يا حسنَ وجه البحر حين بدا

يا حسنَ وجه البحر حين بدا

والسحبُ تهطِلُ فوقه هَطْلا

والسحبُ تهطِلُ فوقه هَطْلا

How lovely the sea's face was when it appeared,

O beauty of the sea's face when it appeared,

while the clouds poured rain upon it in torrents!

And the clouds pouring down on it pouring down,

فكأنه درعٌ وقد ملأت

فكأنه درعٌ وقد ملأت

أيدي الرماةِ عيونَهُ نَبْلا

أيدي الرماةِ عيونَهُ نَبْلا

So it was like a coat of mail, whose rings had been filled

It's as if it were a coat of mail filled up

with arrows by the archers' hands.

By the archers' hands, its eyes with arrows.