أَنُحتُ جَهلاً وَقَد ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

أَنُحتُ جَهلاً وَقَد ناحَت مُطَوَّقَةٌ

مِنَ الحَمامِ عَلى خَضراءَ مَقلودَه

مِنَ الحَمامِ عَلى خَضراءَ مَقلودَه

Did I lament in ignorance, while a ring-necked dove had wailed

Do I carve ignorance when a dovecote has lamented

among the doves, upon a garlanded green tree?

Over a green perch her chicks taken away?

قامَت على الناعِمِ الأَملودِ هاتِفَةً

قامَت على الناعِمِ الأَملودِ هاتِفَةً

وَما تُشاقُ إِلى بَيضاءَ أُملودَه

وَما تُشاقُ إِلى بَيضاءَ أُملودَه

She stood on the tender, supple bough, calling out,

She stood calling in the gentle, hushed night

yet she feels no longing for a fair, slender maiden.

Yet does not yearn after her white-feathered offspring.

وَأُمُّ دَفرٍ لَعَمري شَرُّ والِدَةٍ

وَأُمُّ دَفرٍ لَعَمري شَرُّ والِدَةٍ

وَبِنتُها أُمَّ لَيلى شَرُّ مَولودَه

وَبِنتُها أُمَّ لَيلى شَرُّ مَولودَه

And Umm Dafr—the world—is, by my life, the worst of mothers,

By my life, the mother of Dafar is the worst mother,

and her daughter, Umm Layla—wine—the worst of offspring.

And her daughter, Umm Layla, the worst child birthed.

فَاِجلَد أَخاكَ عَلَيها إِن أَلَمَّ بِها

فَاِجلَد أَخاكَ عَلَيها إِن أَلَمَّ بِها

فَإِنَّها أَخَذَت وَاللُبَّ مَجلودَه

فَإِنَّها أَخَذَت وَاللُبَّ مَجلودَه

So flog your brother for it, if he partakes of it;

So urge your brother against her if she hurts him

for, even enclosed in a wineskin, it seized him and his mind.

For she has seized his heart, a heart skinned raw.