أُلامُ عَلى بُغضي لِما بَينَ حَيَّةٍ

أُلامُ عَلى بُغضي لِما بَينَ حَيَّةٍ

وَضَبعٍ وَتِمساحٍ تَغَشّاكَ مِن بَحرِ

وَضَبعٍ وَتِمساحٍ تَغَشّاكَ مِن بَحرِ

I am blamed for hating what lies between a snake

I grieve for hating what's between viper

and a hyena and a crocodile that overwhelmed you from the sea.

And hyena, crocodile deceiving you from the sea

تُحاكي نَعيماً زالَ في قُبحِ وَجهِها

تُحاكي نَعيماً زالَ في قُبحِ وَجهِها

وَصَفحَتُها لَمّا بَدَت سَطوَةُ الدَهرِ

وَصَفحَتُها لَمّا بَدَت سَطوَةُ الدَهرِ

She resembles Naʿīm Zāl in the ugliness of her face,

Feigning bliss gone in its ugly face

and her cheek, when it appeared, was time’s onslaught.

And its page turned when tyranny of fate appeared

هِيَ الضَرَبانُ في المَفاصِلِ خالِياً

هِيَ الضَرَبانُ في المَفاصِلِ خالِياً

وَشُعبَةُ بِرسامٍ ضَمَمتَ إِلى النَحرِ

وَشُعبَةُ بِرسامٍ ضَمَمتَ إِلى النَحرِ

She is the throbbing in the joints when you are alone,

It's cutting joints while empty

and an offshoot of pleurisy you have clasped against your chest.

And a branch with painter who squeezed to the throat

إِذا سَفَرَت كانَت لِعَينَيكَ سُخنَةً

إِذا سَفَرَت كانَت لِعَينَيكَ سُخنَةً

وَإِن بُرقِعَت فَالقَفرُ في غايَةِ القَفرِ

وَإِن بُرقِعَت فَالقَفرُ في غايَةِ القَفرِ

When she unveils, she is a burning grief to your eyes;

When she traveled she was smelly for your eyes

and if she is veiled, she is a barren waste at its most desolate.

And if she's veiled, barrenness is extremely barren

وَإِن حَدَّثَت كانَت جَميعَ مَصائِبِ

وَإِن حَدَّثَت كانَت جَميعَ مَصائِبِ

مُوَفَّرَةٍ تَأتي بِقاصِمَةِ الظَهرِ

مُوَفَّرَةٍ تَأتي بِقاصِمَةِ الظَهرِ

And if she speaks, she is a whole host of calamities,

And if she spoke, it was all misfortunes

in abundance, bringing a back-breaking blow.

Agonizing, breaking the back

حَديثٌ كَقَلعِ الضِرسِ أَو نَتفَ شارِبٍ

حَديثٌ كَقَلعِ الضِرسِ أَو نَتفَ شارِبٍ

وَغُنجٌ كَحَطمِ الأَنفِ عيلَ بِهِ صَبري

وَغُنجٌ كَحَطمِ الأَنفِ عيلَ بِهِ صَبري

Her talk is like pulling a molar or plucking a mustache,

Talk like tearing a molar or plucking a moustache

and her coquetry is like crushing the nose—my patience is exhausted by it.

And nonsense like breaking the nose, my patience bore it

وَتَفتَرُّ عَن قُلحٍ عَدِمتُ حَديثَها

وَتَفتَرُّ عَن قُلحٍ عَدِمتُ حَديثَها

وَعَن جَبَلَي طَيٍّ وَعَن هَرَمي مِصرِ

وَعَن جَبَلَي طَيٍّ وَعَن هَرَمي مِصرِ

And she grins, baring yellowed teeth—may I be spared her talk!—

And she pretends to be toothless, I lacked her talk

and the two mountains of Ṭayy, and the two pyramids of Egypt.

And of Mountain Tai and pyramids of Egypt