لما علمت بما ألقى من الوصب

لما علمت بما ألقى من الوصب

بعثت لي عوذة عافت من الكرب

بعثت لي عوذة عافت من الكرب

When you learned of the illness I suffer,

When you learned of the suffering I endure,

you sent me a protective charm that warded off distress.

You sent me a charm that healed me of distress.

فضضتها فازدهانا الروض مبتسما

فضضتها فازدهانا الروض مبتسما

وأنشدت فهنانا مجلس الطرب

وأنشدت فهنانا مجلس الطرب

I broke its seal, and the garden bloomed before us, smiling;

I unsealed it, and the smiling garden enchanted us;

I recited it, and the gathering of delight hailed us with joy.

And I recited it, and the gathering of delight congratulated us.

ألفاظها والمعانى فى لطافتها

ألفاظها والمعانى فى لطافتها

والنظم كالماء والصهباء والحبب

والنظم كالماء والصهباء والحبب

Its words and meanings are exquisite in their delicacy,

Its words and meanings, in their delicacy,

and its verse is like water, red wine, and sparkling bubbles.

And its verse are like water, tawny wine, and bubbles.

قد أعجزت بفنون من فصاحتها

قد أعجزت بفنون من فصاحتها

لولا التأخر كانت حجة العرب

لولا التأخر كانت حجة العرب

Through the many arts of its eloquence, it has proved inimitable;

It has indeed defied imitation through the varied arts of its eloquence;

had it not come in a later age, it would have been an authority for the Arabs.

But for its lateness, it would have been an authority for the Arabs.

لما فهمت معانيها استناء بها

لما فهمت معانيها استناء بها

ذهنى وعدن لذهنى محنة الادب

ذهنى وعدن لذهنى محنة الادب

When I grasped its meanings, my mind was illumined by them,

When I understood its meanings, they illumined [uncertain reading]

and they restored to my mind literature’s exacting test.

My mind, and became for it an ordeal in letters.

فان اجد فى امتثالى ما أمرت بها

فان اجد فى امتثالى ما أمرت بها

فذاك من غرس فضل منك مكتسب

فذاك من غرس فضل منك مكتسب

If, in complying, I accomplish what you commanded through it,

So if I excel in complying with what you commanded through it,

that is a gain from the seed of grace you planted.

Then that comes from a planting of excellence acquired from you.

كاتبتنى واداء الحق يعجزني

كاتبتنى واداء الحق يعجزني

فلا أزال لكم قنًا مدى الحقب

فلا أزال لكم قنًا مدى الحقب

You wrote to me, though giving you your due is beyond me;

You wrote to me, and paying what is due is beyond me;

so I shall remain your bondsman through all the ages.

So I shall remain your bondslave throughout the ages.

لقد شرفت بودى والولاء لكم

لقد شرفت بودى والولاء لكم

ونسبة الود عندى اشرف النسب

ونسبة الود عندى اشرف النسب

Indeed, I am ennobled by my affection and allegiance to you,

Indeed, I have been ennobled by my affection and allegiance to you;

for the bond of affection is, to me, the noblest lineage.

And the bond of affection is, to me, the noblest lineage.

كم جئتكم ثم تثنيني مهابتكم

كم جئتكم ثم تثنيني مهابتكم

فانثنى وفنون الشوق تلعب بي

فانثنى وفنون الشوق تلعب بي

How often I have come to you, only to be turned back by awe of you;

How often I have come to you, then the awe you inspire turns me back;

I turn away while all the forms of longing play with me.

So I turn away, while longing in all its forms toys with me.

لا زلت ياجامع الآداب تلبس أث

لا زلت ياجامع الآداب تلبس أث

واب المحاسن كلاً غير ذي نصب

واب المحاسن كلاً غير ذي نصب

May you ever, O compendium of the arts, wear the robes

May you ever, O gatherer of the literary arts, wear the gar-

of every virtue, untouched by weariness.

ments of virtues—all of them—without weariness.

تجلى عليك فتستحلى غرائبها

تجلى عليك فتستحلى غرائبها

افكار ذى الفضل فى أثوابها القشب

افكار ذى الفضل فى أثوابها القشب

May they unveil themselves to you, that you may savor their wonders—

They are unveiled before you, and their marvels are savored:

the thoughts of a man of merit in their fresh attire.

The thoughts of one endowed with merit, in their fresh garments.