أُمَّ البَنينَ سَلَبتِني حِلمي

أُمَّ البَنينَ سَلَبتِني حِلمي

وَقَتَلتِني فَتَحَمَّلي إِثمي

وَقَتَلتِني فَتَحَمَّلي إِثمي

Umm al-Banin, you have robbed me of my composure,

O mother of boys, you have robbed me of my dreams

And killed me—so bear my guilt.

And killed me, so bear my sin

وَتَرَكتِني أَدعو الطَبيبَ وَما

وَتَرَكتِني أَدعو الطَبيبَ وَما

لِطَبيبِكُم بِالداءِ مِن عِلمِ

لِطَبيبِكُم بِالداءِ مِن عِلمِ

And left me calling for the physician, though

And left me calling the doctor when

Your physician knows nothing of the malady.

Your doctor has no knowledge of the disease

بِاللَهِ يا أُمَّ البَنينَ أَلَم

بِاللَهِ يا أُمَّ البَنينَ أَلَم

تَخشَي عَلَيكِ عَواقِبَ الإِثمِ

تَخشَي عَلَيكِ عَواقِبَ الإِثمِ

By God, Umm al-Banin, did you not

For God's sake, O mother of boys, don't you

Fear for yourself the consequences of sin?

Fear the consequences of sin?

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكِ في اِبنِ عَمِّكِ إِذ

لِلَّهِ دَرُّكِ في اِبنِ عَمِّكِ إِذ

زَوَّدتِهِ سُقماً عَلى سُقمِ

زَوَّدتِهِ سُقماً عَلى سُقمِ

God bless you in your dealings with your cousin, when

God bless you for your cousin when

You gave him sickness upon sickness.

You have burdened him with sickness upon sickness

وَتَرَكتِهِ يَمشي وَلَيسَ لَهُ

وَتَرَكتِهِ يَمشي وَلَيسَ لَهُ

عَقلٌ يَعيشُ بِهِ مَعَ الحَزمِ

عَقلٌ يَعيشُ بِهِ مَعَ الحَزمِ

And left him walking, though he has no

And left him walking when he has

Reason with which to live prudently.

No mind to live sensibly with caution

جِنِّيَّةُ الأَعلى وَأَسفَلُها

جِنِّيَّةُ الأَعلى وَأَسفَلُها

وَحِلٌ مُؤَزَّرُهُ مِنَ اللَحمِ

وَحِلٌ مُؤَزَّرُهُ مِنَ اللَحمِ

Her upper half is jinn-like, and her lower half

She is a heavenly Jinni, above and below

Is heavy as mire, its waist swathed in flesh.

With a waist wrapped in flesh

وَبِوَجهِها ماءُ الشَبابِ وَلَم

وَبِوَجهِها ماءُ الشَبابِ وَلَم

تَقبَل بِمَلعونٍ وَلا جَهمِ

تَقبَل بِمَلعونٍ وَلا جَهمِ

And on her face is the dew of youth; she has never

And on her face the water of youth, but she

Appeared with an ill-favored or scowling face.

Would not accept a damned or ignorant man

لَم تَدرِ ما نَدهُ الجِمالِ وَلَم

لَم تَدرِ ما نَدهُ الجِمالِ وَلَم

تَربُق بِرِبقٍ أَوَّلَ البَهمِ

تَربُق بِرِبقٍ أَوَّلَ البَهمِ

She never knew what driving camels was, nor

She did not know the scent of beauty, nor

Tethered even the first lamb or kid with a looped rope.

Did she shine with the first light of infatuation