بِأَبي وَإِن حَسُنَت لَهُ بِأَبي

بِأَبي وَإِن حَسُنَت لَهُ بِأَبي

مَن لَيسَ يَعرِفُ غَيرَ ما أَرَبي

مَن لَيسَ يَعرِفُ غَيرَ ما أَرَبي

My father be his ransom—even if “my father be his ransom” befits him—

By my father, though she is good to him, by my father

He who knows nothing but what I desire.

One who knows no other but what I have nurtured

قَرطَستُ عَشراً في مَوَدَّتِهِ

قَرطَستُ عَشراً في مَوَدَّتِهِ

في مِثلِها مِن سُرعَةِ الطَلَبِ

في مِثلِها مِن سُرعَةِ الطَلَبِ

I hit the mark ten times in winning his affection,

For ten years I courted her love

In as many attempts, so swift was the pursuit.

In pursuit as swift as this

وَلَقَد أَراني لَو وَقَفتُ يَدي

وَلَقَد أَراني لَو وَقَفتُ يَدي

شَهرَينِ أَرمي الأَرضَ لَم أُصِبِ

شَهرَينِ أَرمي الأَرضَ لَم أُصِبِ

And indeed I reckon, were I to steady my hand

And truly he saw, had I stayed my hand

For two months, shooting at the ground, I would not hit it.

Two moons, though I rained the earth, I'd not hit