خليلي أتاني منك الكتاب

خليلي أتاني منك الكتاب

فللّه درّك ما أجمله

فللّه درّك ما أجمله

My friend, your letter has reached me.

My friend, your letter reached me,

My friend, your letter has reached me;

God bless you—how beautiful it is!

Bless you, how beautiful it is!

God bless you—how beautiful it is!

أتاني كما أنا ذا طالبٌ

أتاني كما أنا ذا طالبٌ

فلا زلت في الوقت ذا أفضله

فلا زلت في الوقت ذا أفضله

It reached me just as I was seeking it;

It reached me while I was seeking,

It arrived exactly as I was seeking it;

So may you ever remain the finest of this age.

Still at the best of times.

May you never cease to be the most excellent of this age.

ولا زلت حائز قصب السباق

ولا زلت حائز قصب السباق

إلى كل فضل علا نائله

إلى كل فضل علا نائله

And may you ever claim the prize reed in the race

I still hold the reed of the race

And may you forever seize the winner's reed in the race

Toward every excellence whose achiever rises high.

To every high virtue that can be attained.

Toward every virtue of lofty attainment.

تهزّ اليراع فتخشى السيوف

تهزّ اليراع فتخشى السيوف

وتصبح مهزومةً جافله

وتصبح مهزومةً جافله

You brandish the reed pen, and swords take fright,

It shakes the banners, fearing the swords,

You brandish the pen, and swords tremble in fear,

And become defeated, fleeing in fright.

And becomes defeated, fleeing.

Becoming defeated, fleeing in panic.

وما زالت السمر والمرهفات

وما زالت السمر والمرهفات

لأقلامكم خدما مائله

لأقلامكم خدما مائله

And the dusky spears and keen-edged swords have ever

The dark-lipped and slender-waisted girls

For the tawny spears and sharpened blades remain

Been servants bowing to your pens.

Are still inclined to serve your pens.

Humble servants bowing before your pens.

إذا كان فضل الغنى باللسان

إذا كان فضل الغنى باللسان

فأنتم لكم ألسن فاضله

فأنتم لكم ألسن فاضله

If wealth's distinction lies in the tongue,

If eloquence is the abundance of speech,

If the merit of true richness lies in the tongue,

Then yours are tongues of excellence.

You have the most eloquent tongues.

Then you possess tongues of supreme virtue.

وإن كان خاصته كاتبا

وإن كان خاصته كاتبا

فكم من خواص لكم كامله

فكم من خواص لكم كامله

And if its favored attendant is a scribe,

And if its essence is a writer,

And if a ruler's confidant is a scribe,

How many accomplished attendants you have!

You have many accomplished confidants.

Then how many perfect attributes do you possess.

لئن كان لفظ اسمكم مفردا

لئن كان لفظ اسمكم مفردا

فمعناكم الجمع ما أشمله

فمعناكم الجمع ما أشمله

If indeed your name is singular in form,

If the name of your tribe is singular,

Even if the utterance of your name is singular,

Your meaning is plural—how all-embracing it is!

Your meaning is inclusive, how great it is!

Your essence is plural—how all-encompassing it is!

ولو كان بالفضل يرقى السماك

ولو كان بالفضل يرقى السماك

رقيتم وأثقلتم كاهله

رقيتم وأثقلتم كاهله

And if one could reach al-Simāk through excellence,

If the heavens could be ascended by merit,

If one could ascend to the stars through merit,

You would ascend and weigh down its shoulders.

You would ascend and weigh down its shoulder.

You would have ascended and burdened their very shoulders.

جمعت أدابا وفضل انتساب

جمعت أدابا وفضل انتساب

فناعتكم قال ما أكمله

فناعتكم قال ما أكمله

You have united literary attainments and noble lineage;

You brought together refinement and noble lineage,

You have combined literary refinement with noble lineage,

So the one describing you said, 'How perfect he is!'

So your distinction, it has said, is most perfect.

So that he who describes you exclaims: How perfect he is!