إِذا مالَ الفَتى للسودِ يَوماً

إِذا مالَ الفَتى للسودِ يَوماً

فَلا رَأي لَدَيهِ وَلا رَشادُ

فَلا رَأي لَدَيهِ وَلا رَشادُ

If a young man inclines toward black women one day,

When a young man inclines towards darkness one day

then he has neither judgment nor right guidance.

He has no insight or guidance left

أَتَهوى خُنفَساء كَأَن زِفتاً

أَتَهوى خُنفَساء كَأَن زِفتاً

كَسا جلداً لَها وَهوَ السَوادُ

كَسا جلداً لَها وَهوَ السَوادُ

Do you desire a beetle, as though tar

He craves an ugly dark-skinned woman as if she were tar

had clothed her skin—and that is blackness?

He makes her skin his cover though it is but darkness

وَما السَوداءُ إِلا قِدر فرنٍ

وَما السَوداءُ إِلا قِدر فرنٍ

وَكانونٌ وَفَحمٌ أَو مِدادُ

وَكانونٌ وَفَحمٌ أَو مِدادُ

And the black woman is nothing but an oven's pot,

The dark woman is naught but a furnace

a brazier, charcoal, or ink.

And a brazier, coal, or ink

وَما البَيضاءُ إِلا الشَمسُ لاحَت

وَما البَيضاءُ إِلا الشَمسُ لاحَت

تُنيرُ العَينُ مِنها وَالفُؤادُ

تُنيرُ العَينُ مِنها وَالفُؤادُ

And the white woman is nothing but the sun, shining forth;

The fair woman is naught but the radiant sun

through her, the eye and the heart shine.

Which illuminates the eye and heart

سَبيكةُ فِضَّةٍ حُشيَت بِوَردٍ

سَبيكةُ فِضَّةٍ حُشيَت بِوَردٍ

يَلَذُّ السُّهدُ مَعها وَالرُّقادُ

يَلَذُّ السُّهدُ مَعها وَالرُّقادُ

A silver ingot filled with roses,

A bracelet of silver adorned with roses

sleeplessness and sleep are sweet with her.

Brings joy in slumber and in wakefulness

وَبَينَ البيضِ وَالسودانِ فَرقٌ

وَبَينَ البيضِ وَالسودانِ فَرقٌ

لِذي عَقلٍ بِهِ اِتَّضَحَ المُرادُ

لِذي عَقلٍ بِهِ اِتَّضَحَ المُرادُ

And between white women and black women there is a difference,

Between the fair and the dark skinned there is a difference

through which the intent becomes clear to one endowed with reason.

Clear to one of reason and discernment

وجوهُ المُؤمنينَ لَها اِبيضاضٌ

وجوهُ المُؤمنينَ لَها اِبيضاضٌ

وَوَجهُ الكافِرينَ بِهِ اِسوِدادُ

وَوَجهُ الكافِرينَ بِهِ اِسوِدادُ

The believers' faces bear whiteness,

The faces of the faithful have a whiteness

and the face of the unbelievers bears blackness.

While the faces of the faithless are darkened