إِنَّ اِبنَ زَيّاتٍ لَهُ قَينَةٌ

إِنَّ اِبنَ زَيّاتٍ لَهُ قَينَةٌ

أَربَت عَلى الشَيطانِ في القُبحِ

أَربَت عَلى الشَيطانِ في القُبحِ

Indeed, Ibn Zayyat has a singing slave-girl

Who has surpassed Satan in ugliness.

سَوداءُ شَوهاءُ لَها شِعرَةٌ

سَوداءُ شَوهاءُ لَها شِعرَةٌ

كَأَنَّها نَملٌ عَلى مِسحِ

كَأَنَّها نَملٌ عَلى مِسحِ

Black and hideous, she has hair

As though it were ants upon sackcloth.

فَلَو بَدَت حاسِرَةً في الضُحى

فَلَو بَدَت حاسِرَةً في الضُحى

لَاِسوَدَّ مِنها فَلَقُ الصُبحِ

لَاِسوَدَّ مِنها فَلَقُ الصُبحِ

So if she appeared bareheaded at midmorning,

The break of dawn would surely turn black because of her.