لا تَعِيبُوا السَّوادَ فَهُوَ مُناكُمْ

لا تَعِيبُوا السَّوادَ فَهُوَ مُناكُمْ

فِي فُرُوعٍ وأَعْيُنٍ وَحَواجِبْ

فِي فُرُوعٍ وأَعْيُنٍ وَحَواجِبْ

Do not disparage blackness, for it is what you desire

Do not blame blackness, for it is part of you

In tresses, eyes, and eyebrows.

In branches, eyes, and eyebrows

ولَقَدْ تَجْعَلُونَ مِنْهُ رُقُوشاً

ولَقَدْ تَجْعَلُونَ مِنْهُ رُقُوشاً

وَنُقُوشاً عَلَى خُدُودِ الكَوَاعِبْ

وَنُقُوشاً عَلَى خُدُودِ الكَوَاعِبْ

And indeed you make from it painted patterns

And you make designs from it

And designs upon the cheeks of budding-breasted maidens.

And tattoos on the cheeks of beauties

وَأَرَى الليلَ عِنْدَكُمْ مُسْتَحَبّاً

وَأَرَى الليلَ عِنْدَكُمْ مُسْتَحَبّاً

وَأَرَى الصبْحَ عابَهُ كُلُّ عائِبْ

وَأَرَى الصبْحَ عابَهُ كُلُّ عائِبْ

And I see that night is pleasing to you,

And I see the night is loved by you

And I see dawn censured by every fault-finder.

And I see the dawn displeased by every critic

وَسَلِ المِسْكَ وَالغَوَالِيَ عَنْهُ

وَسَلِ المِسْكَ وَالغَوَالِيَ عَنْهُ

وَسَلِ الحِبْرَ في صَحِيفَةِ كاتِبْ

وَسَلِ الحِبْرَ في صَحِيفَةِ كاتِبْ

And ask musk and blended perfumes about it,

Ask musk and perfumes about it

And ask the ink on a writer's page,

And ask the ink on the writer's page

وَعِذَاراً إِذَا أَلَمَّ بِخَدٍّ

وَعِذَاراً إِذَا أَلَمَّ بِخَدٍّ

دَبَّ فيهِ كَما تَدِبُّ العَقَارِبْ

دَبَّ فيهِ كَما تَدِبُّ العَقَارِبْ

And sideburn hair that, when it alights upon a cheek,

And a rash when it afflicts a cheek

Creeps over it as scorpions creep.

Crawls on it like scorpions crawl

وَكَفَى أنَّهُ لِحَبَّةِ قَلْبِي

وَكَفَى أنَّهُ لِحَبَّةِ قَلْبِي

وَلِعَيْنِي وللشبابِ مُناسِبْ

وَلِعَيْنِي وللشبابِ مُناسِبْ

And it suffices that, for my heart's core,

And suffice that it suits the apple of my eye

And for my eye and for youth, it is fitting.

And my eye and youth it suits