قُل للذي إن قُلتَ مَن يا فتى

قُل للذي إن قُلتَ مَن يا فتى

أبِن لنا قال ابنُ عمّارَه

أبِن لنا قال ابنُ عمّارَه

Tell him who, if you ask, 'Who are you, lad?

Say to the one who, if you ask, "Who is this lad?"

Tell us plainly,' replies, 'Ibn ʿAmmāra':

And say, "Declare yourself," replies, "I am Ibn Ammara."

أنتَ الذي جبينُكَ البدرُ

أنتَ الذي جبينُكَ البدرُ

للتمِّ وفي ثوبِكَ جُمّاره

للتمِّ وفي ثوبِكَ جُمّاره

You whose forehead is the moon

You are the one whose forehead is the full moon

At its full, with a palm-heart beneath your robe—

In its perfection, while inside your robe lies a tender palm heart.

يُنزلُ مَن صافحتَهُ لذّة

يُنزلُ مَن صافحتَهُ لذّة

للينِ كفّيكَ وللشّارَه

للينِ كفّيكَ وللشّارَه

Whoever you shake hands with ejaculates from delight

Whoever shakes your hand is struck by pleasure

At your palms' softness and your fine appearance.

From the softness of your palms and your fine attire.

وإن تولّي ذاهباً تضطرب

وإن تولّي ذاهباً تضطرب

خلفكَ مثل الدعصِ مَرمارَه

خلفكَ مثل الدعصِ مَرمارَه

And if you turn to leave, there quivers

And when you turn to walk away, there quivers

Behind you a plump rump, like a sand dune.

Behind you something like a sand dune, trembling soft.

فكيف لُقّبتَ وفيكَ الذي

فكيف لُقّبتَ وفيكَ الذي

فيكَ من الطيبِ بذُكّارَه

فيكَ من الطيبِ بذُكّارَه

So how were you nicknamed, with all

How then were you given such a nickname, when you possess

The sweetness in you, 'Dhukkāra'?

Such qualities of fragrance and masculinity?

فذاكَ ما أزرى بهِ عندهم

فذاكَ ما أزرى بهِ عندهم

وآفةٌ أخرى هي الكارَه

وآفةٌ أخرى هي الكارَه

For that is what lowered him in their eyes,

That is what diminished his standing in their eyes,

And another flaw is the bundle.

Along with another affliction: the heavy bundle.

هنا اغتفرنا لهمُ قيلهم

هنا اغتفرنا لهمُ قيلهم

تلقيبهم إيّاك صبّاره

تلقيبهم إيّاك صبّاره

At this we forgave them their words,

Here, we might have forgiven them their utterance,

Their nicknaming you 'Ṣabbāra.'

Their nicknaming you "Sabbara" [The Cactus],

فقلتَ هذا استي ولم تحتشم

فقلتَ هذا استي ولم تحتشم

ميمتُها واسعةُ الداره

ميمتُها واسعةُ الداره

Then you said, 'This is my arse,' without shame:

But you said, "This is my rear," without a shred of shame,

'Its mīm-shaped opening has a wide circumference.'

"Whose letter 'Meem' forms a wide, gaping circle."

يا هولي شبّبت معناهما

يا هولي شبّبت معناهما

جارَين في دارٍ وفي حارَه

جارَين في دارٍ وفي حارَه

Oh, my terror! I sang of the meaning of both—

Oh, what a shock! You brought together the meaning of them both,

Two neighbors in one house and one quarter.

Two neighbors dwelling in one house, in one lane.

تبارك اللَهُ وسبحانَه

تبارك اللَهُ وسبحانَه

ما أبعد الجارَ من الجارَه

ما أبعد الجارَ من الجارَه

Blessed be God, and glory be to Him!

Blessed be Allah, and glory be to Him,

How far the male neighbor is from the female!

How far removed is one neighbor from the other!