وردَ الكتابُ من الكريمِ المفضلِ

وردَ الكتابُ من الكريمِ المفضلِ

العالمِ الفطنِ النبيهِ الأكْملِ

العالمِ الفطنِ النبيهِ الأكْملِ

The letter arrived from the generous, bountiful one,

The book has arrived from the generous, distinguished

The learned, perceptive, distinguished, most accomplished,

Learned, perceptive, accomplished patron

ربُّ الرسائلِ والوسائلِ والندَى

ربُّ الرسائلِ والوسائلِ والندَى

وأخُو السماحةِ والنوال المسْبِلِ

وأخُو السماحةِ والنوال المسْبِلِ

Master of letters, of means, and of generosity,

Lord of missives, means, and bounty

And brother to liberality and freely flowing bounty,

And brother of generosity and freely flowing favor

وابنُ الأولى أقوالُهم أفعالُهم

وابنُ الأولى أقوالُهم أفعالُهم

زاكى الأرومةِ والنجارِ الأَنْبَلِ

زاكى الأرومةِ والنجارِ الأَنْبَلِ

And son of those whose words are their deeds,

And son of the finest words and deeds

Of pure ancestry and the noblest lineage.

Of refined dignity and noble lignage

أكرمْ به مِن صاحبٍ ومُصاحَب

أكرمْ به مِن صاحبٍ ومُصاحَب

أحسن به من سيدِ ومُجلَّلِ

أحسن به من سيدِ ومُجلَّلِ

How noble he is as a companion and one befriended!

With it I have been honored by a friend and companion

How excellent he is as a lord and one held in honor!

Better than a lord or dignitary

لما أتاني طرسُه وكتابُه

لما أتاني طرسُه وكتابُه

أيْقَنْتُ أن همومَ صَدْرِي تَنْجَلِى

أيْقَنْتُ أن همومَ صَدْرِي تَنْجَلِى

When his sheet and his letter reached me,

When his epistle and book reached me

I knew that the cares within my breast would clear away.

I was certain my heart’s sorrows would disperse

فأخَذْتُه وفضضته ولثَمتُه

فأخَذْتُه وفضضته ولثَمتُه

وقرأته بخلاصِ قَلْبٍ مُقْبِلِ

وقرأته بخلاصِ قَلْبٍ مُقْبِلِ

So I took it, unsealed it, and kissed it,

I took it and opened it and pressed it to my lips

And read it with a sincere, attentive heart.

And read it with a welcoming heart

وأجلتُ فِكْري في معاني لفْظِه

وأجلتُ فِكْري في معاني لفْظِه

فوجدتُ من أهواه أشرفَ مُرْسِلِ

فوجدتُ من أهواه أشرفَ مُرْسِلِ

And let my thoughts roam through the meanings of its wording,

And focused my thoughts on the meaning of its words

And found the one I love to be the noblest sender.

And found from my beloved the noblest messenger

قد جاءَ من وَلدى وقرةِ أعيني

قد جاءَ من وَلدى وقرةِ أعيني

خطٌّ كدرٍّ بالجمنُ مُفَصَّلِ

خطٌّ كدرٍّ بالجمنُ مُفَصَّلِ

There has come from my son, the delight of my eyes,

Who came from my delight and solace

Handwriting like pearls interspersed with beads.

A script like clustered pearls on a thread

أهلاً به أهلاً به أهلاً به

أهلاً به أهلاً به أهلاً به

فهُو الشفاءُ لكل داء مُعْضِلِ

فهُو الشفاءُ لكل داء مُعْضِلِ

Welcome to it! Welcome to it! Welcome to it!

Welcome, welcome, welcome to him

For it is the cure for every intractable ailment.

For he is the cure for every hardened affliction

هاكَ الجوابَ أتى يلوحُ كأنه

هاكَ الجوابَ أتى يلوحُ كأنه

الشمس المنيرة من جناب المُعْوَلِى

الشمس المنيرة من جناب المُعْوَلِى

Take the reply: it comes gleaming, as though it were

The shining sun from the direction of the full moon

The radiant sun, from the presence of al-Mu‘wali.

A scent from a bouquet surpassing

نفطٌ بطرسٍ فاقَ نشرُ روايحٍ

نفطٌ بطرسٍ فاقَ نشرُ روايحٍ

ما نشر نفحه عنبرٍ وقُرُنْفُلِ

ما نشر نفحه عنبرٍ وقُرُنْفُلِ

Oil upon a sheet, whose wafting fragrance surpassed

The diffusion of ambergris and carnation

The scent that ambergris and cloves diffuse.

And rhyming couplets arranged

وقوافياً متتابعاتٍ زانَها

وقوافياً متتابعاتٍ زانَها

سلكُ النظامِ بهن غيرُ مُخَلّلِ

سلكُ النظامِ بهن غيرُ مُخَلّلِ

And rhymes in succession, adorned

In strands by the order's wire, uninterrupted

By the thread of verse, with no gaps among them.

Take them, for you deserve them, so choose

خُذْها فإنّك كُفّؤها فاخترْ لهَا

خُذْها فإنّك كُفّؤها فاخترْ لهَا

لتحلَّ مِن حسناتِك أفضلَ مَنْزِلِ

لتحلَّ مِن حسناتِك أفضلَ مَنْزِلِ

Take them, for you are worthy of them; choose for them

From your virtues the finest place for them

That they may dwell in the finest abode among your good deeds.

And a thousand greetings repeat to you and a thousand

وعليكَ ألفُ تحيةٍ تَترَى وألفُ

وعليكَ ألفُ تحيةٍ تَترَى وألفُ

سلامةٍ طولُ المدَى لَمْ تُنْقَلِ

سلامةٍ طولُ المدَى لَمْ تُنْقَلِ

And upon you a thousand greetings in succession, and a thousand

Safeties, endless in duration, unchanging

Wishes of well-being for all time, never taken away.