ياO سَيِّداًmaster عِرضُهُhis honor عارٍfree مِنَof العارِdisgrace
يا سَيِّداً عِرضُهُ عارٍ مِنَ العارِ
وَجودُهُand his generosity فيamong البَراياhumankind سائِرٌtraveling ساريspreading
وَجودُهُ في البَرايا سائِرٌ ساري
O master whose honor is free of disgrace,
O master, though penniless, his honor remains intact,
and whose generosity travels and spreads among humankind.
His generosity abounds wherever he may roam,
قَدindeed كانَwas ليfor me مِنfrom among بَناتِdaughters of الزِنجِthe Zanj جارِيَةٌa slave girl
قَد كانَ لي مِن بَناتِ الزِنجِ جارِيَةٌ
صَبورَةٌpatient عِندَduring إِعساريmy poverty وَإيساريand my prosperity
صَبورَةٌ عِندَ إِعساري وَإيساري
I once had a slave girl from among the daughters of the Zanj,
I once had a Zanji maid, so very patient,
patient through my poverty and my prosperity.
In my poverty and in my prosperity stayed near,
لَهاshe had مِنَby الرومِthe Romans أَولادٌchildren كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were
لَها مِنَ الرومِ أَولادٌ كَأَنَّهُمُ
قداحُlot-arrows نَبعٍnabʿ wood أُجيلَتwere passed around بَينَamong أَيسارِgamblers
قداحُ نَبعٍ أُجيلَت بَينَ أَيسارِ
She had children by the Romans, as though they were
By her Roman children, as though fountains flowed,
lot-arrows of nabʿ wood passed around among gamblers.
Clustered between her arms throughout the long night,
تَضُمُّهُمshe gathers them فيin حَشاهاher bosom طولَthroughout لَيلَتِهاher night
تَضُمُّهُم في حَشاها طولَ لَيلَتِها
وَأَكثَرَand most of اليَومِthe day إِشفاقاًout of fear مِنَof الباريthe sharpener
وَأَكثَرَ اليَومِ إِشفاقاً مِنَ الباري
She gathers them within her bosom all night long,
Sheltering them, the most caring of God's creations,
and most of the day, for fear of the sharpener.
I pulled them away, but they kept clinging tight,
وَكُنتُand I had أَجررتهُمI slit their tongues عَنهاaway from her فَماyet not اِمتَنَعواthey desisted
وَكُنتُ أَجررتهُم عَنها فَما اِمتَنَعوا
عَنfrom حَجمِsucking أَخلافِهاher teats يَوماًa day بِإِجرارِby tongue-slitting
عَن حَجمِ أَخلافِها يَوماً بِإِجرارِ
And I had slit their tongues to wean them from her, yet they never desisted
My misery grew, yet her pale skin did rescue me,
from sucking her teats for even a day, despite the slitting.
Or her dark sister's, from the one who brings harm.
وَقَدand indeed شَقيتُI have suffered فَخَلّصنيso save me بِضَرَّتِهاwith her co-wife الـthe
وَقَد شَقيتُ فَخَلّصني بِضَرَّتِها الـ
ـبَيضاءِwhite أَوor أُختِهاher sister السَوداءِthe black one مِنof قارِpitch
ـبَيضاءِ أَو أُختِها السَوداءِ مِن قارِ
And I have suffered; so save me with her co-wife, the
white one, or her black sister made of pitch.
Partial English translation: 10 of 12 Arabic lines translated.