تكحّل عينيك عندَ العشيّ

تكحّل عينيك عندَ العشيّ

كأنّك مومِسة زانِيَه

كأنّك مومِسة زانِيَه

You paint your eyes with kohl at eventide,

You apply kohl to your eyes at evening,

as though you were a whoring prostitute;

As though you were an adulterous prostitute.

وَآية ذلكَ بعدَ الخلوق

وَآية ذلكَ بعدَ الخلوق

تغلّف رأسك بِالغالِيَه

تغلّف رأسك بِالغالِيَه

and the proof of it—after your khalūq perfume—is

And a sign of that: after khaluq perfume,

that you coat your head in costly ghāliya.

You coat your head with ghaliya perfume.

وَأنّ بنيكَ لِريبِ الزمان

وَأنّ بنيكَ لِريبِ الزمان

أَمست رقابهمُ حالِيَه

أَمست رقابهمُ حالِيَه

And your sons, through the vicissitudes of time,

And that your sons, through time’s vicissitudes,

have come to wear jewels around their necks.

Have come to have their necks adorned.

فَلَو كان أوسٌ لَهم حاضراً

فَلَو كان أوسٌ لَهم حاضراً

لَقال لهم إنّ ذا مالِيَه

لَقال لهم إنّ ذا مالِيَه

Had Aws been there with them,

So, had Aws been present with them,

he would have told them: “This wealth is mine.”

He would have told them, 'Indeed, this is my property.'