بَينَما كانَ فَتى المُستَقبَل

سائِراً بَينَ غياضِ الجَبلِ

While the youth of the future

Was walking among the mountain groves

بَدَرَت من مُقلَتَيهِ لَفتَةٌ

فَرَأى وَجهَ غَزالٍ مُقبِل

A glance slipped from his eyelids

And he saw the face of an approaching gazelle

هُو ظَبيٌ يَتَثَنّى باسِماً

بَينَ زَهرٍ باسِمٍ لِلطَلَلِ

It is a gazelle bending gracefully

Amid blossoming, fragrant lilies

ذاكَ ظَبيُ العزِّ في المُستَقبَلِ

يَتَراءى قادِماً في عَجَلِ

That gazelle of glory in the future

Appearing in haste

سَكب الفَجرُ عَلَيهِ كَأسَه

وَسَقاهُ من رَحيقٍ سَلسَلِ

Dawn poured its cup over him

And gave him to drink from cascading nectar

بَينَ عَينَيهِ تَراءى هَيكَلٌ

سَجد الحسنُ بِذاكَ الهَيكَلِ

Between his eyes appeared a temple

Beauty prostrated before that temple

أَرسلَ الشِعرُ إِلَيهِ راهِباً

فَغَدا مُحتَفِلاً بِالمرسَلِ

Poetry sent him a monk

Who began celebrating the sent one

ثغرُهُ قارورَةٌ من عَسَلٍ

مَزجت مرشفَه بِالعَسَلِ

His mouth is a jar of honey

That blended its drink with honey

وَلهُ في وُجنَتَيهِ آيَةٌ

هَبط السِحرُ عَلَيها من عَلِ

And in his cheeks there is a sign

Magic descended upon it from above

عِندَها هاروتُ أَلقى طرفَه

صاح من وَهلَتِهِ وَآخجلي

At which Harut cast his glance

And cried out from his swoon and madness

وَاِنثَنى من وجهِه مُستَعجِلاً

راغِباً في مَشيةِ المُستَعجل

And turned away from his face in haste

Eager for the walk of the hasty

أَقبلَ الظبيُ عَلى ذاكَ الفَتى

مُستَرِقّاً فيهِ قَلبَ الرجلِ

The gazelle approached that youth

Stealthily stealing the heart of the man

وَأراهُ مُنجلاً في يَدِهِ

قائِلاً سرُّ الهَوى في المنجلِ

And showed him a sickle in his hand

Saying the secret of love is in the sickle

إِن تَرُم تَقرن بِالمَجدِ الهوى

فَتجنَّب عادِياتِ الكَسلِ

If you seek to pair glory with love

Then avoid the slothful of pace

هوذا المُنجلُ فَاِطلُب عَملاً

إِنَّما المنجلُ رَمزُ العَمَلِ

For the sickle is the symbol of work

Join the workers in their profession

شارِكِ العُمّالَ في مِهنَتِهِم

وَاِجتَهِد في كُلِّ أَمرٍ تَصِلِ

And strive in every matter you undertake

For the workers are pillars, and if

إِنَّما العُمّالُ أَركانٌ إِذا

هَبَطَت يهبِطُ مجدُ الدوَلِ

They fall, the glory of the state falls

Then the breezes of morning blew

حينذا هبَّت نسماتُ الصَبا

مُنشداتٍ معَ لَحنِ البُلبُلِ

Singing with the melody of the nightingale

And the gazelle disappeared from him when

وَتَوارى الظَبيُ عَنهُ عِندَما

حَرَّكَت لُطفاً مياه الجدولِ

The waters of the stream stirred gently

The youth felt a love he had not

شعر الصبُّ بِحُبٍّ لم يَكُن

غير سَهمٍ من فُؤاد المُبتَلي

Other than an arrow from the heart of the afflicted

Sadness overcame him, though

غَلبَ الحُزنُ عَلَيهِ إِنَّما

لَم يَكُن يَقطَع حَبلَ الأَمَلِ

He did not cut the rope of hope

He said my eyelids must once

قالَ لا بُدَّ لِجَفني مرَّةً

أَن يَراهُ راتِعاً في مَنزِلي

See him settled in my abode

I will sacrifice all I have so

سَأُضَحّي كلَّ ما عِندي فَلا

بُدَّ لي من قَلبِهِ لا بُدَّ لي

I must have his heart, I must

Then he heard a voice saying

حينذا أَصغى لِصَوتٍ قائِلٍ

لَن تَنالَ الغايَ فَوقَ المخمَلِ

You will not attain the goal atop the velvet

If you seek to love a gazelle then be joined

إِن تَرُم تَهوى غَزالاً فَاِقتَرِن

قَبلَ هذا بِعَروسِ العَمَل

First to the bride of work