لَولا اِبنُ حَكّامٍ وَأَشرافُ قَومِهِ

لَولا اِبنُ حَكّامٍ وَأَشرافُ قَومِهِ

لَشَقَّ عَلى سَعدِ بنِ قَيسٍ حَنينُها

لَشَقَّ عَلى سَعدِ بنِ قَيسٍ حَنينُها

Were it not for Ibn Hakkam and the nobles of his people,

Had it not been for the son of rulers and nobles of his people,

her plaintive cry would have weighed heavily on Sa'd ibn Qays.

Sa'd ibn Qays would have found it hard to bear his yearning.

أَما خِفتَني يا جَنبُ إِذ بِتَّ لاعِباً

أَما خِفتَني يا جَنبُ إِذ بِتَّ لاعِباً

وَباتَت لِقاحي ما تَجِفُّ عُيونُها

وَباتَت لِقاحي ما تَجِفُّ عُيونُها

Did you not fear me, Janb, when you spent the night at play,

Were you not afraid of me, O ribs, when you passed the night being playful,

while my milch camels spent the night with eyes that would not dry?

While my eyes were sleepless from intense passion?

فَيا جَنبُ قَد أَسلَفتَ في الحَزنِ دينَةً

فَيا جَنبُ قَد أَسلَفتَ في الحَزنِ دينَةً

عَسَت تُقتَضى مِن أُمِّ جَنبٍ دُيونُها

عَسَت تُقتَضى مِن أُمِّ جَنبٍ دُيونُها

So, O Janb, you have advanced a loan in al-Hazn,

So O ribs, you have incurred a debt of sorrow,

whose debts may yet be exacted from Janb's mother.

Which will have to be repaid by the mother of ribs with her pains.

وَأَقرَضتَ قَرضاً سَوفَ تُجزى بِمِثلِهِ

وَأَقرَضتَ قَرضاً سَوفَ تُجزى بِمِثلِهِ

وَحَرَّبتَ أُسداً ما يُرامُ عَرينُها

وَحَرَّبتَ أُسداً ما يُرامُ عَرينُها

And you have lent a loan for which you will be repaid in kind,

You have advanced a loan which will be repaid in kind,

and provoked lions whose lair cannot be assailed.

And provoked a lion whose den cannot be approached.

فَلَو صادَفَت تِلكَ الحِجارَةُ رَأسَهُ

فَلَو صادَفَت تِلكَ الحِجارَةُ رَأسَهُ

لَغادَرتَ أُمَّ الرَأسِ تَغلي شُؤُونُها

لَغادَرتَ أُمَّ الرَأسِ تَغلي شُؤُونُها

And had those stones struck his head,

Had those stones hit his head,

you would have left the crown of his head with its sutures seething.

You would have left the mother of the head boiling in her calamities.

فَكَيفَ تَقولُ اللَهُ يُزكي صَحيفَةً

فَكَيفَ تَقولُ اللَهُ يُزكي صَحيفَةً

بِعُنوانِها جَنبٌ وَجَنبٌ أَمينُها

بِعُنوانِها جَنبٌ وَجَنبٌ أَمينُها

How, then, can you say that God approves a document

How can you say “May God purify a scroll”

with Janb in its heading and Janb as its trusted keeper?

With its title being, “faithful ribs and faithful ribs”?

أَيا جَنبُ قَد كانَت تَميمَةُ حُرَّةً

أَيا جَنبُ قَد كانَت تَميمَةُ حُرَّةً

وَلَكِنَّها بِئسَ القَرينُ قَرينُها

وَلَكِنَّها بِئسَ القَرينُ قَرينُها

O Janb, Tamima had indeed been free,

O ribs, Tamima was once a free woman,

but what a wretched companion her companion is!

But what an evil companion she found as her mate!

وَما فارَقَت يا جَنبُ حَتّى حَبَستَها

وَما فارَقَت يا جَنبُ حَتّى حَبَستَها

مُسَلسَلَةً وافى الهِلالَ جُنونُها

مُسَلسَلَةً وافى الهِلالَ جُنونُها

And she did not depart, Janb, until you imprisoned her,

And O ribs, no sooner had she left,

in chains; her madness came with the crescent moon.

Than you imprisoned her in chains, while her madness reached its crescent.