1. زُفَّتْ إِلَيْكَ وَالزَّمانُ وَرْدُ

    وَالنُّورُ تَاجٌ وَالفَرِيدُ عِقْدُ

    She was led to you as a bride, and time was roses;

    And light was a crown, and pearls a necklace;

  2. وَالجَوُّ صَفْوٌ وَالنَّسِيمُ نَدُّ

    مَا أَبْهَجَ الْعَيْشَ إِذَا تَلاَقَى

    And the air was clear, and the breeze perfume.

    How joyous life is when they meet—

  3. مُلْتَهِبَانِ ظَمَأً فَذَاقَا

    كَأْساً مِزَاجُهَا أَلْهَوَى وَالسَّعْدُ

    Two aflame with thirst—and taste

    A cup whose mixture is passion and happiness.

  4. مَا الحُبُّ إِلاَّ نِعْمَةٌ وَأَمْنٌ

    لأَهْلِهِ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَيُمْنُ

    Love is nothing but blessing and safety

    For its people, and mercy and good fortune.

  5. دَعْ عَاذِلاً أَوْ سَائِلاً مَا بَعْدُ

    أَلْيَوْمَ ظُلْمَةٌ تَسِيلُ خَمْرا

    Leave aside a reproacher, or one asking what comes next.

    Today, darkness flows as wine,

  6. مُوْقِدَةٌ فِي كُلِّ قَلْبٍ فَجْرا

    وَفِي غَدٍ شَمْسٌ سَنَاهَا شَهْدُ

    Kindling dawn in every heart;

    And tomorrow, a sun whose radiance is honey.

  7. أَلْيَوْمَ تُعْرَفُ أَلْغَرَامَ البِكْرُ

    وَمَا عَلَيْهَا فِي الْغَرَامِ نُكْرُ

    Today the maiden comes to know love,

    And she incurs no reproach in love.

  8. يَا حُسْنَ غِيِّ صارَ وَهْوَ رُشْدُ

    مَضَى زَمَانُ الغِرَّةِ اللّطِيفَهْ

    How lovely the waywardness that has become wisdom!

    The time of sweet innocence has passed,

  9. وَجَاءَ وَقْتُ الصَّبْوَةِ العَفِيفَهْ

    يُعِدّ لِلعُمْرانِ مَنْ يُعِدُّ

    And the time of chaste yearning has come,

    Preparing for the world's flourishing those it prepares.

  10. وَفي غَدٍ تَوَافُدُ البَنِينَا

    ثُمَّ عَلَى تَقَادُمِ السِّنِينَا

    And tomorrow, the arrival of sons;

    Then, as the years pass,

  11. تَجَامُلٌ حُلْوٌ وَعَيْشٌ رَغْدُ

    جُرْجِيتُ يَا مَنْ خَصَّهَا بالحُبِّ

    Sweet mutual courtesy and a life of ease.

    Georgette, you who were singled out for love

  12. أَسْرَى الشَّبَابِ فِي أَعَزِّ شَعْبِ

    إِنْ الْوُرُودَ شِبْهُ مَن بَوَدُّ

    By the noblest of youths among the dearest people,

    Indeed, roses resemble the one held dear.

  13. جُرْجيتَ قد أُجيزَ لِلْقَوَافِي

    وَصفُ العَرُوسِ سَاعَةَ الزِّفافِ

    Georgette, leave has been granted to the rhymes

    To describe the bride at the hour of the wedding;

  14. فَلا يَكُنْ عَنْهُنَّ مِنْكَ صَدُّ

    وَعَلَّ زوجَكِ أَلأَدِيبَ آذِنْ

    So do not turn away from them.

    And perhaps your husband, the man of letters, consents;

  15. إِنِّي إِذَنْ بعَينِهِ مُعَايِنُ

    وبِفُؤادِهِ لِسَانِي يَشْدو

    Indeed, then I behold with his eye,

    And with his heart my tongue sings.

  16. أُحِسُّ فِي رَأْسِيَ مِنْهُ وَحْيا

    يُنْزِلُ فِي نَفْسِي شِعْراً حَيّا

    I feel inspiration from him within my head,

    Sending living poetry down into my soul;

  17. فَهْوَ يَقُولُ وَأَنَا ارُدُّ

    وانْظُمُ أَلْبَيْتَ أَلْذِي يُؤويكِ

    So he speaks, and I reply,

    And I compose the verse that shelters you.

  18. فَلَيْسَ يَبدُو رَسْمُ مَعنىً فيكِ

    إِلاَّ ومَعْنىً مِنْهُ فِيهِ يَبْدُو

    For no trace of a quality appears in you

    Without a quality from him appearing in it.

  19. لِلهِ أَنتِ فِي أَلْغَوَانِي أَلْحُورِ

    مِنْ روحِ ظرفٍ في مِثَالِ نورِ

    God be praised for you among the fair, dark-eyed beauties,

    Of a spirit of grace, in a form of light;

  20. لِكُلِّ عينٍ مِنْ سَنَاهُ وِرْد

    لِلهِ فِي مُقْلَتِكِ النَّجْلاءِ

    Every eye has a draught of its radiance.

    God be praised: in your wide eye

  21. تِبْرُ الأَصيلِ في مَدَى السماءِ

    بِبَهْجَةٍ تَكَادُ لاَ تُحَدَّ

    Is the gold dust of late afternoon across the sky,

    With a splendor almost without bounds.

  22. يَا لَهُ ذاكَ الخَدُّ مَا أَرْوَعَهُ

    لِلهِ ذَاكَ القَدُّ مَا أَبْدَعَهُ

    Oh, that cheek—how marvelous it is!

    God be praised for that figure—how exquisite it is!

  23. إِذَا اسْتَظَلَّ بِجَنَاهُ القد

    مَحَاسِنُ الأَوصَافِ وَالأَخلاقِ

    When the figure takes shade beneath its fruit.

    The beauties of appearance and character

  24. فِيكِ الْتَقَتْ والحمدُ للخَلاَّقِ

    وبعدَه لأَبَوَيْكِ الحَمْدُ

    Have come together in you; praise be to the Creator,

    And after Him, praise be to your parents.

  25. أَخَذْتِ عَنْ أَكْمَلِ أُمٍّ وَأَبِ

    أَوْفَى الجَمَالِ وَأَتَمَّ الأَدَبِ

    You inherited from the most perfect mother and father

    The fullest beauty and the most complete refinement;

  26. وَهَكَذَا مَا جَدَّ يسْتَجدُّ

    وانتَ يا نَجْلَ أَخي نقولا

    And thus what was new is renewed.

    And you, O son of my brother Nicola,

  27. قَدْ سَاغَ يَومَ العرْسِ أَنْ نقولا

    فِيكَ الَّذِي فِيكَ وَلَسْنَا نَعدو

    It is fitting on the wedding day that we say

    Of you what is in you, and we do not overstep:

  28. إِن تَكُنِ النَّابِغَةَ الحَبِيبَا

    فَعُنْصُرَكَ مَن عَرَفْنَا طِيبَا

    If you are the beloved genius,

    For your lineage is one we have known to be good;

  29. كَيْفَ العفافُ منْجِباً والمَجدُ

    فِعش وعاشتْ عِرسُكَ المُنيرَهْ

    How chastity and glory beget noble offspring!

    So live, and may your radiant bride live,

  30. في نِعْمةٍ سَابغةٍ وَفِيرَهْ

    إِنَّ الصَّفَاءَ للرِّقاءِ وَعْدُ

    In ample, abundant blessing.

    Indeed, serenity is a promise of ascent.

  31. وَلْتَكُنِ الدَّارُ الَّتِي ابْتَنَيْتُمَا

    دارَ السَّعَادَةِ الَّتِي ابْتَغَيتُما

    And may the house you two have built

    Be the home of happiness you two sought,

  32. زِينتُهَا مَالٌ زَكَا وَوِلْدُ

    Its adornment: flourishing wealth and children.