فَإِنّي كَما قالَت نَوارُ إِنِ اِجتَلَت

فَإِنّي كَما قالَت نَوارُ إِنِ اِجتَلَت

عَلى رَجُلٍ ما سَدَّ كَفَّي خَليلُها

عَلى رَجُلٍ ما سَدَّ كَفَّي خَليلُها

For I am as Nawar said, should she be unveiled

As Nawar said, if she inclines

before a man who could not fill her husband's two palms.

Toward a man whose friend shuts not his palms from her

وَإِن لَم تَكُن لي في الَّذي قُلتُ مِرَّةٌ

وَإِن لَم تَكُن لي في الَّذي قُلتُ مِرَّةٌ

فَدُلّيتُ في غَبراءَ يَنهالُ جولُها

فَدُلّيتُ في غَبراءَ يَنهالُ جولُها

And if there is no firmness in what I have said,

And if I spoke not truth that one time

then may I be lowered into a dusty grave whose sides crumble.

Then I was led into a dusty road where its mirages flow

فَما أَنا بِالنائي فَتُنفى قَرابَتي

فَما أَنا بِالنائي فَتُنفى قَرابَتي

وَلا باطِلٌ حَقّي الَّذي لا أُقيلُها

وَلا باطِلٌ حَقّي الَّذي لا أُقيلُها

For I am not so far removed that my kinship can be denied,

So I’m no outcast to deny my kinship

nor is my right void—the right from which I will not release her.

Nor void my right which I don’t forgo

وَلَكِنَّني المَولى الَّذي لَيسَ دونَهُ

وَلَكِنَّني المَولى الَّذي لَيسَ دونَهُ

وَلِيٌّ وَمَولى عُقدَةٌ مَن يُجيلُها

وَلِيٌّ وَمَولى عُقدَةٌ مَن يُجيلُها

But I am the kinsman, with no nearer

Rather I’m the Master with none above Him

guardian or kinsman—a knot: who can loosen it?

Protector and Master, a knot none can untie

فَدونَكَها يا اِبنَ الزُبَيرِ فَإِنَّها

فَدونَكَها يا اِبنَ الزُبَيرِ فَإِنَّها

مُوَلَّعَةٌ يوهي الحِجارَةَ قيلُها

مُوَلَّعَةٌ يوهي الحِجارَةَ قيلُها

So deal with her, O Ibn al-Zubayr, for she is

So leave her be, O son of Zubayr

a compulsive liar whose speech weakens stones.

For she is infatuated, hurling stones aimlessly

إِذا قَعَدَت عِندَ الإِمامِ كَأَنَّما

إِذا قَعَدَت عِندَ الإِمامِ كَأَنَّما

تَرى رِفقَةً مِن ساعَةٍ تَستَحيلُها

تَرى رِفقَةً مِن ساعَةٍ تَستَحيلُها

When she sits before the imam, it is as though

When she sits by the Imam it's as though

she sees a band of travelers she can win over in a moment.

She sees a group in an hour transformed

وَما خاصَمَ الأَقوامَ مِن ذي خُصومَةٍ

وَما خاصَمَ الأَقوامَ مِن ذي خُصومَةٍ

كَوَرهاءَ مَشنوءٌ إِلَيها حَليلُها

كَوَرهاءَ مَشنوءٌ إِلَيها حَليلُها

And no disputant has ever wrangled with people

None disputed people with grievance

like a foolish woman whose husband is hateful to her.

Like a love-sick camel yearning towards her

فَإِنَّ أَبا بَكرٍ إِمامَكِ عالِمٌ

فَإِنَّ أَبا بَكرٍ إِمامَكِ عالِمٌ

بِتَأويلِ ما وَصّى العِبادَ رَسولُها

بِتَأويلِ ما وَصّى العِبادَ رَسولُها

For Abu Bakr, your imam, knows

Indeed, your Imam Abu Bakr is a scholar

the interpretation of what her Messenger enjoined upon the servants.

In interpreting what the Messenger enjoined on His servants

وَظَلماءَ مِن جَرّا نَوارٍ سَرَيتُها

وَظَلماءَ مِن جَرّا نَوارٍ سَرَيتُها

وَهاجِرَةٍ دَوِّيَّةٍ ما أُقيلُها

وَهاجِرَةٍ دَوِّيَّةٍ ما أُقيلُها

And many a dark night I traversed on Nawar's account,

And I sheltered her darkness from Anwar's radiance

and a scorching noontide in the wilderness, through which I took no rest.

And Hajira's, never did I let it go

جَعَلنا عَلَيها دونَها مِن ثِيابِنا

جَعَلنا عَلَيها دونَها مِن ثِيابِنا

تَظاليلَ حَتّى زالَ عَنها أَصيلُها

تَظاليلَ حَتّى زالَ عَنها أَصيلُها

We spread over her, against that heat, some of our garments

Making our garments into shades over her

as awnings, until its late-afternoon sun had left her.

Until her roots were rid of their origins

تَرى مِن تَلَظّيها الظِباءَ كَأَنَّها

تَرى مِن تَلَظّيها الظِباءَ كَأَنَّها

مُوَقَّفَةٌ تَغشى القُرونَ وُعولُها

مُوَقَّفَةٌ تَغشى القُرونَ وُعولُها

From its blazing heat, you see the gazelles as though

You see her darkness so intense as if

held motionless, while its ibex crowd the horn-like peaks.

She is halted, covering generations and their howls

نَصَبتُ لَها وَجهي وَحَرفاً كَأَنَّها

نَصَبتُ لَها وَجهي وَحَرفاً كَأَنَّها

أَتانُ فَلاةٍ خَفَّ عَنها ثَميلُها

أَتانُ فَلاةٍ خَفَّ عَنها ثَميلُها

I set my face and a hardy she-camel against it, as though she were

I set my face toward her, words that seem

a she-ass of the wilderness, her belly's burden grown light.

As if she is a camel of the desert whose guide disappeared from her

إِذا عَسَفَت أَنفاسُها في تَنوفَةٍ

إِذا عَسَفَت أَنفاسُها في تَنوفَةٍ

تَقَطَّعَ دونَ المُحصَناتِ سَحيلُها

تَقَطَّعَ دونَ المُحصَناتِ سَحيلُها

When her breaths stray across a trackless waste,

When her breaths grow disorderly in her craze

her braying breaks off before reaching the mated she-asses.

Her forelocks fall short of the chaste women’s trails

تُرى مِثلَ أَنضاءِ السُيوفِ مِنَ السُرى

تُرى مِثلَ أَنضاءِ السُيوفِ مِنَ السُرى

جَراشِعَةَ الأَجوازِ يَنجو رَعيلُها

جَراشِعَةَ الأَجوازِ يَنجو رَعيلُها

They look like bare sword-blades, worn thin by night travel,

You see her as the blades of swords from scabbards

broad through the middle; their leading file races on.

Removing veils, her progeny barely survives