قلsay للسعيدto al-Saʿīd إذاwhen مررتyou pass ببابهby his door
قل للسعيد إذا مررت ببابه
وأزعفand lash out ليسمعso they may hear سائرall الجيرانthe neighbors
وأزعف ليسمع سائر الجيران
Tell al-Saʿīd, when you pass his door,
Say to the fortunate one when you pass by his door,
And lash out, so all the neighbors hear:
And make a sound so all the neighbors can hear,
إنif كنتyou are تمنعنيwithholding from me هديّةthe gift of واسطWāsiṭ
إن كنت تمنعني هديّة واسط
حقداout of spite وتوسعنيand you lavish upon me منof الحرمانdeprivation
حقدا وتوسعني من الحرمان
If you withhold from me the gift of Wāsiṭ
That if you deny me the gift of mediation out of spite,
Out of spite, and lavish deprivation upon me,
And expand me with deprivation,
فَلَكَمfor many a time حظيتI was favored بحرةwith a freeborn woman منfrom بيتكمyour household
فَلَكَم حظيت بحرة من بيتكم
أحلىsweeter منthan الآزافهāzāfa (uncertain term, possibly dates) والسيلانِand date syrup
أحلى من الآزافه والسيلانِ
For many a time I have enjoyed a freeborn woman from your household,
Then for how long have you enjoyed a tender woman from your home,
Sweeter than āzāfa and date syrup.
Sweeter than nectar and honey,
وظفرتُand I got hold ليلةَon the night زرتُهاI visited her بظفائرٍof braids
وظفرتُ ليلةَ زرتُها بظفائرٍ
زورٍfalse علىupon حُجرٍa lap منof الكتَّانِlinen
زورٍ على حُجرٍ من الكتَّانِ
And on the night I visited her, I got hold of braids—
And obtained on the night I visited, dirty pleasures,
False ones, upon a lap of linen.
Falsehood upon a cushion of linen.