ازْجُرِ القلبَ إذا القلبُ جَمَحْ

وارْدَع الطرف إذا الطرفُ طمحْ

Rebuke the heart when the heart is reckless,

And restrain the gaze when the gaze is impudent.

واصْرِفِ النفس إلى عَدنِيَّةٍ

ذَاتِ غُنْج ودلال ومَرَحْ

And turn the soul towards an Edenic abode,

With charm, grace, and joy.

زانَها اللَّهُ بِخَدٍّ مُشْرِقٍ

لو مَشى الذَّرُّ عليه لَجُرحْ

God has adorned it with a radiant cheek,

If an atom walked on it, it would be wounded.

لو بَدَتْ غُرَّتُها مِنْ خِدْرِها

قلتَ بَرْقٌ في ذُرا المُزن لمحْ

If its mole peeked out from its cheek,

You would say it’s a flash of lightning in the darkness of night.

أو رآها البدرُ في مَطْلَعِهِ

لاكْتَسَى ذُلّاً وهَوْناً وافْتَضَحْ

Or if the full moon saw it in its rising,

It would be humbled, submissive, and eclipsed.

فَازَ مَنْ عَاطَتْ يَداها يَدَهُ

عَاتقَ الرَّاح بكَأسٍ وقَدَحْ

So he who her hands took his hand,

Embraced happiness with a cup and a goblet,

بِبَنانٍ كَمَدَارِي فضَّةٍ

طُرِّفَتْ بالنُّورِ في مجرى السُّبَحْ

With fingers like rods of silver

Bejeweled with light in the stream of purity.

كُلَّما سُرَّ بِهَا قالتْ له

زادَكَ اللَّهُ سروراً وفرحْ

Whenever she was happy with him she said:

“May God increase your joy and delight.”

يا حبيبي ومَدَى أمْنِيَّتي

بك زادَ العيْشُ طِيباً وصَلَحْ

“My love, how I wish for you,

With you life grew beautiful and sound.”

وهما في رَوْضَة عَدنِيَّةٍ

يفْسَحُ الطَّرْفُ مداها ما انفسحْ

While they are in the garden of Eden,

Their gaze roams as far as it unveils.

تَتَغَنَّى الطيْرُ في حَافَاتِها

بِلُحُونٍ تدع القلب فَرِحْ

The birds sing melodies in its borders,

Melodies that leave the heart joyful.

ونسيمُ الريح يهدي لهما

نَفَحَاتِ الورد من تِلْكَ الفُسَحْ

And the breeze whispers to them

Scents of roses from those meadows.

عُوِّضَتْ عيناهما قُرَّتَهَا

ثَمَنَ الدَّمْع الذي كان سُفِحْ

Their eyes were compensated for their hardship

With the price of tears that once poured.

هاكَهَا دُرِّيةً منظُومةً

شاكَلَ الخَاتمُ منْها المُفْتَتَحْ

It offers them spherical pearls

Whose seal is opened by the blessed.