ما ضَرَّها أَن لَم يَلِدها اِبنُ عاصِمٍ

ما ضَرَّها أَن لَم يَلِدها اِبنُ عاصِمٍ

وَأَن لَم يَلِدها مِن زُرارَةَ مَعبَدُ

وَأَن لَم يَلِدها مِن زُرارَةَ مَعبَدُ

It did her no harm that Ibn ʿĀṣim did not beget her,

It did not harm her that she was not born to the son of ʿĀṣim,

Nor that Maʿbad of Zurārah did not beget her.

Nor was she born to Maʿbad of Zarārah.

رَبيبَةُ دَأياتٍ ثَلاثٍ رَبَبنَها

رَبيبَةُ دَأياتٍ ثَلاثٍ رَبَبنَها

يُلَقِّمنَها مِن كُلِّ سُخنٍ وَمُبرَدُ

يُلَقِّمنَها مِن كُلِّ سُخنٍ وَمُبرَدُ

A fosterling of three hearthstones that reared her,

A beloved of three nursing mothers who raised her,

They feed her morsels of food both hot and cooled.

Feeding her every delicacy, hot or cold.

إِذا اِنتَبَهَت أَطعَمنَها وَسَقَينَها

إِذا اِنتَبَهَت أَطعَمنَها وَسَقَينَها

وَإِن أَخَذَتها نَعسَةٌ لَم تُسَهَّدُ

وَإِن أَخَذَتها نَعسَةٌ لَم تُسَهَّدُ

Whenever she awakens, they feed her and give her drink;

When she woke they fed her and gave her drink,

And if drowsiness overtakes her, she is not kept awake.

And when sleep overtook her she was not roused.

وَشَبَّت فَلا الأَترابُ تَرجو لِقاءَها

وَشَبَّت فَلا الأَترابُ تَرجو لِقاءَها

وَلا بَيتُها مِن سامِرِ الحَيِّ مَوعِدُ

وَلا بَيتُها مِن سامِرِ الحَيِّ مَوعِدُ

And she grew up: her age-mates do not hope to meet her,

She grew up and neither young men hoped for union with her,

Nor is her house a rendezvous for the tribe’s night-time company.

Nor was her abode, from prosperous Samir, their rendezvous.