قُلsay لِاِسماعيلَto Ismail ذيpossessor of الخاthe mole (first fragment)
قُل لِاِسماعيلَ ذي الخا
لِmole (final fragment) عَلىupon الخَدِّthe cheek السِباعيbeast-like
لِ عَلى الخَدِّ السِباعي
Say to Ismail, bearer of the mole
Tell the bare-armed, whose cheek sports a beauty-mark,
Say to Ismail, he of the mole,
upon his beast-like cheek,
And tell the turbaned man who wears a cloak like a Kurd's,
That sits upon a beastly jowl,
وَلِذيand to the possessor of الهامَةِthe head قَدalready نُصwas set upright (first fragment)
وَلِذي الهامَةِ قَد نُص
صَتwas set upright (final fragment) عَلىupon مِثلِthe like of الكُراعِthe shank
صَت عَلى مِثلِ الكُراعِ
and to him whose head has been set upright
And tell the full-lipped one, whose mouth is ever laughing,
And he whose head is hoisted high,
upon something like a shank,
And tell the slender-armed, embraced in an embrace -
Atop a neck like a trotter dry,
وَلِذيand to the possessor of الثَغرِthe mouth الَّذيwhich يُطcloses (first fragment)
وَلِذي الثَغرِ الَّذي يُط
بِقُcloses (final fragment) بِالشَدقِwith the jaw التَساعيninefold
بِقُ بِالشَدقِ التَساعي
and to him whose mouth closes
Your chants were a feast for the voracious hyenas.
And he of the mouth that snaps so tight,
with its ninefold-wide jaw,
The cup was passed amongst you, with songs and music,
With jaws of a vast and gaping bite,
وَلِذيand to the possessor of الوَجعاءِthe sore backside مُفضاopening
وَلِذي الوَجعاءِ مُفضا
هاits ذِراعٌa cubit فيby ذِراعِa cubit
ها ذِراعٌ في ذِراعِ
and to him with the sore backside, whose opening
And you shared the darkness when you were prey for the beasts.
And he of the rear, that wide abyss,
is a cubit by a cubit:
A night when good old Abel was absent from your gathering,
A cubit square of openness,
كانَwas إِعراسُكَyour wedding طُعماًa meal
كانَ إِعراسُكَ طُعماً
لِشَواهينِfor the falcons of الجِياعِthe hungry
لِشَواهينِ الجِياعِ
Your wedding was a meal
Riding his camel till dawn's caller called.
Your celebration was a bait,
for the falcons of the hungry.
For starving hawks to congregate,
دارَتِwent round الكَأسُthe cup عَلَيكُمamong you
دارَتِ الكَأسُ عَلَيكُم
فيamid غِناءٍsinging وَسَماعِand listening to music
في غِناءٍ وَسَماعِ
The cup went round among you
The wine cup circled round the ring,
amid singing and music.
Amidst the music and the sing,
فَاِقتَسَمتُمso you divided up فيin الدُجىthe darkness إِذwhen
فَاِقتَسَمتُم في الدُجى إِذ
كُنتُمُyou were شاءَthe sheep of السِباعِthe beasts of prey
كُنتُمُ شاءَ السِباعِ
So you divided up in the darkness, when
You took your shares in darkness deep,
you were sheep for the beasts of prey—
When you became the lions' sheep,
لَيلَةًa night سُرَّwas delighted بِهاby it إِبIblis (first fragment)
لَيلَةً سُرَّ بِها إِب
ليسُIblis (final fragment) مِنكُمfrom you بِاِجتِماعِby gathering together
ليسُ مِنكُم بِاِجتِماعِ
a night in which Iblis was delighted
A night that brought the Devil cheer,
by your gathering together.
To see you all assembled here,
إِبِلٌcamels تُركَبُare ridden حَتّىuntil
إِبِلٌ تُركَبُ حَتّى
قامَrose لِلإِصباحِfor daybreak داعِa caller
قامَ لِلإِصباحِ داعِ
Camels being ridden until
Like camels ridden through the night,
a caller rose to herald daybreak.
Until the herald called the light.
Partial English translation: 9 of 18 Arabic lines translated.