[UWSL]This poem is about female nature by an famous poet Ibn Qayyim who lived in the 12th Century, and this is more "straight up" than anything you've ever read on female nature.[/UWSL]
لاَ تَسْبِيَّنَّكَ صُوْرَةٌ مِنْ تًحْتِهَا ... الدَّاءُ الدَّوَي تَبُوْءُ بِالْخُسْرَانِ
You should not be deceived by her outer appearance... For it is a disease that is ridden with loss.
قَبُحَتْ خَلاَئِقُهَا وَقُبِّحَ فِعْلُهَا ... شَيْطَانَةٌ فِي صُوْرَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ
Her character and actions are ugly.. A devil in human form.
تَنْقَادُ لِلْأَنْذَالِ وَالْأَرْذَالِ هُمْ ... أَكْفَاؤُهَـا مِنْ دُوْنِ ذِي الْإِحْسَانِ
They make you (men) out to be dishonourable and despicable.. Her hands do not bring kindness.
مَـا ثَّمَ مِنْ دِيْنٍ وَلَا عَقْلٍ وَلَا ... خُلُقٍ وَلَا خَوْفٍ مِنَ الرَّحْمَانِ
Nor bringing any piety, nor intellect.. Nor character, nor fear from the Most Merciful (Allah.)
وَجَمَالُهَا زُوْرٌ وَمَصْنُوْعٌ فَإِنْ ... تَرَكَتْهُ لَمْ تَطْمَحْ لَهَا الْعَيْنَانِ
And her beauty is falsehood; manufactured which will perish.. If neglected, no eyes would glance at her.
طُبِعَتْ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْحِفَاظِ فَمَا لَهَا ... بِوَفَاءِ حَقِّ الْبَعْلِ قَطُّ يَدَانِ
She will eventually forsake maintaining herself.. Then she will not fulfill the rights of the husband.
إِنْ قَصَّرَ السَّاعِي عَلَيْهَا سَاعَةً *** قَالَتْ وَهَلْ أَوْلَيْتَ مِنْ إِحْسَانٍ
And if her workman (husband) falls short one time.. She says "Have you ever done anything good!?"
أَوْ رَامَ تَقْوِيْمًا لَهَا اسْتَعْصَتْ وَلَمْ*** تَقْبَلْ سِوَى التعويج والنقصان
And if you wish to correct her misconduct.. She objects and does not accept her mistakes and shortcomings.
أفكارها في المكر والكيد الذي*** قد حار فيه فكرة الانسان
Her ideas are cunning and malicious.. That would set a man's mind on fire (make him furious and frustrated.)
فجمالها قشر رقيق تحته *** ما شئت من عيب ومن نقصان
For her beauty is a thin layer.. And what's beneath it is full of defects and damage.
نقد رديء فوقه من فضة *** شيء يظن به من الأثمان
A cheap coin wrapped in silver.. Is something one would think is expensive
فالناقدون يرون ماذا تحته *** والناس أكثرهم من العميان
But the critics see beneath it, while most of the people are blind.
أما جميلات الوجوه فخائنا***ت بعولتهن وهن للأخدان
As for those women with beautiful faces.. They are unfaithful to their families and they have boyfriends (I.e. other lovers besides their husbands).
والحافظات الغيب منهن التي*** قد أصبحت فردا من النسوان
As for the women who protect their chastity in private and their husband's belongings.. They have become those who are forgotten.
لاَ تَسْبِيَّنَّكَ صُوْرَةٌ مِنْ تًحْتِهَا ... الدَّاءُ الدَّوَي تَبُوْءُ بِالْخُسْرَانِ
You should not be deceived by her outer appearance... For it is a disease that is ridden with loss.
قَبُحَتْ خَلاَئِقُهَا وَقُبِّحَ فِعْلُهَا ... شَيْطَانَةٌ فِي صُوْرَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ
Her character and actions are ugly.. A devil in human form.
تَنْقَادُ لِلْأَنْذَالِ وَالْأَرْذَالِ هُمْ ... أَكْفَاؤُهَـا مِنْ دُوْنِ ذِي الْإِحْسَانِ
They make you (men) out to be dishonourable and despicable.. Her hands do not bring kindness.
مَـا ثَّمَ مِنْ دِيْنٍ وَلَا عَقْلٍ وَلَا ... خُلُقٍ وَلَا خَوْفٍ مِنَ الرَّحْمَانِ
Nor bringing any piety, nor intellect.. Nor character, nor fear from the Most Merciful (Allah.)
وَجَمَالُهَا زُوْرٌ وَمَصْنُوْعٌ فَإِنْ ... تَرَكَتْهُ لَمْ تَطْمَحْ لَهَا الْعَيْنَانِ
And her beauty is falsehood; manufactured which will perish.. If neglected, no eyes would glance at her.
طُبِعَتْ عَلَى تَرْكِ الْحِفَاظِ فَمَا لَهَا ... بِوَفَاءِ حَقِّ الْبَعْلِ قَطُّ يَدَانِ
She will eventually forsake maintaining herself.. Then she will not fulfill the rights of the husband.
إِنْ قَصَّرَ السَّاعِي عَلَيْهَا سَاعَةً *** قَالَتْ وَهَلْ أَوْلَيْتَ مِنْ إِحْسَانٍ
And if her workman (husband) falls short one time.. She says "Have you ever done anything good!?"
أَوْ رَامَ تَقْوِيْمًا لَهَا اسْتَعْصَتْ وَلَمْ*** تَقْبَلْ سِوَى التعويج والنقصان
And if you wish to correct her misconduct.. She objects and does not accept her mistakes and shortcomings.
أفكارها في المكر والكيد الذي*** قد حار فيه فكرة الانسان
Her ideas are cunning and malicious.. That would set a man's mind on fire (make him furious and frustrated.)
فجمالها قشر رقيق تحته *** ما شئت من عيب ومن نقصان
For her beauty is a thin layer.. And what's beneath it is full of defects and damage.
نقد رديء فوقه من فضة *** شيء يظن به من الأثمان
A cheap coin wrapped in silver.. Is something one would think is expensive
فالناقدون يرون ماذا تحته *** والناس أكثرهم من العميان
But the critics see beneath it, while most of the people are blind.
أما جميلات الوجوه فخائنا***ت بعولتهن وهن للأخدان
As for those women with beautiful faces.. They are unfaithful to their families and they have boyfriends (I.e. other lovers besides their husbands).
والحافظات الغيب منهن التي*** قد أصبحت فردا من النسوان
As for the women who protect their chastity in private and their husband's belongings.. They have become those who are forgotten.
