أتاني كتابٌ لا يملّ سماعه

أتاني كتابٌ لا يملّ سماعه

كتاب كوشي الروض تزهو بقاعه

كتاب كوشي الروض تزهو بقاعه

A letter came to me, never tiresome to hear.

A book has come to me, I never tire of hearing it

A letter came to me, the hearing of which never tires,

A letter like a garden's embroidery, its expanses radiant.

The book, Kushiyat Al-Rawd, its lands blossoming

A letter like the embroidery of a garden, its grounds abloom,

يزيد على الترداد طيبا ولذة

يزيد على الترداد طيبا ولذة

يعزّ علينا طرحه ووداع

يعزّ علينا طرحه ووداع

With every repetition, it grows in sweetness and delight.

Surpassing in sweetness and pleasure upon repetition

Increasing in fragrance and pleasure with every repetition,

It is hard for us to put it aside and bid farewell.

We grieve to abandon and bid farewell

Hard it is for us to cast it aside or bid it farewell,

يدبّ دبيب الخمر في جسم سامع

يدبّ دبيب الخمر في جسم سامع

فيطربنا إسماعه وسماعه

فيطربنا إسماعه وسماعه

It creeps like wine through a listener's body.

The wine oozes into the listener’s body

It courses through the listener's body like the creeping of wine,

So reading it aloud and hearing it enrapture us.

Intoxicating us with its hearing and recitation

Filling us with rapture in its reciting and its hearing,

كتابُ أتاني حافظ الود وافيا

كتابُ أتاني حافظ الود وافيا

وإن الوفا أضحت يباباً رباعه

وإن الوفا أضحت يباباً رباعه

A letter came to me, preserving affection in full,

The book came to me, faithful preserver of love

A letter came to me from a keeper of affection, loyal,

Even though fidelity's dwellings have become desolate.

Though fidelity itself has become desolate and barren

Though the courtyards of loyalty have become desolate wastelands,

كتاب أبي النصر الذي فاق منطقاً

كتاب أبي النصر الذي فاق منطقاً

وينفث سحرا بابليا يراعه

وينفث سحرا بابليا يراعه

A letter from Abu al-Nasr, who excels in eloquence,

The book of Abu Al-Nasr, who surpassed eloquence

The letter of Abu al-Nasr, who has surpassed all in eloquence,

And whose reed pen breathes Babylonian magic.

And exudes Babylonian sorcery that captivates

And whose reed pen breathes forth Babylonian magic,

فلا زال في أوج الكمال مخيّما

فلا زال في أوج الكمال مخيّما

يضيء علينا نوره وشعاعه

يضيء علينا نوره وشعاعه

So may he ever remain encamped at perfection's zenith,

Ever ascendant at the pinnacle of perfection

May he cease not to abide at the zenith of perfection,

His light and radiance shining upon us.

Illuminating us with its light and rays

His light and his beams shining down upon us,

ولا زال من يحمي الذمار بعزّةٍ

ولا زال من يحمي الذمار بعزّةٍ

ولو جمعوا ما يستطاع دفاعه

ولو جمعوا ما يستطاع دفاعه

And may he ever be one who defends honor with might,

It still protects the wine-cups with honor

And may he cease not to protect the sacred trust with dignity,

Even if they gathered together, he could not be resisted.

Even if all united, none could thwart it

Even if they gathered all force that could be mustered,

ولا زال محجوج الأفاضل كعبة

ولا زال محجوج الأفاضل كعبة

وممدوحة أفعاله وطباعه

وممدوحة أفعاله وطباعه

And may he ever be a Kaaba sought by the virtuous on pilgrimage,

Still the most sacred shrine of nobles

And may he cease not to be a Kaaba pilgrimaged to by the virtuous,

And may his deeds and character be praised.

With deeds and nature praised

With his deeds and his nature ever praised,

ولا زال سيّاراً إلى اللّه داعيا

ولا زال سيّاراً إلى اللّه داعيا

بعلم وحلم ما يضمّ شراعه

بعلم وحلم ما يضمّ شراعه

And may he ever journey onward, calling to God,

Still roaming to God, imploring

And may he cease not to be a traveler calling unto God,

With knowledge and forbearance, never furling his sail.

With knowledge and forbearance, none can envelop its sail

With knowledge and forbearance in all that his sail embraces,

ولا زال للعلياء أرفع رايةٍ

ولا زال للعلياء أرفع رايةٍ

وبشراه مبذول لنا ومتاعه

وبشراه مبذول لنا ومتاعه

And may he ever be glory's loftiest banner,

Still the loftiest banner for the elite

And may he cease not to be the loftiest banner of glory,

And may his glad tidings and bounty be freely given to us.

Its generosity extended to us, its treasures ours

With his glad tidings and his bounty lavishly bestowed upon us,

فأبقاه من رقّاه عين زمانه

فأبقاه من رقّاه عين زمانه

وحامل كلّ الكلّ منا وساعه

وحامل كلّ الكلّ منا وساعه

So may He who raised him to be the eye of his age preserve him,

Kept sublime by the one who valued his time

So may He who raised him preserve him as the eye of his age,

And bearer of the burdens of us all, to his capacity [uncertain reading].

Bearer of all, our ally and aid

Bearing the burden of us all with his ample capacity.