كم بالكنائِس مِنْ مُبَتَّلَةٍ

كم بالكنائِس مِنْ مُبَتَّلَةٍ

مثل المَهاةِ يَزينُها الخَفَرُ

مثل المَهاةِ يَزينُها الخَفَرُ

How many a devout woman in the churches,

How many churches are there

like an oryx, adorned by modesty!

Like slaughterhouses adorned with flags,

مِنْ كلِّ ساجدةٍ لصورتها

مِنْ كلِّ ساجدةٍ لصورتها

لو أَنصفت سجدتْ لها الصُوَر

لو أَنصفت سجدتْ لها الصُوَر

Each one prostrating herself before her icon—

For every icon worshipped in them,

were the icons just, they would prostrate themselves before her.

If it were just, the icons would worship it.

قدّيسَةٌ في حبل عاتقها

قدّيسَةٌ في حبل عاتقها

طولٌ وفي زُنّارها قِصَر

طولٌ وفي زُنّارها قِصَر

A holy woman, whose shoulder's sinew

A saint in the noose of her necklace,

is long, while her girdle is short.

Tall with a short belt around her waist.

غَرَسَ الحياءُ بصحن وَجْنَتِها

غَرَسَ الحياءُ بصحن وَجْنَتِها

وَرْداً سقى أَغصانه النَّظرُ

وَرْداً سقى أَغصانه النَّظرُ

Modesty planted on the expanse of her cheek

Modesty has planted in her garden

roses whose branches the gaze watered.

A rose watered by stares.

وتكلّمت عنها الجُفون فلوْ

وتكلّمت عنها الجُفون فلوْ

حاورتَها لأَجابك الحَوَر

حاورتَها لأَجابك الحَوَر

And her eyelids spoke for her; so if you

And her eyelids have spoken, so if

conversed with her, her eyes' beauty would answer you.

You conversed with her, shyness would answer you.

وحَكَتْ مدارِعُها غدائرَها

وحَكَتْ مدارِعُها غدائرَها

فأَراك ضعفيْ ليلةٍ قمرُ

فأَراك ضعفيْ ليلةٍ قمرُ

And her robes resembled her tresses,

And her clothes told of her unseen beauty,

so a moon showed you a twofold night.

Thus showing you my weakness on a moonlit night.