1. فِي صَرْحِ يُوسُفَ لِلأَحِبَّةِ لَيْلَةٌ

    سَيُعِيدُ ذِكْرَى حُسْنِهَا السُّمَّارُ

    In Yusuf's palace, a night for loved ones,

    whose beauty the evening companions will recall.

  2. جَمَعَتْ مَفَاخِرَ مِصْر فِي أَقْطَابِهَا

    فَهمُ الدِّيَارُ قَدِ احْتَوَتْهَا دَارُ

    It gathered Egypt's glories in her leading figures;

    for they are the land, encompassed by a single house.

  3. زُوَّارُهَا مِلْءُ الزَّمَانِ وَلَمْ يَكَدْ

    فِيْ رَحْبِها يَتَرَاحَمُ الزُوَّارُ

    Its guests fill the age, yet scarcely did

    the guests show each other mercy within its spacious bounds.

  4. نِعْمَ الشُّهُودُ لِخُطْبَةٍ طُرِبَتْ بِهَا

    أَسْمَاعُهُمْ وأُقِرَّتِ الأَبْصَارُ

    How fine the witnesses to an address that delighted

    their ears and gladdened their eyes!

  5. عَجَباً لِسِحْرِكِ يَا سَمَاءُ فَقَدْ نَرَى

    زَهْرَ النُّجُومِ وَكُلُهُنَّ مُعَارُ

    How wondrous your magic, O sky! For we see

    the blossoms of the stars, all of them on loan.

  6. عَجَباً لِجَوْدِكِ يَا رِياضُ فَهَهُنَا

    نَضْرُ الوُرُودِ وَنَفْحُها الْمِعْطَارُ

    How wondrous your bounty, O gardens! For here are

    the roses' freshness and their fragrant breath.

  7. عَجَباً لِشَدْوِكَ يَا مَعَارِفُ مَا الَّذِي

    مِنْ بَعْدِ هَذَا تُحْسِنُ الأَطْيَارُ

    How wondrous your singing, O Ma'arif! What is it

    that the birds can do well after this?

  8. عَجَباً لِلِبْسِكَ يَا حَرِيرُ وَحَبَّذَا

    مَا صَوَّرَتْ مِنْ لَمْسِكَ الآثَارُ

    How wondrous to wear you, O silk! How lovely

    what the traces of your touch have portrayed!

  9. قُلْ لِلأُولى يَجِدُونَ فِيكَ مَذَمَّةً

    إِنَّ العِفَافَ النَّفْسُ لا الأَسْتارُ

    Tell those who find fault in you:

    chastity lies in the soul, not in veils.

  10. الخِرِّدُ الخَفِرَاتُ حَوْلَ فَرِيدَةٍ

    كَالعِقْدِ صِيْغَ وَدُرُّهُ مُخْتَارُ

    The shy, modest maidens around Farida

    are like a necklace fashioned of chosen pearls.

  11. وَفَرِيدَةٌ فِي الْعِقْدِ تَزْهُو بِالْحِلى

    مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا تَزْهُو بِهِ الأبْكارُ

    And Farida, in the necklace, shines with adornments

    among the finest in which maidens take pride.

  12. خَلْقٌ كَتصْويرِ الدُّمَى تَبْدُو عَلى

    قَسَمَاتِهِ لِذَكَائِهَا أَنْوَارُ

    A form like that of sculpted figures, upon

    whose features the lights of her intelligence shine.

  13. جَمَعَتْ مَعَانِيَ وَالِدَيْها فالْتَقَى

    فِيها جَمَالٌ رَائِعٌ وَوِقَارُ

    She united her parents' qualities, so there met

    in her wondrous beauty and dignity.

  14. بُشْرَى لِخَاطِبِهَا وَبُشْرَاهَا بِهِ

    قَدْ عَادَلَتْ فِي الْقِسْمَةِ الأَقْدَارُ

    Glad tidings to her suitor, and joy to her in him;

    the fates have indeed been fair in their allotment.

  15. نِعْمَ الْفَتَى بِذَكَائِهِ وَبِعِلْمِهِ

    يَنْمِيهِ أَصْلٌ فِي الأُصُولِ نُضَارُ

    How fine the young man, with his intelligence and learning!

    He descends from a lineage that is pure gold among lineages.

  16. كُفُؤَانِ صَفْوَ الْعَيْشِ أَنْ يَتَلاقَيَا

    لا نَغَّصَتْهُ عَلَيْهما الأَقْدَارُ

    Well matched are the two; life's pure joy lies in their union;

    may the fates never mar it for them both!