يا زَينَ مَن رَأَتِ العُيونُ إِذا بَدَت

يا زَينَ مَن رَأَتِ العُيونُ إِذا بَدَت

وَسطَ النِساءِ وَلَفَّهُنَّ المَجمَعُ

وَسطَ النِساءِ وَلَفَّهُنَّ المَجمَعُ

O fairest of those the eyes have seen, when she appeared

O beauty whom eyes feast upon when she appears

Amid the women, whom the gathering brought together.

Amidst women, drawing all gazes towards her

الحُسنُ مِنكِ سَجِيَّةٌ مَطبوعَةٌ

الحُسنُ مِنكِ سَجِيَّةٌ مَطبوعَةٌ

وَمِنَ النِساءِ تَخَلُّقٌ وَتَصَنُّعُ

وَمِنَ النِساءِ تَخَلُّقٌ وَتَصَنُّعُ

Beauty in you is a natural, inborn disposition;

Loveliness in you is innate and natural

And in other women, it is affectation and artifice.

While in women, it is pretense and artificial

يَومَ الجِنازَةِ لَو شَهِدتُ تَمَتَّعَت

يَومَ الجِنازَةِ لَو شَهِدتُ تَمَتَّعَت

عَيني بِها وَلَقَلَّما تَتَمَتَّعُ

عَيني بِها وَلَقَلَّما تَتَمَتَّعُ

On the day of the funeral, had I attended, delight would have filled

If I had witnessed you on your funeral bier

My eye at the sight of her—yet seldom does it find delight.

My eyes would have delighted, though it was fleeting

خَرَجَت وَلَم أَشعُر بِذاكَ فَلَيتَني

خَرَجَت وَلَم أَشعُر بِذاكَ فَلَيتَني

كُنتُ الجِنازَةَ وَهيَّ فيمَن يَتبَعُ

كُنتُ الجِنازَةَ وَهيَّ فيمَن يَتبَعُ

She went out, and I did not know of it; if only I

You left and I did not sense it, would that

Had been the bier, with her among those who followed.

I were the bier, following behind where you lead