وقفٌ عليك تحيتي وحياتي

وعلى صباك نصائحي وعظاتي

My greetings and life to you,

Dedicated solely to you are my greetings and my life,

And my advice and sermons to your youth.

And to your youth are offered my counsel and admonitions.

أوتيتَ من حسن الشمائل نعمة

والحسن في الدنيا من الآفات

You have been blessed with beauty,

You have been granted the blessing of beautiful traits,

And beauty in this world comes with troubles.

Yet beauty in this world is among its afflictions.

هو جوهر يجني عليك وميضهُ

عدوان سراّق وحقد عفاة

Its radiance yields you gems,

It is a jewel whose gleaming light brings upon you

And the envy of thieves and spite of snakes.

The aggression of thieves and the malice of the destitute.

والحسن يعشقه الكريم وربما

أضرى لئيم النفس بالنزاعات

The generous love beauty, though it may

Beauty is adored by the noble, yet sometimes

Cause the vile to stir up disputes.

It incites the vile of soul to base inclinations.

كالبدر يأتمّ السراة بنوره

ولقد يضيء مواقع الشبهات

Like the full moon whose light brings joy to nomads,

Like the full moon, night travelers are guided by its light,

It can also illuminate the darkest doubts.

Yet it may also illuminate the places of suspicion.

فاحذر فإن مع الجمال لغرة

ًوأراك تأمن جانب الغفلات

So beware, for beauty has allure,

So beware, for with beauty comes perilous heedlessness,

And I see you trusting negligence.

And I see you feeling secure against the dangers of negligence.

واحرس جمالك فالجمال وديعة

لله ترعاها إلى ميقات

Guard your beauty, for it’s a gift on loan,

Guard your beauty, for beauty is a trust

That God watches until its time is done.

Belonging to God, which you must tend until an appointed time.

واحمل شبابك للمشيب مبرءاً

مما يكدّر ناصع الصفحات

Bear your youth to old age spotless,

And carry your youth into old age unblemished,

Free of what would tarnish bright pages.

Free from whatever might muddy its pristine pages.

الحسن كنزٌ في يديك فوقّه

لحظ الشحيح ونظرة المفتات

Beauty is treasure in your hand, so protect it

Beauty is a treasure in your hands, so protect it

From the greedy gaze and ogling eyes.

From the gaze of the greedy and the stare of the usurper.

أحرى بمن وتر الجفون بلحظه

ألاّ تلوذ جفونه بسبات

It’s best for one whose lids are veils

It is most fitting for one whose glance deprives eyes of sleep

To not let his eyes close in sleep.

That his own eyelids do not seek refuge in slumber.

هلاّ علمت وأنت زهر مونق

أن الزهور فرائس الحشرات

If you're a lovely, fragrant flower, know

Do you not know, while you are a delightful flower,

That flowers are prey for insects.

That flowers are the prey of insects?

لا يخدعوك بليّن من قولهم

فاللين بعض حبائل الحيات

Don’t be fooled by their softened words,

Let them not deceive you with the softness of their words,

For softness is the web of life’s snares.

For softness is among the snares of serpents.

إني ليؤلمني الجمال إذا هوى

فارتدّ بين أبالس وغواة

It hurts me when beauty falls prey,

Indeed, it pains me deeply when beauty falls

To the wanton and immoral ways.

And is tossed about among devils and seducers.

أقسى القلوب تلين إن هي أبصرت

ورقاء نهب قشاعم وبزاة

The hardest hearts soften when they see

The hardest of hearts would soften if they were to see

A gentle lamb robbed by wolves and hyenas.

A dove made the plunder of vultures and falcons.

فاجعل لحاظك كلما صوبتها

رجماً لشيطان النفوس العاتي

Make your gaze, whenever you turn it,

So make your glances, whenever you aim them,

A blow to the devil of wanton souls.

A stoning for the rebellious devil of the souls.

واحفظ ودادك لذة ومسرة

للعارفين بطاهر اللذات

Keep your love a joy and delight

And preserve your affection as a pure delight and joy

For those who know the pure pleasures.

For those who appreciate the purest of pleasures.

كُوّنت أنساً للضمير وبهجة

وعلوت شأو مطامع الشهوات

You were created as joy for the conscience,

You were created as a comfort to the soul and a joy,

And rose above the aspirations of lust.

And you have risen far above the grasp of lustful greed.