ربmany an عجوزٍold woman مستعينيهof al-Mustaʿin’s day
رب عجوزٍ مستعينيه
سلقيةِchard-like اللونthe complexion سلوقيهSaluki-like
سلقيةِ اللون سلوقيه
Many an old Mustaʿinite woman,
Many an old woman of al-Mustaʿin’s day,
salqī in hue—a Salqiyya,
Chard-colored, like a Saluki hound,
عاجيةivory-white الشعرthe hair إذاwhen استضحكتshe laughs
عاجية الشعر إذا استضحكت
أبدتshe reveals ثناياincisors آبنوسيهebony-black
أبدت ثنايا آبنوسيه
ivory-haired; when she bursts into laughter,
Ivory-haired—when she laughs,
she displays ebony front teeth.
She reveals ebony-black incisors.
ذاتpossessing حرa vulva عنبلهُits clitoris بارزٌprotruding
ذات حر عنبلهُ بارزٌ
كمرقبٍlike a watchtower فيin وسطthe middle of بريهa wilderness
كمرقبٍ في وسط بريه
She has a vulva, its swollen nub protruding,
Her vulva has a clitoris that juts out
like a boat in the midst of a wilderness.
Like a watchtower amid a wilderness,
وشعرةٍand pubic hair بالقملwith lice منظومةٍthreaded
وشعرةٍ بالقمل منظومةٍ
كالودعlike cowrie shells فيin عقصةِa braid of كرديهa Kurdish woman
كالودع في عقصةِ كرديه
Her hair is strung thick with lice,
And pubic hair threaded with lice
like cowrie shells around a Kurdish woman’s neck.
Like cowrie shells in a Kurdish woman’s braid.
يفترparts ذاكthat الصدغsidelock عنto reveal بظرهاher clitoris
يفتر ذاك الصدغ عن بظرها
كقنفذlike a hedgehog عضbit علىon ريهa lung
كقنفذ عض على ريه
That cleft parts, uncovering her clitoris,
That sidelock parts to reveal her clitoris,
like a hedgehog biting down on a lung.
Like a hedgehog biting down on a lung.
مسنةan elderly woman تصبوyearns إلىfor أمردٍa beardless youth
مسنة تصبو إلى أمردٍ
فهيthus she علىdespite العاهةthe infirmity لوطيهa female sodomite
فهي على العاهة لوطيه
Aged, she crawls toward a beardless youth;
An elderly woman who yearns for a beardless youth—
despite her infirmity, she is a sodomite.
Thus, despite her infirmity, she is a sodomite.
