وافى كَتابُكَ أَسْنى ما يَعُودُ بِهِ

وافى كَتابُكَ أَسْنى ما يَعُودُ بِهِ

وَفْدُ الْمَسَرَّةِ مِنِّي إِذْ يُوافِينِي

وَفْدُ الْمَسَرَّةِ مِنِّي إِذْ يُوافِينِي

Your letter arrived—the most splendid thing brought back

Your book brought the best gift

By joy’s delegation from me when it visits me.

That the envoy of joy could bring me

فَظَلْتُ أَطْوِيهِ مِنْ شَوْقٍ وَأَنْشُرُهُ

فَظَلْتُ أَطْوِيهِ مِنْ شَوْقٍ وَأَنْشُرُهُ

وَالشَّوْقُ يَنْشُرُنِي فِيهِ وَيَطْوِينِي

وَالشَّوْقُ يَنْشُرُنِي فِيهِ وَيَطْوِينِي

So I kept folding it out of longing and unfolding it,

So I kept folding it in yearning and unfolding it

And longing unfolds me within it and folds me.

While yearning unfolds me in it and folds me