1. تَحِيَّةُ شاعِرٍ يا ماءَ جَكسو

    فَلَيسَ سِواكَ لِلأَرواحِ أُنسُ

    A poet's greeting, O water of Göksu!

    For none but you brings solace to souls.

  2. فَدَتكَ مِياهُ دِجلَةَ وَهيَ سَعدٌ

    وَلا جُعِلَت فِداءَكَ وَهيَ نَحسُ

    May the Tigris's waters ransom you in their good fortune,

    And never be made your ransom in their ill fortune.

  3. وَجاءَكَ ماءُ زَمزَمَ وَهوَ طُهرٌ

    وَأَمواهٌ عَلى الأَردُنِّ قُدسُ

    And may Zamzam's water come to you in its purity,

    And the holy waters along the Jordan.

  4. وَكانَ النيلُ يَعرِسُ كُلَّ عامٍ

    وَأَنتَ عَلى المَدى فَرحٌ وَعُرسُ

    And the Nile would hold a wedding every year,

    But you are joy and a wedding through all time.

  5. وَقَد زَعَموهُ لِلغاداتِ رَمساً

    وَأَنتَ لِهَمِّهِنَّ الدَهرَ رَمسُ

    And they claimed it was a grave for maidens,

    But you are forever a grave for their cares.

  6. وَرَدنَكَ كَوثَراً وَسَفَرنَ حوراً

    وَهَل بِالحورِ إِن أَسفَرنَ بَأسُ

    They came to you as to Kawthar, and unveiled as houris.

    And is there harm in houris if they unveil?

  7. فَقُل لِلجانِحينَ إِلى حِجابٍ

    أَتُحجَبُ عَن صَنيعِ اللَهِ نَفسُ

    So tell those inclined toward veiling:

    Should a soul be screened from God's handiwork?

  8. إِذا لَم يَستُرِ الأَدَبُ الغَواني

    فَلا يُغني الحَريرُ وَلا الدِمَقسُ

    If good manners do not veil the beauties,

    Then neither silk nor fine white silk is of use.

  9. تَأَمَّل هَل تَرى إِلّا جَلالاً

    تُحِسُّ النَفسُ مِنهُ ما تُحِسُّ

    Look closely: do you see anything but majesty

    From which the soul feels what it feels?

  10. كَأَنَّ الخودُ مَريَمُ في سُفورٍ

    وَرائيها حَوارِيٌّ وَقِسُّ

    As though the unveiled maiden were Mary,

    And her beholder a disciple and a priest.

  11. تَهَيَّبَها الرِجالُ فَلا ضَميرٌ

    يَهِم بِها وَلا عَينٌ تُحِسُّ

    Men stand in awe of her, so no inward thought

    Yearns for her, nor does any eye feel desire.

  12. غَشيتُكَ وَالأَصيلُ يَفيضُ تِبراً

    وَيَنسُجُ لِلرُبى حُلَلاً وَيَكسو

    I came to you as late afternoon poured forth gold dust,

    And wove robes for the hills, clothing them.

  13. وَتَذهَبُ في الخَليجِ لَهُ وَتَأتي

    أَنامِلُ تَنثُرُ العِقيانَ خَمسُ

    And back and forth through the inlet moved

    Its five fingers, scattering pure gold.

  14. وَفي جيدِ الخَميلَةِ مِنهُ عِقدٌ

    وَفي آذانِها قُرطٌ وَسَلسُ

    And around the grove's neck was a necklace of that gold,

    And in its ears, an earring and a pendant.

  15. وَلَألَأَتِ الجِبالُ فَضاءَ سَفحٍ

    يَسُرُّ الناظِرينَ وَنارَ رَأسُ

    The mountains glittered, and a slope shone,

    Delighting onlookers, and a summit glowed.

  16. عَلى فُلكٍ تَسيرُ بِنا الهَوُينى

    وَمِن شِعري نَديمٌ لي وَجِلسُ

    Aboard a boat that carried us gently,

    And my verse was my boon companion and friend.

  17. تُنازِعُنا المَذاهِبَ حَيثُ مِلنا

    زَوارِقُ حَولَنا تَجري وَتَرسو

    Contending with us for our course wherever we turned,

    Were boats around us, gliding and mooring.

  18. لَها في الماءِ مُنسابٌ كَطَيرٍ

    تُسِفُّ عَلَيهِ أَحياناً وَتَحسو

    Their glide upon the water was like that of birds

    That sometimes skim low over it and sip.

  19. صِغارِ الحَجمِ مُرهَفَةِ الحَواشي

    لَها عُرفٌ إِذا خَطَرَت وَجَرسُ

    Small in size, delicate at the edges,

    They have a crest when they glide, and a ringing sound.

  20. إِذا المِجدافُ حَرَّكَها اِطمَأَنَّت

    وَإِن هُوَ لَم يُحَرِّك فَهيَ رُعسُ

    When the oar moved them, they grew steady,

    But if it did not move, they trembled.

  21. وَإِن هُوَ جَدَّ في الماءِ اِنسِياباً

    فَكُلُّ طَريقِهِ وَتَرٌ وَقَوسُ

    And if it sped, gliding through the water,

    Then its whole course was a bowstring and a bow.

  22. حَمَلنَ اللُؤلُؤَ المَنثورَ عَيناً

    كَما حَمَلَت حَبابَ الراحِ كَأسُ

    They carried scattered pearls in tangible form,

    As a cup carries the bubbles of wine.

  23. كَأَنَّ سَوافِرَ الغاداتِ فيها

    مَلائِكُ هَمُّها نَظَرٌ وَهَمسُ

    As though the unveiled maidens within them

    Were angels whose concern was glances and whispers.

  24. كَأَنَّ بِرافِعَ الغاداتِ تَهفو

    عَلى وَجَناتِها غَيمٌ وَشَمسُ

    As though the maidens' fluttering veils

    Were cloud and sunlight upon their cheeks.

  25. كَأَنَّ مَآزِرَ العينِ اِنتِساباً

    زُهورٌ لا تُشَمُّ وَلا تُمَسُّ

    As though the wide-eyed beauties' wraps were kin

    To flowers neither smelled nor touched.

  26. إِذا نُشِرَت فَرَيحانٌ وَوَردٌ

    وَإِن طُوِيَت فَنَسرينٌ وَوَرسُ

    If spread out, they are basil and roses,

    And if folded, wild roses and yellow-dye wars.

  27. عَجِبتُ لَهُنَّ يُجَمِّعُهُنَّ حُسنٌ

    وَلَكِن لَيسَ يُجَمِّعُهُنَّ لُبسُ

    I marveled at them: beauty united them,

    Yet clothing did not unite them.

  28. فَكانَ لَنا بِظِلِّكَ خَيرُ وَقتٍ

    وَخَيرُ الوَقتِ ما لَكَ فيهِ أُنسُ

    So we passed the finest time in your shade,

    And the best time is one in which you find delight.

  29. نُمَتِّعُ مِنكَ يا جَكسو نُفوساً

    بِها مِن دَهرِها هَمٌّ وَبُؤسُ

    We give delight, through you, O Göksu, to souls

    Afflicted by their times with care and misery,

  30. إِلى أَن بانَ سِرُّكَ فَاِنثَنَينا

    وَقَد طُوِيَ النَهارُ وَماتَ أَمسُ

    Until your secret became clear, so we turned back,

    And day had been folded away, and yesterday had died.