بدتْ ليَ في ثوبٍ كَوَجْهِي أَصفرٍ

بدتْ ليَ في ثوبٍ كَوَجْهِي أَصفرٍ

علته بمديل كقلبيَ أَسْوَدِ

علته بمديل كقلبيَ أَسْوَدِ

She appeared to me in a robe as yellow as my face,

She appeared to me in a dress as yellow as my face,

which she topped with a kerchief as black as my heart.

I veiled her with a kerchief as black as my heart,

فأَبْصَرَ منها الطرفُ مرود عَسْجَد

فأَبْصَرَ منها الطرفُ مرود عَسْجَد

على طَرَفٍ منهُ بقيةُ إِثْمِد

على طَرَفٍ منهُ بقيةُ إِثْمِد

And so my eye saw in her a golden kohl-stick,

So the pleat revealed an agitated glance,

with a trace of antimony kohl on one end.

On an edge of it the remainder of a frown.