أما تَرى حُسنَ بَناتِ البَرِّ

أما تَرى حُسنَ بَناتِ البَرِّ

مقيَّداتٍ في عُبابِ البحرِ

مقيَّداتٍ في عُبابِ البحرِ

Do you not see the beauty of the daughters of dry land,

Do you not see the beauty of the daughters of the land

bound amid the sea's surging waters,

Imprisoned in the depth of the sea

مأسورةً لولا وِثاقُ الأسرِ

مأسورةً لولا وِثاقُ الأسرِ

صَدَرْنَ عنه خالعاتِ العُذرِ

صَدَرْنَ عنه خالعاتِ العُذرِ

held captive? Were it not for captivity's bonds,

Chained, else they forsake all modesty

they would have departed from it, casting off their bridles.

Confined by every slender waist

نِيطَ بها كلُّ خَفيفِ الخَصرِ

نِيطَ بها كلُّ خَفيفِ الخَصرِ

سارَ وما يبرَحُ قَيْدَ شِبْرِ

سارَ وما يبرَحُ قَيْدَ شِبْرِ

To them was fastened every slender-waisted one,

Moaning as if in pain, not from injury

moving, yet never advancing a handspan.

Glistening with dew like pearls

تَئِنُّ كالمضرورِ لا مِن ضُرِّ

تَئِنُّ كالمضرورِ لا مِن ضُرِّ

تُحصَبُ منه بندىً كالدُّرِّ

تُحصَبُ منه بندىً كالدُّرِّ

They groan like one in pain, though not from pain;

Our day is bright and wet with rain

they are pelted with pearl-like dew from it.

Bring them here before our life's end

فيومُنا يومُ صَفاً وقَطرِ

فيومُنا يومُ صَفاً وقَطرِ

فهاتِها قبلَ نفادِ العُمْرِ

فهاتِها قبلَ نفادِ العُمْرِ

So our day is a day of serenity and rain;

Before we're shrouded, far from loved ones

so bring it before life runs out,

Covered in dust over dwellers long buried

وقَبلَ مَطويٍّ بعيدِ النَّشرِ

وقَبلَ مَطويٍّ بعيدِ النَّشرِ

داجٍ على ساكِنه مغَبَّر

داجٍ على ساكِنه مغَبَّر

and before a folded abode, far from unfolding,

Were it not for them, men would forget the water of life

dark over its inhabitant, dust-covered,

يُخفي الفتى لولاها ماءَ الذِّكْرِ

يُخفي الفتى لولاها ماءَ الذِّكْرِ

which, but for it, would hide the youth's luster of renown.