حَيِّيا جَزلَةَ مِنّي بِالسَلامِ
دُرَّةَ البَحرِ وَمِصباحَ الظَلامِ
Greetings of friendship I offer to you,
Pearl of the sea, lantern lighting the gloom.
لا تَصُدّي بَعدَ وُدٍّ ثابِتٍ
وَاِسمَعي يا أُمَّ عيسى مِن كَلامي
Do not turn away after affection shown true,
Hearken, O mother of Jesus, unto my tune.
لا تَدومي لي فَوَصلي دائِمٌ
أَو تَهمّي لي بِهجرٍ أَو صِرامِ
Be not forever estranged, fickle of mood,
Or promise a bond only to disapprove.
أَو تَكوني مِثلَ بَرقٍ خُلَّبٍ
خادِعٍ يَلمَعُ في عُرضِ الغَمامِ
You were not like lightning flickering lewd,
Deceiving, in clouds of desire to move.
أَو كَتَخييلِ سَرابٍ مُعرِضٍ
بِفَلاةٍ أَو طُروقٍ في المَنامِ
Or like mirage misleading the famished,
Imagined oasis to dreams onboard.
ما عِلمي إِن كُنتِ لَمّا تَعلَمي
وَمتى ما تَفعلي ذاكَ تُلامي
What knowledge have you if harm was intended,
And when you act surely you'll be forewarned,
بِعدَما كانَ الَّذي فَلا
تُتبِعي الإِحسانَ إِلّا بِالتَمامِ
That goodness unceasing brings fair satisfaction,
As rainQuatrains continuous fructifies the plain.
لا تَناسَي كُلَّ ما أَعطَيتِني
مِن عُهودٍ وَمَواثيقَ عِظامِ
Forget not the past and pledges you've taken,
Swearing divinely and signing your name.
وَاِذكُري الوَعدَ الَّذي واعَدتِني
لَيلَةَ النِصفِ مِنَ الشَهرِ الحَرامِ
Recall that night of the middle Sha'ban,
When moonlit you pledged by the Divine Name.
فَلَئِن بَدَّلتِ أَو خِستِ بِنا
وَتَجَرَّأتِ عَلى أَمرٍ صَمامِ
If you ignore it, you'll bear the pain
Of prayer and fast as absolving your blame.
لا تُبالينَ إِذاً مِن بَعدِها
أَبَداً تَرَكَ صَلاةٍ أَو صِيامِ
Return to affection, put hatred to rest,
Ambition and sins easy to name.
راجِعي الوَصلَ وَرُدّي نَظرَةً
لا تَلِجّي في طِماحٍ وَأَثامِ
When you see me, if you think I offend,
For traits disagreeable that I retain,
وَإِذا أَنكَرتِ مِنّي شيمَةً
وَلَقَد يُنكَرُ ما لَيسَ بِذامِ
Then tell me, I'll set all aright again,
And tears of regret shall wash cleansingly.
فَاِذكُريها لي أَزُل عَنّا وَلا
تَسفِحي عَينَيكِ بِالدَمعِ السِجامِ
I see your cord worn, its strands growing thin,
While mine are thick without age or decay.
وَأَرى حَبلَكِ رَثّاً خَلَقاً
وَحِبالي جُدُداً غَيرَ رِمامِ
You saw my hair turning grayer each day,
And body enfeebled by time's command.
عَجِبَت جَزلَةُ مِنّي أَن رَأَت
لِمَّتي حُفَّت بِشَيبٍ كَالثَغامِ
I have felt the fierce hardship of life's fray,
My frame battered to pieces in war's band.
وَرَأَت جِسمي عَلاةَ كَبرَةٌ
وَصُروفُ الدَهرِ قَد أَبلَت عِظامي
Yet you a blooming flower fresh and fair,
On shoulders like silk, a cat sleek and fine.
وَصَلِيتُ الحَربَ حَتّى تَرَكَت
جَسَدي نِضواً كَأَشلاءِ اللِجامِ
When you laugh, your cheeks their dimples bare,
Like musk waving about, the years resign.
وَهيَ بَيضاءُ عَلى مَنكِبَيها
قَطَطٌ جَعدٌ وَمَيّالٌ سُخامِ
From your neck to your wrists perfection rare,
No jewel comes close, no shell half as fine.
وَإِذا تَضحَكُ تُبدي حَبَباً
كَرُضابِ المِسكِ في الراحِ المُدامِ
So why do I find you today inclined,
To ways and manners none too refined?
كَمُلَت ما بَينَ قَرنٍ فَإِلى
مَوضِعَ الخَلخالِ مِنها وَالخِدامِ
فَأَراها اليَومَ لي قَد أَحدَثَت
خُلُقاً لَيسَ عَلى العَهدِ القُدامِ
