بعثت الكتاب فأهلاً به

بعثت الكتاب فأهلاً به

يسر النواظر تنميقه

يسر النواظر تنميقه

You sent the letter—how welcome it is!

I sent the book, so welcome it

Its embellishment delights the eyes.

Its beautiful arrangement delights the eyes

لئن أخجل الروض موشيه

لئن أخجل الروض موشيه

لقد فضح الدر منسوقه

لقد فضح الدر منسوقه

If its embroidery has put the garden to shame,

If its adorned gardens put the meadow to shame

its strung words have surely put pearls to shame.

Its flowing pearls expose their stringing

غريب الصناعة تجنيسه

غريب الصناعة تجنيسه

نفيس البضاعة تطبيقه

نفيس البضاعة تطبيقه

Its wordplay is a marvel of craftsmanship,

Unique in style is its composition

its antithesis a precious commodity.

Precious in meaning is its compilation

وواصلني بعد طول الجفا

وواصلني بعد طول الجفا

كما وصل الصب معشوقه

كما وصل الصب معشوقه

And it rejoined me after long estrangement,

And join me after the long estrangement

as a lovesick lover is rejoined by his beloved.

As the lover joined the beloved

فزايل جفني تأريقه

فزايل جفني تأريقه

وعاود غصني توريقه

وعاود غصني توريقه

So sleeplessness departed from my eyelid,

So it dispelled my sleeplessness

and my branch put forth its leaves again.

And returned my branch to blossoming

وبت أراقب مسطوره

وبت أراقب مسطوره

كما راقب النجم عيوقه

كما راقب النجم عيوقه

And I spent the night watching its written lines,

I remained observing what was written

as Capella kept watch over the Pleiades.

As the star observes the water-laden rain clouds

فلما بدت لي ألفاظه

فلما بدت لي ألفاظه

تستر فكري وتلفيقه

تستر فكري وتلفيقه

Then, when its words appeared to me,

When its words appeared to me

my thought and its patchwork hid themselves.

My thoughts were veiled and composed

أما خاف يهتك مستوره

أما خاف يهتك مستوره

أما خاف يظهر مسروقه

أما خاف يظهر مسروقه

Did it not fear that what it hid would be laid bare?

Did it fear exposing what was hidden?

Did it not fear that what it stole would come to light?

Did it fear revealing what was plagiarized?