طَلَبَتْ ضَحِيَّتَها فقلتُ مُغَالِطاً

طَلَبَتْ ضَحِيَّتَها فقلتُ مُغَالِطاً

هُوَ مَوْسِمُ الجَزَّارِ لا الورَّاقِ

هُوَ مَوْسِمُ الجَزَّارِ لا الورَّاقِ

She asked for her sacrificial animal, so I said, equivocating:

She asked for her prey, so I said, deceiving,

'It is the butcher's season, not the stationer's.'

"This is the butcher's season, not the stationer's."

قَالتْ فَيا وَرَّاقُ لا وَصْلٌ إذاً

قَالتْ فَيا وَرَّاقُ لا وَصْلٌ إذاً

سَيَفُكُّ هذا القولُ مِنك لِصَاقي

سَيَفُكُّ هذا القولُ مِنك لِصَاقي

She said, 'O Warraq, no union, then!

She said, "Oh, stationer, then there'll be no binding."

This remark will unglue me from you.

This saying will split from you, adhesive.

حَتَّامَ تَعملُ لي دُسُوتاً لَمْ تَزَلْ

حَتَّامَ تَعملُ لي دُسُوتاً لَمْ تَزَلْ

مَصْقُولَةً بِخدِيعةٍ وَنفاقِ

مَصْقُولَةً بِخدِيعةٍ وَنفاقِ

How long will you make me quires that have always

Until you make ledgers for me that never

been polished with deceit and hypocrisy?

Cease to be burnished with guile and hypocrisy,

وإلامَ تكسرُ لي دَفاتِرَ ليسَ لي

وإلامَ تكسرُ لي دَفاتِرَ ليسَ لي

مِن حَاصِلٍ فِيها ولامن بَاقِ

مِن حَاصِلٍ فِيها ولامن بَاقِ

And how long will you fold notebooks for me, when I have no

Or else you'll tear up ledgers where I have

proceeds in them, nor any balance?'

No proceeds in them nor anything left,

قُلتُ البَياضُ أَجَلُّ لَونٍ فَاسألي

قُلتُ البَياضُ أَجَلُّ لَونٍ فَاسألي

قَالتْ ولا هذا على الإطلاقِ

قَالتْ ولا هذا على الإطلاقِ

I said, 'Whiteness is the noblest color—so ask.'

I said, "Whiteness is the noblest color, so ask"--

She said, 'Nor is that true without qualification.'

She said, "Not even that, absolutely."