بيض لَبِسْنَ حِدَادَهُنّ لمأتَمٍ

بيض لَبِسْنَ حِدَادَهُنّ لمأتَمٍ

فَلَبِسْنَ منه الليْلَ فَوْقَ نَهارِ

فَلَبِسْنَ منه الليْلَ فَوْقَ نَهارِ

Fair-skinned women wore their mourning clothes for a funeral;

They wore the mourning dress for one laid low in death

So, because of it, they wore night over day.

And over daylight wore of it the night

ولطمْنَ مِنْهُنّ الخُدُودَ تأسّياً

ولطمْنَ مِنْهُنّ الخُدُودَ تأسّياً

وسكبن دمعاً كاللًّجَيْنِ الجَاري

وسكبن دمعاً كاللًّجَيْنِ الجَاري

And they slapped their cheeks in grief,

And from them cheeks were struck in woe's distress,

And poured out tears like flowing silver.

And downpouring tears flowed like darting rain spate.

فكأنّما تلك الخُدُودُ بَنَفْسَجٌ

فكأنّما تلك الخُدُودُ بَنَفْسَجٌ

وكأنما تلك البَنَانُ مَدَارِي

وكأنما تلك البَنَانُ مَدَارِي

So it was as though those cheeks were violets,

So violets seemed those cheeks whereon they grew,

And as though those fingertips were combs.

And so seemed those eyes rained on from clouds elate.