تَقولُ سُلَيمى لِجاراتِها

تَقولُ سُلَيمى لِجاراتِها

أَرى ثابِتاً يَفَناً حَوقَلا

أَرى ثابِتاً يَفَناً حَوقَلا

Sulayma says to her neighbors:

Suleima says to her neighbors,

“I see Thabit old and decrepit.”

"I see Thabit weak and frail,

لَها الوَيلُ ماوَجَدَت ثابِتاً

لَها الوَيلُ ماوَجَدَت ثابِتاً

أَلَفَّ اليَدَينِ وَلا زُمَّلا

أَلَفَّ اليَدَينِ وَلا زُمَّلا

Woe to her! She has not found Thabit

Woe to her, she found Thabit

Clumsy of hand, nor a coward,

With limp hands and no strength.

وَلا رَعِشَ الساقِ عِندَ الجِراءِ

وَلا رَعِشَ الساقِ عِندَ الجِراءِ

إِذا بادَرَ الحَملَةُ الهَيضَلا

إِذا بادَرَ الحَملَةُ الهَيضَلا

Nor trembling-legged when racing,

His legs don't tremble in fright

When he hastens to charge the mighty host.

When the brave men attack.

يَفوتُ الجِيادَ بِتَقريبِهِ

يَفوتُ الجِيادَ بِتَقريبِهِ

وَيَكسو حَوادِها القَسطَلا

وَيَكسو حَوادِها القَسطَلا

He outstrips fine steeds at a canter,

He misses his steed when called

And cloaks their leaders in dust.

And covers his shame with lies.

وَيَعتَرِقُ النَقنَقَ المُسبَطِرُّ

وَيَعتَرِقُ النَقنَقَ المُسبَطِرُّ

وَالجَأبُ ذا العانَةِ المِسحَلا

وَالجَأبُ ذا العانَةِ المِسحَلا

And outpaces the long-striding male ostrich,

The boastful one is humiliated

And the sturdy, loud-braying wild ass with his herd.

And the arrogant is brought low.

وَأَدهَمَ قَد جُبتُ جِلبابَهُ

وَأَدهَمَ قَد جُبتُ جِلبابَهُ

كَما اِجتابَتِ الكاعِبُ الخَيعَلا

كَما اِجتابَتِ الكاعِبُ الخَيعَلا

And I have pierced a black night's cloak,

And Ahdam's cloak is torn

As a maiden with budding breasts dons her sleeveless shift,

As the truthful one tears the liar's robes.

إِلى أَن حَدا الصُبحُ أَثنائَهُ

إِلى أَن حَدا الصُبحُ أَثنائَهُ

وَمَزَّقَ جِلبابَهُ الأَيلَلا

وَمَزَّقَ جِلبابَهُ الأَيلَلا

Until dawn drove its folds away

Until dawn ended his exploits

And tore apart its pitch-dark cloak.

And the night shredded his cloak,

عَلى شَيمِ نارٍ تَنَوَّرتُها

عَلى شَيمِ نارٍ تَنَوَّرتُها

فَبُتُّ لَها مُدبِراً مُقبِلا

فَبُتُّ لَها مُدبِراً مُقبِلا

Keeping watch on a fire I had sighted,

Over embers that consumed him

I spent the night withdrawing from it and drawing near.

I fled him turning this way and that.

فَأَصبَحتُ وَالغولُ لي جارَةٌ

فَأَصبَحتُ وَالغولُ لي جارَةٌ

فَيا جارَتا أَنتِ ما أَهوَلا

فَيا جارَتا أَنتِ ما أَهوَلا

By morning, the ghoul was my neighbor.

So I woke and the ghoul was my neighbor,

O my neighbor, how terrifying you are!

Oh neighbor, how awful you are!

وَطالَبتُها بُضعَها فَاِلتَوَت

وَطالَبتُها بُضعَها فَاِلتَوَت

بِوَجهٍ تَهَوَّلَ فَاِستَغوَلا

بِوَجهٍ تَهَوَّلَ فَاِستَغوَلا

And I demanded her sexual favors; she twisted away,

I asked her for my virginity back

With a face that grew fearsome and ghoul-like.

But she turned with a twisted face.

فَقُلتُ لَها يا اِنظُري كَي تَرَي

فَقُلتُ لَها يا اِنظُري كَي تَرَي

فَوَلَّت فَجُنتُ لَها أَغوَلا

فَوَلَّت فَجُنتُ لَها أَغوَلا

So I said to her, “Look, so you may see!”

I said look and see what you see,

She turned away; then I [became?] a greater ghoul to her.

She turned and I lunged to attack.

فَطارَ بِقِحفِ اِبنَةِ الجِنِّ ذو

فَطارَ بِقِحفِ اِبنَةِ الجِنِّ ذو

سَفاسِقَ قَد أَخلَقَ المِحمَلا

سَفاسِقَ قَد أَخلَقَ المِحمَلا

Then a blade struck off the crown of the jinn's daughter's skull,

The daughter of a Jinn flew off

Streaked, it had already worn its baldric thin.

Having created this burden.

إِذا كُلَّ أَمهَيتُهُ بِالصَفا

إِذا كُلَّ أَمهَيتُهُ بِالصَفا

فَحَدَّ وَلَم أُرِهِ صَيقَلا

فَحَدَّ وَلَم أُرِهِ صَيقَلا

Whenever it grew dull, I whetted it on smooth stone,

When I confronted her gently

So it grew keen, though I had shown it no sword-polisher.

She fled before I could draw my sword,

عَظاءَةَ قَفرٍ لَها حُلَّتانِ

عَظاءَةَ قَفرٍ لَها حُلَّتانِ

مِن وَرَقِ الطَلحِ لَم تُغزَلا

مِن وَرَقِ الطَلحِ لَم تُغزَلا

A lizard of the wilderness, she had two robes,

A hill whose saddles are stitched

Of acacia leaves, never spun.

From untwisted palm leaves.

فَمَن سالَ أَينَ ثَوَت جارَتي

فَمَن سالَ أَينَ ثَوَت جارَتي

فَإِنَّ لَها بِاللَوى مَنزِلا

فَإِنَّ لَها بِاللَوى مَنزِلا

So whoever asks where my neighbor has settled,

Let whoever asks where my neighbor went,

Indeed, she has a dwelling at al-Liwa.

Know she has a home in the twisted valley.

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما هَمَمتُ اِعتَزَمتُ

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما هَمَمتُ اِعتَزَمتُ

وَأَحرِ إِذا قُلتُ أَن أَفعَلا

وَأَحرِ إِذا قُلتُ أَن أَفعَلا

And whenever I formed an intention, I resolved firmly,

Whenever I decide and determine

And when I say I will act, I am bound to do it.

To do a thing, I do it."