1. بَينَما كانَ فَتى المُستَقبَل

    سائِراً بَينَ غياضِ الجَبلِ

    While the youth of the future was

    walking among the mountain's thickets,

  2. بَدَرَت من مُقلَتَيهِ لَفتَةٌ

    فَرَأى وَجهَ غَزالٍ مُقبِل

    a glance darted from his eyes,

    and he saw the face of an approaching gazelle.

  3. هُو ظَبيٌ يَتَثَنّى باسِماً

    بَينَ زَهرٍ باسِمٍ لِلطَلَلِ

    He was a gazelle, swaying and smiling,

    among flowers smiling at the ruins.

  4. ذاكَ ظَبيُ العزِّ في المُستَقبَلِ

    يَتَراءى قادِماً في عَجَلِ

    That was the gazelle of glory in the future,

    appearing as he approached in haste.

  5. سَكب الفَجرُ عَلَيهِ كَأسَه

    وَسَقاهُ من رَحيقٍ سَلسَلِ

    Dawn poured its cup over him

    and gave him smooth-flowing nectar to drink.

  6. بَينَ عَينَيهِ تَراءى هَيكَلٌ

    سَجد الحسنُ بِذاكَ الهَيكَلِ

    Between his eyes a temple appeared;

    beauty prostrated itself in that temple.

  7. أَرسلَ الشِعرُ إِلَيهِ راهِباً

    فَغَدا مُحتَفِلاً بِالمرسَلِ

    Poetry sent a monk to it,

    so it welcomed the envoy with celebration.

  8. ثغرُهُ قارورَةٌ من عَسَلٍ

    مَزجت مرشفَه بِالعَسَلِ

    His mouth was a flask of honey,

    which mingled his lips with honey.

  9. وَلهُ في وُجنَتَيهِ آيَةٌ

    هَبط السِحرُ عَلَيها من عَلِ

    And he bore a marvel upon his cheeks;

    magic descended upon it from on high.

  10. عِندَها هاروتُ أَلقى طرفَه

    صاح من وَهلَتِهِ وَآخجلي

    Harut cast his gaze upon it;

    he cried in his fright, "Oh, my shame!"

  11. وَاِنثَنى من وجهِه مُستَعجِلاً

    راغِباً في مَشيةِ المُستَعجل

    And he turned away from his face in haste,

    eager for the gait of one who hurries.

  12. أَقبلَ الظبيُ عَلى ذاكَ الفَتى

    مُستَرِقّاً فيهِ قَلبَ الرجلِ

    The gazelle approached that youth,

    enslaving the man's heart within him.

  13. وَأراهُ مُنجلاً في يَدِهِ

    قائِلاً سرُّ الهَوى في المنجلِ

    And he showed him a sickle in his hand,

    saying, "The secret of love lies in the sickle.

  14. إِن تَرُم تَقرن بِالمَجدِ الهوى

    فَتجنَّب عادِياتِ الكَسلِ

    If you seek to join love with glory,

    then shun the assaults of sloth.

  15. هوذا المُنجلُ فَاِطلُب عَملاً

    إِنَّما المنجلُ رَمزُ العَمَلِ

    Here is the sickle: seek work.

    The sickle is but the symbol of labor.

  16. شارِكِ العُمّالَ في مِهنَتِهِم

    وَاِجتَهِد في كُلِّ أَمرٍ تَصِلِ

    Join the workers in their trade,

    and strive in every task; you will succeed.

  17. إِنَّما العُمّالُ أَركانٌ إِذا

    هَبَطَت يهبِطُ مجدُ الدوَلِ

    Indeed, workers are pillars: if

    they fall, the glory of nations falls."

  18. حينذا هبَّت نسماتُ الصَبا

    مُنشداتٍ معَ لَحنِ البُلبُلِ

    Then the east wind's breezes blew,

    singing with the nightingale's melody.

  19. وَتَوارى الظَبيُ عَنهُ عِندَما

    حَرَّكَت لُطفاً مياه الجدولِ

    And the gazelle vanished from him when

    they gently stirred the brook's waters.

  20. شعر الصبُّ بِحُبٍّ لم يَكُن

    غير سَهمٍ من فُؤاد المُبتَلي

    The lovesick youth felt a love that was no

    more than an arrow from the tormentor's heart.

  21. غَلبَ الحُزنُ عَلَيهِ إِنَّما

    لَم يَكُن يَقطَع حَبلَ الأَمَلِ

    Sorrow overcame him, yet

    he did not sever the cord of hope.

  22. قالَ لا بُدَّ لِجَفني مرَّةً

    أَن يَراهُ راتِعاً في مَنزِلي

    He said, "My eye must, just once,

    see him grazing in my home.

  23. سَأُضَحّي كلَّ ما عِندي فَلا

    بُدَّ لي من قَلبِهِ لا بُدَّ لي

    I shall sacrifice all I have, for I have no

    choice but to win his heart—I have no choice!"

  24. حينذا أَصغى لِصَوتٍ قائِلٍ

    لَن تَنالَ الغايَ فَوقَ المخمَلِ

    Then he listened to a voice saying,

    "You will not reach the goal upon velvet.

  25. إِن تَرُم تَهوى غَزالاً فَاِقتَرِن

    قَبلَ هذا بِعَروسِ العَمَل

    If you wish to love a gazelle, then wed yourself

    first to the bride of labor."