ليَ عرسٌ حرّةٌ مملوكةٌ

ليَ عرسٌ حرّةٌ مملوكةٌ

حزتُها من غير مهرٍ وثمَن

حزتُها من غير مهرٍ وثمَن

I have a wife, freeborn yet owned.

I have a bride—a free woman, yet enslaved,

I acquired her without dowry or price.

Whom I acquired without dowry or price.

ثيّبٌ بكرٌ ومالي حيلةٌ

ثيّبٌ بكرٌ ومالي حيلةٌ

ولها خمسُ بناتٍ في قَرن

ولها خمسُ بناتٍ في قَرن

A nonvirgin, yet a virgin—and I have no recourse.

A matron yet a virgin—and I have no recourse,

And she has five daughters joined in one bond.

She possesses five daughters upon a single stem.

إن أصلها وصلت طائعةً

إن أصلها وصلت طائعةً

وإذا ما بنتُ عنها لم تبن

وإذا ما بنتُ عنها لم تبن

If I join her, she joins willingly.

If I reach for her, she joins obediently,

And when I part from her, she does not part.

Yet if I depart from her, she does not depart.

ضيقها والرَحب من منكحِها

ضيقها والرَحب من منكحِها

أحرزت والدهر في كفّ الخنَن

أحرزت والدهر في كفّ الخنَن

Her tightness and the breadth of her place of coupling

Her tightness and breadth define her embrace;

I have secured; and time is in the grasp of foulness [unclear wording].

She has preserved herself, while Time lies in the palm of decay.

وإذا بيض الغواني نعمةً

وإذا بيض الغواني نعمةً

مشنَ في الأذيالِ ماست في بَدَن

مشنَ في الأذيالِ ماست في بَدَن

And when fair-skinned beauties, in their luxury,

While fair, luxurious beauties,

Walk in trailing skirts, she sways in a short tunic.

Strut in trailing trains, she sways within a tunic.

ليس فيها ما يُرى من حرّةٍ

ليس فيها ما يُرى من حرّةٍ

من مالٍ غير لينٍ وَعكن

من مالٍ غير لينٍ وَعكن

She has none of what is seen in a freeborn woman

She bears nothing visible of a free woman,

By way of wealth, except softness and folds of flesh.

Of assets, save for softness and creases.

وهي في كدٍّ وكدح دائبٍ

وهي في كدٍّ وكدح دائبٍ

لا تشكى من عياءٍ وعنَن

لا تشكى من عياءٍ وعنَن

And she is at toil and ceaseless labor,

She is in constant toil and unceasing labor,

Not complaining of exhaustion or impotence.

Complaining neither of fatigue nor of trouble.

وترى الرشدَ ولا عين لها

وترى الرشدَ ولا عين لها

وكذا تسمع من غير أذن

وكذا تسمع من غير أذن

And she sees the right course, though she has no eye,

She perceives the right path, though she has no eye,

And likewise hears without an ear.

Just as she hears without an ear.

حيثُ ما حلتُ بها واقعتُها

حيثُ ما حلتُ بها واقعتُها

في خلاءٍ ومقامٍ وظعَن

في خلاءٍ ومقامٍ وظعَن

Wherever I alight with her, I have intercourse with her,

Wherever I settle with her, I engage her—

In solitude, at rest, and on the move.

In privacy, in residence, and in travel.

ثمّ لا تلحقني غيرَتُها

ثمّ لا تلحقني غيرَتُها

إن أنك من بين بُصرى وعدَن

إن أنك من بين بُصرى وعدَن

Then her jealousy does not pursue me,

Furthermore, no jealousy from her pursues me,

If I fuck anyone between Busra and Aden.

Even were I to wed anyone between Bosra and Aden.

يا لها من كنّةٍ يقنعُها

يا لها من كنّةٍ يقنعُها

كلّ ما يأتي به هذا الزمن

كلّ ما يأتي به هذا الزمن

What a daughter-in-law she is, satisfied by

Oh, what a consort! Content with

Whatever this age brings.

Whatever this age brings forth.