1. روضةٌ لا تحبُّ سلمي سواها

    معبداً في صباحها ومساها

    A garden—Salma loves no other

    as a sanctuary in her mornings and evenings.

  2. كلما حانتِ الصلاةُ توافيها

    وتخلو لِلّه في نجواها

    Whenever the hour of prayer comes, she visits it

    and is alone with God in her intimate communion.

  3. آيةٌ في الحسانِ قد خصها ال

    باري بكل الجمال لما براها

    A marvel among beauties, favored by the

    Creator with all beauty when he fashioned her.

  4. واصطفاها لحبه فحماها

    في ذمارٍ من زهدها وتقاها

    He chose her for his love and protected her

    within the sanctuary of her asceticism and piety.

  5. واصطفته لها حبيباً ولم تر

    حم من الناس هالكاً بهواها

    She chose him as her beloved, and showed no

    mercy to anyone perishing for love of her.

  6. عشقته ولا تراه ولكن

    حسبها من عشيقها أن يراها

    She loved him without seeing him; yet

    it was enough for her that her beloved saw her.

  7. وأتت مرّةً تناجيه في الرو

    ض وقد باكرته قبل ضحاها

    Once she came to commune with him in the

    garden, having reached it early, before midmorning.

  8. وتمشت على الرياحين لا تؤ

    ذي الرياحينَ بالخطى قدماها

    And strolled upon the fragrant herbs, without

    her feet harming the herbs with their steps.

  9. وجثت في ظلالِ صفصافة حا

    كت ذؤاباتها وحاكت حياها

    And knelt in the shade of a willow that mirrored

    her tresses and mirrored her modesty.

  10. والأزاهير حولها مثل أحدا

    ق المها قد تفتحت ترعاها

    And the flowers around her, like the eyes

    of oryxes, had opened to watch over her.

  11. وأكبت على الصلاةِ وعينا

    ها إلى ساكنِ السما وبداها

    She bent intently over her prayer, her two eyes

    turned toward heaven's dweller and creator.

  12. فإذا بالنسيم من خلل الأغ

    صان كاللص جاء يلثم فاها

    Then suddenly the breeze, through gaps in the

    branches, came like a thief to kiss her mouth.

  13. قبلةٌ تلوُ قبلةٍ تلو أخرى

    اقلقت بالها وهاجت شجاها

    Kiss after kiss after yet another

    unsettled her mind and stirred her sorrow.

  14. واستغاثت سلمى بيسوعها تش

    كو إليه النسيمَ مما دهاها

    And Salma cried to her Jesus for help, complaining

    to him about what the breeze had done to her.

  15. تلطم الخد تلدم الصدر والمح

    بوبُ عنها محجبٌ يتلاها

    She slapped her cheek and beat her breast, while the

    beloved, veiled from her, amused himself.

  16. وأعاد النسيم كراته يل

    ثم خداً ومقلةً وشفاها

    And the breeze renewed its assaults, kissing

    a cheek, an eye, and her lips.

  17. وتمادى حتى تغلغل ينسل

    انسلال الثعبانِ تحت رداها

    It pressed on until it penetrated, slipping

    like a snake beneath her robe.

  18. فتولى فؤادها جزعٌ مما

    أحست واجهشت في بكاها

    Then panic seized her heart at what

    she felt, and she burst into sobs.

  19. وتخلت عن الصلاة وخفت

    كالغزال الغضبان تنحو حماها

    She abandoned her prayer and hurried away

    like an angry gazelle, making for her refuge.

  20. وأفاضت لوالديها بشكوى

    أضحكت أمها بها وأباها

    And poured out to her parents a complaint

    that made her mother and father laugh.

  21. ضحكاً للصبا المغفل حتى

    أضحكاها فسريا بلواها

    They laughed at her naive youth until

    they made her laugh and eased her distress.

  22. وخلت أمها بها تشرح السر

    لها كيف تم نضجُ صباها

    Her mother took her aside, explaining the secret

    to her: how her youth had fully ripened.

  23. وغدت بعد ذاك سلمى توافي

    روضها والنسيمُ ملءُ رضاها

    And thereafter Salma would visit

    her garden, with the breeze wholly to her liking.

  24. واستباحت غير الصلاة صلاةً

    واستحلت غير الإله آلها

    She permitted herself a prayer other than prayer,

    and accepted an adoring lover other than God.