سيدي قدْ بدأتني بكتاب

سيدي قدْ بدأتني بكتاب

فيهِ ألفاظُ مَنْ أحبَّ فعاتَبْ

فيهِ ألفاظُ مَنْ أحبَّ فعاتَبْ

My lord, you have written to me first,

My master, you have started me with a book

With the words of one who loved and so reproached.

In it are words of one who loved and admonished

أنتَ كاتبتني لترفعَ قدري

أنتَ كاتبتني لترفعَ قدري

كنتُ عبداً لكمْ فصرتُ مُكاتَبْ

كنتُ عبداً لكمْ فصرتُ مُكاتَبْ

You corresponded with me to raise my standing;

You have written me to raise my worth

I was your slave, then became one written to—a slave contracted for freedom.

I was your slave, so I became your correspondent