بِأَبي التي كَتَمَتْ مَحاسِنَها

بِأَبي التي كَتَمَتْ مَحاسِنَها

خَوْفَ العُيونِ ولَيْسَ تَنْكَتِمُ

خَوْفَ العُيونِ ولَيْسَ تَنْكَتِمُ

My father be her ransom—she who concealed her charms,

May my father be ransom for her who hid her charms,

fearing people’s eyes, though they cannot be hidden.

For fear of eyes—yet her charms cannot be hidden.

لَبِسَتْ سَواداً كَيْ تُعابَ بِهِ

لَبِسَتْ سَواداً كَيْ تُعابَ بِهِ

والبَدْرُ لَيْسَ يَعيبُهُ الظُّلَمُ

والبَدْرُ لَيْسَ يَعيبُهُ الظُّلَمُ

She dressed in black so that it might make her seem flawed,

She wore black so that it might mar her,

but darkness does not mar the full moon.

Yet darkness does not mar the full moon.