تَكْتُبُ يَوْمِيَّاتِهَا عَادِلَهْ

تَكْتُبُ يَوْمِيَّاتِهَا عَادِلَهْ

نَاقِدَةً فِي حُكْمِهَا عَادِلَهْ

نَاقِدَةً فِي حُكْمِهَا عَادِلَهْ

Adilah writes her diary,

Aadilah writes her diary daily

A critic, fair in her judgment.

Critically judging in her right mind

تَذْكُرُ مَا يَخْطُرُ فِي بَالِهَا

تَذْكُرُ مَا يَخْطُرُ فِي بَالِهَا

فِي كَلِمٍ مَعْدُودَةٍ حَافِلَهْ

فِي كَلِمٍ مَعْدُودَةٍ حَافِلَهْ

She records whatever crosses her mind

She mentions whatever comes across her mind

In a few richly laden words.

In chosen and loaded words

وَتَصِفُ النَّاسَ عَلَى خِبْرَةٍ

وَتَصِفُ النَّاسَ عَلَى خِبْرَةٍ

حَتَّى تَرَاهُمْ صُوَراً مَاثِلَهْ

حَتَّى تَرَاهُمْ صُوَراً مَاثِلَهْ

And she describes people from experience,

She describes people out of experience

Until you see them as images before your eyes.

Until she sees them as vivid images

وَتَصِفُ الأَحْوَالَ مَشْهُودَةً

وَتَصِفُ الأَحْوَالَ مَشْهُودَةً

كَأَنَّهَا المِرْسَمَةُ النَّاقِلَهْ

كَأَنَّهَا المِرْسَمَةُ النَّاقِلَهْ

And she portrays circumstances as though witnessed,

She depicts witnessed states

As though she were a pencil reproducing them,

As if she's the carrying painter

فِي جُمَلٍ مُوجَزَةٍ جَزْلَةٍ

فِي جُمَلٍ مُوجَزَةٍ جَزْلَةٍ

وَاضِحَةٍ نُرْسِلُهَا عَاجِلَهْ

وَاضِحَةٍ نُرْسِلُهَا عَاجِلَهْ

In concise, vigorous sentences,

In concise, solid, clear sentences

Clear, which we send out promptly.

We swiftly send them out

أَعْجَبَنِي مِنْ نَقْدِهَا قَوْلُهَا

أَعْجَبَنِي مِنْ نَقْدِهَا قَوْلُهَا

فِي غَادَةٍ بَادِنَةٍ جَاهِلَهْ

فِي غَادَةٍ بَادِنَةٍ جَاهِلَهْ

Among her criticisms, I admired her words

What pleased me most about her critique

About a stout, ignorant maiden:

Was her saying about an ignorant, thick girl

فُلانَةٌ حَسْنَاءُ لَكِنَّهَا

فُلانَةٌ حَسْنَاءُ لَكِنَّهَا

عَلَى صِبَاهَا بَضَّةٌ خَامِلَهْ

عَلَى صِبَاهَا بَضَّةٌ خَامِلَهْ

So-and-so is beautiful, but she,

So-and-so is pretty but in her youth

Despite her youth, is soft-fleshed and languid.

She's a withering, languishing bud

إِنْ تَتَكَلَّمْ فَهْيَ مَجْهُودَةٌ

إِنْ تَتَكَلَّمْ فَهْيَ مَجْهُودَةٌ

أَوْ تَتَحَرَّكْ فَهْيَ مُثَّاقِلَهْ

أَوْ تَتَحَرَّكْ فَهْيَ مُثَّاقِلَهْ

If she speaks, she is exhausted;

If she speaks, she makes an effort

Or if she moves, she is sluggish,

If she moves, she's heavy

كَوَرْدَةٍ أُكْثِرَ إِرْوَاؤُهَا

كَوَرْدَةٍ أُكْثِرَ إِرْوَاؤُهَا

فَنَشَأَتْ مَائِيَّةً ذَابِلَهْ

فَنَشَأَتْ مَائِيَّةً ذَابِلَهْ

Like a rose watered too much,

Like a rose that was overwatered

And so grown watery and wilted.

So it grew up watery and withering

وَقَوْلُهَا فِي هَرِمٍ جَاعِلٍ

وَقَوْلُهَا فِي هَرِمٍ جَاعِلٍ

هَوَى الغوَانِي شُغُلاً شَاغِلَهْ

هَوَى الغوَانِي شُغُلاً شَاغِلَهْ

And her words about an old man who makes

And her saying about an old man

Love of beautiful women a pursuit that engrosses him:

Who busies fond hearts with occupation

وَجْهُ الثَّمَانِينَ وَشِعْرُ الصِّبَا

وَجْهُ الثَّمَانِينَ وَشِعْرُ الصِّبَا

أَلشَّيْبُ حِلْيَ الأَنْفُسِ الكَامِلَهْ

أَلشَّيْبُ حِلْيَ الأَنْفُسِ الكَامِلَهْ

The face of eighty, and the poetry of youth;

The face of eighty and the hair of youth

Gray hair is the adornment of perfect souls.

Isn't gray hair the jewel of perfect souls?

لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ وَهْوَ شَأْنُ امْرِيءٍ

لَمْ يَتَزَوَّجْ وَهْوَ شَأْنُ امْرِيءٍ

يَحْسَبُ جَهْلاً نِسْوَةَ النَّاسِ لَهْ

يَحْسَبُ جَهْلاً نِسْوَةَ النَّاسِ لَهْ

He never married—and such is the way of a man

He never married, which is the way of a fool

Who ignorantly thinks other men's women are his.

Who ignorantly takes women for granted

فَضَاعَ فِي إِسْرَافِهِ عُمْرُهُ

فَضَاعَ فِي إِسْرَافِهِ عُمْرُهُ

وَلَمْ يَنَلْ إِلاَّ المُنَى السَّافِلَهْ

وَلَمْ يَنَلْ إِلاَّ المُنَى السَّافِلَهْ

So his life was wasted in his excesses,

So he wasted his life in extravagance

And he fulfilled only base desires.

And got nothing but the lowest demise

وَمَا دَرَى أَنَّ سُعُودَ الْهَوَى

وَمَا دَرَى أَنَّ سُعُودَ الْهَوَى

لِفَاضِلٍ زَوْجَتُهُ فَاضِلَهْ

لِفَاضِلٍ زَوْجَتُهُ فَاضِلَهْ

And he never knew that happiness in love

And he never knew that the happiness of passion

Is for a virtuous man whose wife is virtuous.

For a virtuous man is a virtuous wife

وَقَوْلُهَا خَطْرَة فِكْرٍ لَهَا

وَقَوْلُهَا خَطْرَة فِكْرٍ لَهَا

كَأَنَّهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهَا قَائلَهْ

كَأَنَّهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهَا قَائلَهْ

And her words—a passing thought of hers—

And her subtle reflection

As though she were speaking about herself:

As if speaking of herself

فُلانَةٌ حَسْنَاءُ لي زَعْمِهِمْ

فُلانَةٌ حَسْنَاءُ لي زَعْمِهِمْ

أَدِيبَةٌ آنِسَةٌ عَاقِلَهْ

أَدِيبَةٌ آنِسَةٌ عَاقِلَهْ

So-and-so is beautiful, they claim to me,

So-and-so is pretty, so they claim

Cultured, amiable, and sensible.

Cultured, friendly, and sensible

لَكِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ عَلَى ثَرْوَةٍ

لَكِنَّهَا لَيْسَتْ عَلَى ثَرْوَةٍ

إِذَن فَهَاتِيكَ الحِلَى بَاطِلَهْ

إِذَن فَهَاتِيكَ الحِلَى بَاطِلَهْ

But she has no wealth;

But she has no wealth

Then those adornments are worthless.

So those jewels are false

يَزْدَحِمُ الفِتْيَانُ فِي بَابِهَا

يَزْدَحِمُ الفِتْيَانُ فِي بَابِهَا

وَتَتْبَعُ الْقَافِلَةُ الَقَافِلَهْ

وَتَتْبَعُ الْقَافِلَةُ الَقَافِلَهْ

Young men crowd at her door,

The youths crowd at her door

And caravan follows caravan,

And the caravan follows the caravan

كَأَنَّهَا التِّمْثَالُ فِي مُتْحَفٍ

كَأَنَّهَا التِّمْثَالُ فِي مُتْحَفٍ

تَزُورُهُ لِلرُّؤُيَةِ السَّابِلَهْ

تَزُورُهُ لِلرُّؤُيَةِ السَّابِلَهْ

As though she were a statue in a museum,

As if she's a statue in a museum

Which passersby visit to look at.

That people continuously visit just to see