لَعَمرُby the life of أَبيكَyour father وَالأَنباءُand the tidings تُنمىare passed on
لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ وَالأَنباءُ تُنمى
لَنِعمَtruly, excellent is الجارُthe protector أُختُthe sister of بَنيthe sons of عُواراʿUwār
لَنِعمَ الجارُ أُختُ بَني عُوارا
By your father's life—and tidings are passed on—
Truly, a fine protector is the sister of Banū ʿUwār!
مِنamong الحَفَراتِthe pits (apparently a typo for 'the modest women') لَمdid not تَفضَحdisgrace أَباهاher father
مِن الحَفَراتِ لَم تَفضَح أَباها
وَلَمand did not تَرفَعbring لِإِخَوتِهاupon her brothers شَناراshame
وَلَم تَرفَع لِإِخَوتِها شَنارا
One of the modest women, she did not disgrace her father,
Nor did she bring shame upon her brothers.
كَأَنَّas though مَجامِعَthe gathered masses الأَردافِthe buttocks مِنهاof her
كَأَنَّ مَجامِعَ الأَردافِ مِنها
نَقىًa sand dune دَرَجَتpassed عَلَيهِover it الريحُthe wind هاراcrumbling
نَقىً دَرَجَت عَلَيهِ الريحُ هارا
It is as though the gathered fullness of her buttocks
Were a crumbling sand dune over which the wind has passed.
يَعافُshuns وِصالَintimacy with ذاتِa woman of البَذلِfreely giving herself قَلبيmy heart
يَعافُ وِصالَ ذاتِ البَذلِ قَلبي
وَيَتَّبِعُand pursues المُمَنَّعَةَthe well-guarded woman النواراthe chaste one
وَيَتَّبِعُ المُمَنَّعَةَ النوارا
My heart shuns intimacy with a woman who freely offers herself,
And pursues the well-guarded, chaste woman.
وَماand did not عَجِزَتprove helpless فَكيهَةُFakīhah يَومَon the day قامَتshe stood
وَما عَجِزَت فَكيهَةُ يَومَ قامَت
بِنَصلِwith the blade of السَيفِthe sword وَاِستَلَبواand they snatched away الخِماراthe headscarf
بِنَصلِ السَيفِ وَاِستَلَبوا الخِمارا
And Fakīhah did not prove helpless on the day she stood
With the sword's blade, while they snatched away the headscarf.