True love is not a flower
That springeth in an hour;
Its flint will not strike fire
At casual desire.
Love is an infant rare
Begotten, slow to bear;
Its lime must mingle long
Before its base is strong.
And then not soon will it
Be undermined, and split;
Firm will its structure stand,
Its fabric still expand.
This truth is readily
Confirmed, because we see
That things too quickly grown
Are swiftly overthrown.
Mine is a stubborn soil
To plough with arduous toil,
Intractible indeed
To tiller and to seed.
But once the roots begin
To strike and thrive therein,
Come bounteous rain, come drought,
The lusty stem will sprout.
- Ibn Hazam