1. وَلَمَّا أَتَانا والدَّيَارُ بَعيِدَةٌ

    كتَابٌ بِأَنْفَاسِ الوَدادِ تَضَوعا

    And when, with our homes far apart, there came to us

    a letter fragrant with the breaths of affection,

  2. أَرَقُّ مِنَ السلْسَالِ لُطْفاً كَأَنَمَّا

    تَأَلَّفَ مِنْ روح الصَّبَا وَتَجَّمعا

    more delicate in its grace than limpid water, as though

    it had been formed and gathered from the spirit of the east wind,

  3. شَفَى غُلَّةَ الصَّادي وَسَكَّنَ لَوْعَةً

    تَكَادُ لَهَا الأَكْبَادُ أنْ تَتَصَدَّعا

    it quenched the parched one's burning thirst and soothed an anguish

    that nearly made livers split asunder.

  4. تَنَافَسَ فيهِ نَاظرٌ وأَنَامِلُ

    وَأَخْفَيْنَ عَمّا فِيْهِ لُبّاً وَمَسْمَعا

    An eye and fingertips vied for it,

    and kept mind and ear unaware of what it held.

  5. فَقَبَّلْتُهُ ألْفَاً وَألْفَاً كَرَامَةً

    وَلْمَ أَرضَ إِجْلالاً لَهُ الرَّأسَ مَوْضِعا

    So I kissed it a thousand times and a thousand more, in homage,

    and, in reverence for it, deemed my head no fit resting place.

  6. وَنِلْتُ مِنَ الأيّامِ مَا كُنْتُ راجيِاً

    وُقُلْتُ لِدَهْري: كيفَ ما شِئتَ فَاصنْعَا

    And I gained from the days what I had hoped for,

    and said to my fate: "Do whatever you will."