لقد أهدت كتابك منك كفٌ

لقد أهدت كتابك منك كفٌ

لها ولمثلها صيغَ السوارُ

لها ولمثلها صيغَ السوارُ

Your letter was bestowed by a hand of yours—

Indeed, a hand brought your letter as a gift from you—

a hand for which, and for its like, the bracelet was fashioned.

For it, and hands like it, the bracelet was fashioned.

وأسرعتِ المطيُّ بحامليهِ

وأسرعتِ المطيُّ بحامليهِ

ولا عقرٌ يخاف ولا عثار

ولا عقرٌ يخاف ولا عثار

The mounts sped on with its bearers,

And the riding camels sped with its bearers,

with neither crippling mishap feared nor any stumble.

With neither injury nor stumbling to fear.

حططتُ لثامهُ فإذا شبابٌ

حططتُ لثامهُ فإذا شبابٌ

من الآداب يصحبهُ يسار

من الآداب يصحبهُ يسار

I lowered its veil, and behold—a youthful bloom

I lowered its veil—and behold, the youthful bloom

of literary art, attended by abundance:

Of literary refinement, accompanied by wealth.

حروفٌ كالعرائس لابساتٌ

حروفٌ كالعرائس لابساتٌ

حليَّ الشكل والنقطُ النثار

حليَّ الشكل والنقطُ النثار

characters like brides, arrayed

Letters like brides, wearing

in diacritics as jewels, their dots scattered largesse.

The jewels of vowel marks, with dots as scattered gifts.

لها بردٌ على الأحشاء شبَّت

لها بردٌ على الأحشاء شبَّت

له في مجهلِ الإنشاء نار

له في مجهلِ الإنشاء نار

It lays a coolness upon the innermost heart, though there blazed

They bring coolness to the heart; there blazed

for it, in the very souls of composition, a fire.

For it, in composition’s trackless wilderness, a fire.

عجبتُ لهُ ولمَّا يند وجهاً

عجبتُ لهُ ولمَّا يند وجهاً

وفي أحشائه الديمُ الغزار

وفي أحشائه الديمُ الغزار

I marveled at it: though its face was not yet bedewed,

I marveled at it: its face was not yet moist,

within its depths were copious, enduring rains.

Though within it were copious, steady rains.