تَقولُ ذاتُ المِطرَفِ الهَفهافِ

تَقولُ ذاتُ المِطرَفِ الهَفهافِ

وَالرِدفِ وَالأَنامِلِ اللِطافِ

وَالرِدفِ وَالأَنامِلِ اللِطافِ

She of the light, fluttering cloak says—

The one with fluttering eyelids, swaying hips

she of the hips and delicate fingers—

And delicate ankles says to me,

إِنَّكَ مِن ذي غَزَلٍ لَجافي

إِنَّكَ مِن ذي غَزَلٍ لَجافي

ذَهَبتَ في تَمَثُّلِ القَوافي

ذَهَبتَ في تَمَثُّلِ القَوافي

For one given to love, you are indeed aloof.

“You are so dried out and withered.

You have taken to reciting rhymes,

You have wasted yourself rhyming words.

وَأَنتَ لا تورِدُ بِالأَجوافِ

وَأَنتَ لا تورِدُ بِالأَجوافِ

غَيرَ ثَماني أَينُقٍ عِجافِ

غَيرَ ثَماني أَينُقٍ عِجافِ

while at al-Ajwaf you bring none to water

You bring nothing to quench our thirst

but eight emaciated she-camels,

Except eight emaciated camels

بُقيا مِنَ الغُدَّةِ وَالسَوافي

بُقيا مِنَ الغُدَّةِ وَالسَوافي

عوجٍ ظِماءٍ نَظَرَ المُشتافِ

عوجٍ ظِماءٍ نَظَرَ المُشتافِ

survivors of glandular disease and sand-laden winds,

Left over from the herd that’s gone.

bow-legged and thirsty, gazing like one straining to see.

A thirsty blind man awaits their coming."

فَاِروَي مِنَ الماءِ وَلا تَعافي

فَاِروَي مِنَ الماءِ وَلا تَعافي

عَلَّكِ إِن أَودَيتُ في اِصطِرافي

عَلَّكِ إِن أَودَيتُ في اِصطِرافي

So drink your fill of water, and do not disdain it.

Drink some water and have no shame.

Perhaps, if I perish while seeking my livelihood,

Perhaps if I perish wandering in the waste,

تَلقَينَ في البُغيَةِ وَالتَطوافِ

تَلقَينَ في البُغيَةِ وَالتَطوافِ

مِثلَ أَبي هَوذَةَ أَو عَطّافِ

مِثلَ أَبي هَوذَةَ أَو عَطّافِ

you will find, in your seeking and roaming,

You will find yourself circling the Kaaba,

someone like Abu Hawdha or Attaf:

Like Abu Hawdhah or the water-seller,

لَزنَ المُحَيّا ضَيِّقَ الأَكنافِ

لَزنَ المُحَيّا ضَيِّقَ الأَكنافِ

يَدنو وَتَنأَينَ بِلُبِّ جافِ

يَدنو وَتَنأَينَ بِلُبِّ جافِ

pinched of face and narrow of shoulders.

With cheeks squeezed in and mouth pulled tight

He draws near while you draw away, your heart unfeeling—

Coming near but keeping your chaste body far.

شَمَّ العَلوقِ جَلَدَ العِطافِ

شَمَّ العَلوقِ جَلَدَ العِطافِ

like a milk-withholding she-camel sniffing a dummy calf’s hide.

She sniffed the perfume but whipped the flask away.