لَكَ الخَيْرُ دَاعِي الخَيْرِ أَسْعِدِ يَا سَعْدُ

إِذَا ما نَهَى عَنْه النُّهَى وَدَعَا الوَجْدُ

All goodness comes from you, caller to goodness, be glad O Saad!

When prohibitions deter and longing calls,

فَإِنَّ عِقَالَ العَقْلِ يَدْعُو إِلى السِّوَى

وَوَصْلُ السِّوى قَصْلٌ وَوِجْدَانُهُ فَقْدُ

Surely reason's reins call one to moderation,

And to reach moderation is estrangement, and to know it is loss.

إِلى الذِّكْرِ فارْجِعْ وَاْتُركِ الفِكُرَ في السِّوى

إِذَا كُنْتَ مِمَّنْ قَصْدُهُ العَلَمُ الفَرْدُ

Return to remembrance and leave thought of moderation,

If you are of those whose purpose is transcendent knowledge.

وَلاَ تكُ غَيْرَاناً إِذَا ذُكِرَ أُسْمُهَا

فَذَاكِرُها حَادٍ إِلى حُبِّهَا يَحْدُو

And do not become jealous when she is mentioned,

For the one remembering her is ardently in love with her.

تَجَلَّى مُحَيَّاهَا لِغَيْرِ بَنِي الهَوَى

فَصُدُّوا كَذَاكَ الشَّمْسُ والأَعْينُ الرُّمْدُ

Her beauty was unveiled for others than the passionate,

So they turned away just as the sun does from bleary eyes.

ولاَ حَظهَا لَحْظُ المُحِبِّ فإِنْ بَكَى

سِرُوراً فَرَائِي الشَّمْسِ أَدْمُعُه تَبْدُو

Yet the lover's perception is not like theirs, so if he weeps

In joy, my tears at seeing the sun are obvious.

فَدَعْ ثَمَنَ النَّفْسِ النفيسةِ عِنْدَهَا

فَلَيْسَ لَهَا إِلاَّ بِلاَ ثَمَنٍ عَبْدُ

Leave off valuing the precious soul in her eyes,

For she belongs to no one but a slave without price,

قَرِيبَةُ وَصْلٍ لِلْمُحِبِّ وَإِنَّمَا

إِذَا وَصَلَتْ لَمْ يَبْقَ قُرْبُ وَلاَ بُعْدُ

Close in access for the lover, and when he attains union,

Neither nearness nor distance remains.

تَثَنَّتْ فَظَنُّوا أَنَّها ثَنَوِيَّةٌ

وَقَدْ يَتَثَنَّى قَدُّها وَهُوَ الفْردُ

They supposed she was dual, for she bent double,

Though her essence bends, and it is single.

وَقَدْ نَطَقتْ حُسْناً مَنَاطقُ خَصْرِهَا

فَظَنُّوا حَمَاماً فَوْقَ بَانَتِهِ يَشْدُو

And the curves of her waist spoke beautifully,

So they thought a dove cooing above her breasts.

وَقَالوُا لها خَالٌ مِنَ النَّدِّ فَاتِنٌ

صَدَقْتُمْ لَهَا خَالٌ بَلى مَالَهَا نِدُّ

They said she has a beauty spot of softness, alluring;

You speak truly - she has a beauty spot, indeed she has no equal.

فَإِنْ كُنْتَ ذَا وَعْدٍ بوَصْلِ جَمَالِهَا

فَبَعْضُ مُحِبيِّهَا لَدَيْكَ لَهُ عَدُّ

If you've promised to join her beauty,

Some of her lovers can help you keep your word.

فَلاَ تَقُلِ الدُّنْيَا اسْتَمَالتْهُ إِنَّمَا

تَجَلَّتْ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا لِمُقَلَتِهِ هِنْدُ

Do not say the world has corrupted him; but rather

The world is eclipsed for him by his beloved.

يُذَادُ عَنِ الوِرْدِ العَذِيبِ سِوَى امْرُءٍ

غَرِيبٍ لَهُ فِي كُلِّ مَنْهَلَةٍ وِرْدُ

None protects the sweet roses but a stranger

Who has free access to every garden and meadow.