdeparted الهجاءُsatire بوجهwith the face of عِرضِكَyour honor أسوداًblack
رحل الهجاءُ بوجه عِرضِكَ أسوداً
إنif لمnot يبيّضهُwhitens it لكfor you الجصّاصُthe plasterer
إن لم يبيّضهُ لك الجصّاصُ
Satire has left the face of your honor black,
Satire went away with your honour darkened,
unless the plasterer whitewashes it for you.
Only whitewash will restore it.
تجلوreveals بألسنةِby the tongues of الرواةِthe reciters نشيدهاits chant
تجلو بألسنةِ الرواةِ نشيدها
وتظلّand keep on واخذةٌstriding, reading uncertain لحضّin response to urging قِلاصُyoung she-camels
وتظلّ واخذةٌ لحضّ قِلاصُ
Its chant is brought to light by the tongues of reciters,
They chant its song on the tongues of the narrators,
and young she-camels keep striding in response to urging [reading uncertain].
While it remains firmly attached like a vermilion mark.
Partial English translation: 17 of 34 Arabic lines translated.