حُبّى لِإِغناءِ سَوّارٍ يُجَشِّمُني

حُبّى لِإِغناءِ سَوّارٍ يُجَشِّمُني

خَوضَ الدُجى وَاِعتِسافَ المَهمَةِ البيدِ

خَوضَ الدُجى وَاِعتِسافَ المَهمَةِ البيدِ

My desire to make Sawwar wealthy compels me

My love for the songs of a necklace that pierces me

To plunge through night's darkness and cross the pathless, barren wastes,

Plunging into darkness and confessing the painful secret

كَي لا تَهونَ عَلى الأَعمامِ حاجَتهُ

كَي لا تَهونَ عَلى الأَعمامِ حاجَتهُ

وَلا يُعَلَّلَ عَنها بِالمَواعيدِ

وَلا يُعَلَّلَ عَنها بِالمَواعيدِ

So that his need will not be slighted by his paternal uncles,

So that it does not become easy for the uncles to refuse him

Nor he be put off with promises about it,

Or make excuses that cannot be kept

وَلا يُوَلّيهِمُ إِن جاءَ يَسأَلُها

وَلا يُوَلّيهِمُ إِن جاءَ يَسأَلُها

أَكتافَ مَعرَضَةٍ في العيسِ مَردودِ

أَكتافَ مَعرَضَةٍ في العيسِ مَردودِ

Nor, if he comes asking for it, show them

And so they do not turn their backs on him if he comes asking

The shoulders of one turned aside, rebuffed among the white camels.

With shoulders turned away, rejected in dire poverty

إِذا بَكى قالَ مِنهُم ذو الحِفاظِ لَهُ

إِذا بَكى قالَ مِنهُم ذو الحِفاظِ لَهُ

لَقَد بُليتَ بِخُلقٍ غَيرَ مَحمودِ

لَقَد بُليتَ بِخُلقٍ غَيرَ مَحمودِ

When he weeps, a man of honor among them says to him:

When he cries, the keeper says to him

“You have indeed been afflicted with an unpraiseworthy trait.”

You have truly been afflicted with undeserved misfortune