أَنَسيتَ صُحبَتِها وَمَن يَكُ مُقرِفاً

أَنَسيتَ صُحبَتِها وَمَن يَكُ مُقرِفاً

تُخرِج مُغَيَّبَ سِرِّهِ الأَخبارُ

تُخرِج مُغَيَّبَ سِرِّهِ الأَخبارُ

Have you forgotten her companionship? And whoever is base-born,

You've forgotten her company, who does that?

the news brings his hidden secrets to light.

Rumors bring out hidden secrets.

لَمّا شَبِعتَ ذَكَرتَ ريحَ كِسائِها

لَمّا شَبِعتَ ذَكَرتَ ريحَ كِسائِها

وَتَرَكتَها وَشِتاؤُها هَرّارُ

وَتَرَكتَها وَشِتاؤُها هَرّارُ

Once you were full, you remembered the smell of her cloak,

When you were full, you recalled the scent of her garments

and abandoned her while her winter was bitterly cold.

Yet abandoned her, while it's cold and wet.

هَلّا وَقَد غَمَرَت فُؤادَكَ كَثبَةٌ

هَلّا وَقَد غَمَرَت فُؤادَكَ كَثبَةٌ

وَالضَأنُ مُخصَبَةُ الجَنابِ غِزارُ

وَالضَأنُ مُخصَبَةُ الجَنابِ غِزارُ

Why did you not—when a little milk had filled your heart,

Hasn't a thick darkness flooded your heart?

and the sheep had rich pasture and abundant milk—

While the rain pours heavily on the pastures.

هَجهَجتَ حينَ دَعَتكَ إِن لَم تَأتِها

هَجهَجتَ حينَ دَعَتكَ إِن لَم تَأتِها

حَيثُ السِباعُ شَوارِعٌ كُشّارُ

حَيثُ السِباعُ شَوارِعٌ كُشّارُ

shout to drive them off when she called you, if you would not come to her,

You raved when she called you, that if you don't come

where beasts of prey advanced with teeth bared?

Where hyenas prowl down the streets.

نَهَضَت لِتَحرُزَ شِلوَها فَتَجَوَّرَت

نَهَضَت لِتَحرُزَ شِلوَها فَتَجَوَّرَت

وَالمُخَّ مِن قَصَبِ القَوائِمِ رارُ

وَالمُخَّ مِن قَصَبِ القَوائِمِ رارُ

She rose to protect her body, then collapsed,

She got up to protect her belongings, so she became tattered,

and the marrow from her hollow leg-bones was watery.

And the bending reeds creak from her thin legs.

قالَت وَقَد جَنَحَت عَلى مَملولِها

قالَت وَقَد جَنَحَت عَلى مَملولِها

وَالنارُ تَخبو مَرَّةً وَتُثارُ

وَالنارُ تَخبو مَرَّةً وَتُثارُ

She said, leaning over her food baked in ashes,

She said while leaning on her walking stick,

while the fire died down one moment and was stirred up the next—

As the fire dies down at times and flares up at others.

عَجفاءُ عارِيَةُ العِظامِ أَصابَها

عَجفاءُ عارِيَةُ العِظامِ أَصابَها

حَدَثُ الزَمانِ وَجَدُّها العَثّارُ

حَدَثُ الزَمانِ وَجَدُّها العَثّارُ

a gaunt woman with bare bones, afflicted by

A scrawny, meatless old hag, time has worn her down.

time's calamities and her stumbling fortune:

And her heavy makeup cannot conceal it.

أَبَني الحَرامَ فَتاتُكُم لا تُهزَلَن

أَبَني الحَرامَ فَتاتُكُم لا تُهزَلَن

إِنَّ الهُزالَ عَلى الحَرائِرِ عارُ

إِنَّ الهُزالَ عَلى الحَرائِرِ عارُ

O sons of unlawful union, do not let your girl waste away!

My sons, do not let your woman become thin.

Indeed, emaciation is a disgrace to freeborn women.

Weakness is a disgrace upon free women.

لا تَترُكُنَّ وَلا يَزالَن عِندَها

لا تَترُكُنَّ وَلا يَزالَن عِندَها

مِنكُم بِحَدِّ شِتائِها مَيّارُ

مِنكُم بِحَدِّ شِتائِها مَيّارُ

Do not abandon her; let there always be with her

Do not abandon her, some of you should stay with her,

one of you bringing provisions at the height of her winter.

To help her through the cold times.

وَبِحَقِّها وَأَبيكَ تُهزَلُ مالَها

وَبِحَقِّها وَأَبيكَ تُهزَلُ مالَها

مالٌ فَيَعصِمَها وَلا أَيسارُ

مالٌ فَيَعصِمَها وَلا أَيسارُ

And no wonder, by your father, she wastes away: she has no

For her sake and your father’s, spend your money on her.

wealth to protect her, nor men of means.

Money that will protect her, you have no excuses.

وَتَرى شُيوخَ بَني كُلَيبٍ بَعدَها

وَتَرى شُيوخَ بَني كُلَيبٍ بَعدَها

شَمِطَ اللِحى وَتَسَعسَعَ الأَعمارُ

شَمِطَ اللِحى وَتَسَعسَعَ الأَعمارُ

And you see the elders of Banu Kulayb after her,

You see the elders of the Banu Kilab after her.

their beards grizzled, their lives declining into decrepitude.

With shriveled beards and worn down by old age.

يَتَكَلَّمونَ مَعَ الرِجالِ تَراهُمُ

يَتَكَلَّمونَ مَعَ الرِجالِ تَراهُمُ

زُبَّ اللِحى وَقُلوبُهُم أَصفارُ

زُبَّ اللِحى وَقُلوبُهُم أَصفارُ

They speak with men; you see them

Talking to men, their beards are like rags.

shaggy-bearded, but with empty hearts.

And their hearts are empty.

وَنُسَيَّةٌ لِبَني كُلَيبٍ عِندَهُم

وَنُسَيَّةٌ لِبَني كُلَيبٍ عِندَهُم

مِثلُ الخَنافِسِ بَينَهُنَّ وِبارُ

مِثلُ الخَنافِسِ بَينَهُنَّ وِبارُ

And among them are a few little women of Banu Kulayb,

Nusaiba is nothing to the Banu Kilab.

like beetles, with hyraxes among them,

Like insects among them, a fading memory.

مُتَقَبِّضاتٌ عِندَ شَرِّ بُعولَةٍ

مُتَقَبِّضاتٌ عِندَ شَرِّ بُعولَةٍ

شَمِطَت رُؤوسُهُمُ وَهُم أَغمارُ

شَمِطَت رُؤوسُهُمُ وَهُم أَغمارُ

huddled beside the worst of husbands,

All huddled up when disaster struck her husband.

whose heads have turned gray, yet they are greenhorns.

Heads bent down while they are immersed in gloom.

أَمَةُ اليَدَينِ لَئيمَةٌ آباؤُها

أَمَةُ اليَدَينِ لَئيمَةٌ آباؤُها

سَوداءُ حَيثُ يُعَلَّقُ التِقصارُ

سَوداءُ حَيثُ يُعَلَّقُ التِقصارُ

A slave-handed woman, her forebears ignoble,

A slave girl of vile origins, her forefathers,

black where the short tunic hangs.

Black where palm fiber ropes are hung.

مُتَعالِمُ النَفَرِ الَّذينَ هُمُ هُمُ

مُتَعالِمُ النَفَرِ الَّذينَ هُمُ هُمُ

بِالتَبلِ لا غُمُرٌ وَلا أَفتارُ

بِالتَبلِ لا غُمُرٌ وَلا أَفتارُ

The know-it-all of those men who are who they are,

Acting superior is that group of people who they really are,

in rancor—neither novices nor weaklings.

With no tents or herds.