1. يا حَبَّذا خبرُ الصَدي

    قِ مُحدّثاً عَن جَمعِ شَملي

    Ah, how welcome the news of the friend,

    telling of my reunion!

  2. وَنَسيمُهُ وَكِتابُهُ

    وَالفِكرُ مِنهُ حينَ يُملي

    And his breeze, and his letter,

    and his thought as he dictates;

  3. وَبَنانُهُ وَبَيانُهُ

    وَالعُذرُ مِنهُ حينَ يُبلي

    and his fingertips, and his eloquence,

    and his excuse when he sets it forth.

  4. يَشكو تَباريحَ الفِراقِ

    بِغلَّةٍ في الصَدرِ تَغلي

    He laments the torments of separation,

    with burning anguish boiling in his breast.

  5. وَيطيلُ وَصفَ نِزاعِهِ

    فَيَزيدُ في شَوقي وَخبلي

    And he dwells on describing his yearning,

    thus increasing my longing and my madness.

  6. كَم لي عَلى ما قَد حَكى

    مِن شاهِدٍ في القَلبِ عَدلِ

    For what he has recounted, I have many

    an upright witness within my heart!

  7. سَمَحَ الزَمانُ بِقُربِهِ

    مِن بَعدِ تَسويفٍ وَمَطلِ

    Time granted me closeness to him,

    after deferral and delay.

  8. فَغَفَرتُ سَالِفَ مَنعِهِ

    لَمّا تَعقَّبه بِبَذلِ

    So I forgave its former withholding,

    when it followed that with giving.

  9. وَعَزمتُ مُجتَهِداً عَلَيهِ

    لا يُروّعُنا بِفَصلِ

    And earnestly I adjured it

    not to frighten us with separation.