وَرَد الكتابُ من الحبيبِ الواثقِ

وَرَد الكتابُ من الحبيبِ الواثقِ

باللهِ ربِّ العالمينَ الخالقِ

باللهِ ربِّ العالمينَ الخالقِ

The letter arrived from the beloved who trusts

The book came from the confident beloved

In God, Lord of the worlds, the Creator.

By Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Creator

وردَ الكتابُ من الحبيبِ أخِي التقَى

وردَ الكتابُ من الحبيبِ أخِي التقَى

علمِ الهُدَى نسلِ الكريمِ الحاذِقِ

علمِ الهُدَى نسلِ الكريمِ الحاذِقِ

The letter arrived from the beloved, a man of piety,

The book came from my brother, the virtuous one

A beacon of guidance, scion of the noble, accomplished man,

Of the guidance's knowledge, the generous discerning one's lineage

أهلِ النباهةِ والبلاغَةِ والهدى

أهلِ النباهةِ والبلاغَةِ والهدى

وأخِى الفصاحةِ والمقالِ الصادقِ

وأخِى الفصاحةِ والمقالِ الصادقِ

Endowed with distinction, eloquence, and guidance,

The people of wisdom, eloquence and guidance

And a man of eloquence and truthful speech;

And my eloquent and truthful spoken brother

وابن الأَخِلاّءِ الذين عهدتهمْ

وابن الأَخِلاّءِ الذين عهدتهمْ

مِن قبلُ أهلُ عزائمٍ ومُوَاثقِ

مِن قبلُ أهلُ عزائمٍ ومُوَاثقِ

And a son of the dear friends whom I have known

And the son of the loyal ones whom I knew

From long ago as men of resolve and firm pledges;

Before, the people of resolves and pacts

وابنِ الذين فِعالُهم مشكورةٌ

وابنِ الذين فِعالُهم مشكورةٌ

بين الورَى بمغاربٍ مَشارقِ

بين الورَى بمغاربٍ مَشارقِ

And a son of those whose deeds are praised

And the son of those whose deeds are appreciated

Among humankind, in western and eastern lands.

Among people in both east and west

أَعْنِي به الفَطِنَ اللبيبَ المرتضَى

أَعْنِي به الفَطِنَ اللبيبَ المرتضَى

وأخَا الرضىّ أهل النجَارِ السَّابقِ

وأخَا الرضىّ أهل النجَارِ السَّابقِ

I mean by him the discerning, wise, esteemed man,

I mean the astute, brilliant, content one

And a man of contentment, of time-honored lineage.

And the brother of contentment, the people of eminence and precedence

ويكادُ مِن كرمِ الطباعِ تُسِيغُه

ويكادُ مِن كرمِ الطباعِ تُسِيغُه

لكنّه حَتْفٌ لكلِّ مُنافِق

لكنّه حَتْفٌ لكلِّ مُنافِق

And so generous is his nature, you could almost swallow him,

And his noble nature almost excuses him

Yet he is death to every hypocrite.

But he is the ruin of every hypocrite

أكرمْ به مِنْ صاحبٍ ومُصاحبٍ

أكرمْ به مِنْ صاحبٍ ومُصاحبٍ

أحسنْ به مِنْ صادَقٍ ومُصَادِق

أحسنْ به مِنْ صادَقٍ ومُصَادِق

How noble he is as a friend and companion!

He is more generous than a companion or befriender

How fine he is as a true friend and one who befriends!

Kinder than a truthful or befriending one

لما أتاني خطُّهُ وكِتابُه

لما أتاني خطُّهُ وكِتابُه

كاللؤلؤ الرطْب اللطيف الرائقِ

كاللؤلؤ الرطْب اللطيف الرائقِ

When his handwriting and his letter reached me,

When his writing and book came to me

Like fresh pearls, delicate and pure,

Like fresh, gentle, flowing pearls

ذرفتْ مدامعُ مُقْلتِي متذاكراً

ذرفتْ مدامعُ مُقْلتِي متذاكراً

عَهداً قديماً بالمكان السَّامِقِ

عَهداً قديماً بالمكان السَّامِقِ

Tears streamed from my eye as I recalled

My eyelids shed tears remembering

A time long past in that lofty place.

An old pact in the high place

ففضضتُ خَتْمَ كتابِه ونشرتُه

ففضضتُ خَتْمَ كتابِه ونشرتُه

فعرفتُه مِنْ سيدِّي ومُوابِقي

فعرفتُه مِنْ سيدِّي ومُوابِقي

Then I broke his letter's seal and unfolded it,

So I opened its seal and unfolded it

So I recognized it as coming from my master and close companion.

And I recognized it was from my master and confidant

أبدي جواهرَ منطِقي لجوابهِ

أبدي جواهرَ منطِقي لجوابهِ

وخفوقَ قلبي مثلَ قلبِ الوامِقِ

وخفوقَ قلبي مثلَ قلبِ الوامِقِ

I set forth the jewels of my speech in reply to him,

I revealed the gems of my speech in reply

And my heart's fluttering, like a lover's heart.

And my heart throbbing like the fervent one's heart

فَطَفِقْتُ أياماً بهِ متحيراً

فَطَفِقْتُ أياماً بهِ متحيراً

وأجيلُ أفْكارِي بقلبٍ خانِقِ

وأجيلُ أفْكارِي بقلبٍ خانِقِ

So I spent days bewildered over it,

So for days I was bewildered by it

And turned my thoughts over with a choking heart.

And my thoughts were chained in a choking heart

وأنا القَؤُول أعدُّ نفسي ماهراً

وأنا القَؤُول أعدُّ نفسي ماهراً

في الشعرِ رَبُّ نوادرٍ ودَقائِق

في الشعرِ رَبُّ نوادرٍ ودَقائِق

And I, an eloquent speaker, consider myself skilled

And I, the eloquent one, counted myself skillful

In poetry, a master of rarities and subtleties.

In poetry, Lord of rarities and subtleties

لكنْ أرَى تركَ الجوابِ سفاهة

لكنْ أرَى تركَ الجوابِ سفاهة

وأقولُ ترْكُ الرد طبعُ المارِقِ

وأقولُ ترْكُ الرد طبعُ المارِقِ

Yet I deem leaving it unanswered folly,

But I see leaving the reply as foolishness

And say that not replying is a renegade's nature.

And I say leaving no response is the renegade's nature

واعذرْ وسامحْ إنني متكلفٌ

واعذرْ وسامحْ إنني متكلفٌ

لكنْ ظفرتُ به بعونِ الرازِقِ

لكنْ ظفرتُ به بعونِ الرازِقِ

And excuse me and forgive me, for I am straining for words,

Forgive and pardon me, for I am pretentious

Yet I succeeded in it with the Provider's help.

But I managed it with the Sustainer's help