For more about this Jewish poet of Andalusia, see this earlier post.

Sent down from a luminous fountain of life,
     drawn from a sacred place, and pure,
created as one, though not with form,
     and greater by far than honour or wisdom –
why were you ushered into the world
     and then in the dark of the body imprisoned?
At first its sleep seemed sweet to you,
     but in the end it’s hard and bitter.
Put the pleasures of Time behind you,
     unless in exile you’d always wander.
Consider your glory, for this is your Good,
     to serve the living God in awe:
listen while living within this world
     and be bound in the one-to-come with the Lord.

Translation Peter Cole