قدْ قَلَّدُوكِ قَلائِدَ الدُرِّ

وَتَنَافسَوا فِي النَّظْمِ وَالنَّثرِ

They adorned you with necklaces of pearls,

And competed in prose and verse.

أَغْلى الْجَوَاهِرِ أَرْخَضُوهُ وَمَا

ضَنَّوا بِديبَاجٍ وَلا شَذْرِ

The most precious jewels they made cheap, but

They did not spare brocade or ingots.

أَمَّا أَنَا فَهَديَّتي كَلِمٌ

إِنَّ الْكلاَم هَديَّة الفَقْرِ

As for me, my gift is a word,

For words are the gifts of the poor.

عُذْراً فَمَا التقْصِيرُ مِنِّي فِي

وَدِّي فَمُنِّي وَاقْبَلي عُذْرِي

Please excuse me, my shortcoming was not

In my devotion, so believe me and accept my excuse.

كَلِمٌ أُقَدِّمُهَا عَلى خَجَلٍ

مخْبُوءَةً فِي طَاقةِ الزَّهْر

A word I present in shyness,

Hidden in the petals of a flower.

أَدْرِي بِخَفْضِ مَقَامِها وَبِمَا

لكِ مِنْ مَقَامٍ فوْقَهَا أَدْرِي

I know the lowliness of its status, and what

Exalted position you hold above it I know.

لَكِنَّ مِرْآةً وإِنْ عَطَلَتْ

مِنْ زِينَةٍ وَخلَتْ مِنَ التِّبرِ

But a mirror, though it lacks

Adornment and is devoid of gold,

تُهْدَى إِلى حَسْنَاءَ غَانِيَةٍ

وَضَّاءَةٍ كالأَنْجُمِ الزُّهرِ

Is gifted to a happy, radiant beauty

Bright as the glowing stars.

قَدْ تُسْتَحَبُّ مِنَ الْمُقِلِّ عَلى

أَغْلى النَّفَائِسِ مِنَ يَد المُثْرِي

It may be preferred by the poor man over

The most precious rarities from a wealthy hand.

فَإِذَا انْجَلى وَجْهُ العَرُوسِ بِهَا

فاقَتْ حُلى الْمَلِكَاتِ بِالْقَدْرِ

So when the bride's face is lit by it,

She surpasses the beauty of queens.

أَسَلِيلَةُ الأَصْليْنِ مِنْ شَرَفٍ

مَحْضٍ وَنُبْلٍ خَالِصٍ حُرِّ

Offspring of two noble roots, of pure

And unsullied lineage and freedom.

مَنْ لِي بِمَقْدَرَةٍ تَعِينُ عَلى

تَمْثِيلِ بَعْضِ حَلاكِ فِي شِعْرِ

Who can empower me to portray some

Of your beauty in verse?

جُورجيتُ هَلْ وَصْفٌ يُصَوِّرُها

مَاذا يُصَوِّرُ وَاصِفُ البَدْرِ

Georgina, what description could depict her?

What can the describer of the full moon depict?

لَوْ قُلْتُ إِنَّ بَهَاءَ طَلْعَتِهَا

صَافٍ أَغَرُّ كَطَلْعَة الْفَجْرِ

If I said the radiance of her countenance

Is brighter and rosier than the dawn,

أَوْ قُلْتُ إِنَّ الشَّمسَ قَدْ عَقَدَتْ

تاجاً لَهَا مِنْ مَذْهبِ الشِّعْرِ

Or said that the sun crowned her

With a diadem of golden hair,

أَوْ قُلْتُ إِنَّ الرَّوْضَ أَلْبَسَهَا

أَزْهَى لُبُوسَ الأَغْصُنِ النُّضرِ

Or said that the garden dressed her

In the loveliest robes of tender green,

أَوْ قُلْتُ إِنَّ الطَّيرَ عَلَّمَهَا

غرْدَ الهِزَارِ وَخِفَّة القُمْرِي

Or said that the birds taught her

The warbling of the free and the grace of the dove,

فَأَجَدْتُ فِيهَا النَّقْلَ وَارْتَسَمَتْ

كَالأَصلِ فِي قَسَمَاتِهَا الغُرِّ

Then I found the metaphor fallen short

And she remained as she is, in her essence.

مَاذَا تُبَيِّنهُ الْمقَالَةُ مِنْ

عَليَاءِ تِلْكَ الشِّيمَةِ الطُّهرِ

What can words convey of the nobility

Of that most pure nature?

أَوْ مِنْ صَفَاءِ الرُّوحِ فِي مَلكٍ

عَصَمَتْهُ فِطْرَتُهُ عَنِ الوِزْرِ

Or the purity of spirit in one whose

Nature protected her from sin?

أَوْ مِنْ شَمائِلَ فِي النُّفُوسِ لهَا

نَفَحَاتُ أَشْتَاتٍ مِنَ العِطْرِ

Or charms in a soul that exudes

Scattered fragrances of perfume?

أَوْ مِن طِبَاقٍ شَأْنُهُ عَجَبٌ

فِي هَذه الْحُورِيَّة البِكْرِ

Or the marvel in the harmony

Of this delicate, virgin beauty?

أَلْحَاظُهَا بِالسِّحرِ آمِرَةٌ

وَحَيَاؤُهَا نَاهٍ عَنِ السِّحرِ

Her glances are bewitching,

And her modesty turns away from witchcraft.

جَبْرِيلُ يَا ابْنَ المَاجِدينَ إِلى

أَسْمَى الْمَنَاسِبِ فِي ذُرَى الفَخْرِ

Gabriel, O son of the glorious,

To the highest compatibility in the progeny of honor,

هِيَ نِعْمَةٌ لِلّه وَاحِدَةٌ

أُعْطِيْتهَا فَزَكَتْ عنِ الْحَصْرِ

She is a blessing from God, matchless,

Given to you, so she excelled all limits,

بِدُعَاءِ خَيْرِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وفِي

يُمْنِ الَّذينَ دَعَوكَ بِالصِّهرِ

With the prayer of the best of parents, and at the right hand of those

Who asked you for marriage,

أَعْطَى فَأَرْضَى تِلْكَ مَكْرُمَةٌ

جَلَّتْ فَمَا أَحْرَاكَ بِالشُّكرِ

He gave and pleased—such generosity!

It moved you to gratitude.

فَاهْنَأْ بِزَوْجِكَ وَاسْعدَا وَرِدَا

وِرْدَ الْمُنَى صَفْواً مَدَى الْعُمْرِ

So congratulations on your wife, and happiest life,

Returning to the wished-for oasis, pure, for all your life.