وَرَد الكتابُ من الحبيبِ الواثقِ

باللهِ ربِّ العالمينَ الخالقِ

The book came from the confident beloved

By Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Creator

وردَ الكتابُ من الحبيبِ أخِي التقَى

علمِ الهُدَى نسلِ الكريمِ الحاذِقِ

The book came from my brother, the virtuous one

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

أهلِ النباهةِ والبلاغَةِ والهدى

وأخِى الفصاحةِ والمقالِ الصادقِ

The people of wisdom, eloquence and guidance

And my eloquent and truthful spoken brother

وابن الأَخِلاّءِ الذين عهدتهمْ

مِن قبلُ أهلُ عزائمٍ ومُوَاثقِ

And the son of the loyal ones whom I knew

Before, the people of resolves and pacts

وابنِ الذين فِعالُهم مشكورةٌ

بين الورَى بمغاربٍ مَشارقِ

And the son of those whose deeds are appreciated

Among people in both east and west

أَعْنِي به الفَطِنَ اللبيبَ المرتضَى

وأخَا الرضىّ أهل النجَارِ السَّابقِ

I mean the astute, brilliant, content one

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

ويكادُ مِن كرمِ الطباعِ تُسِيغُه

لكنّه حَتْفٌ لكلِّ مُنافِق

And his noble nature almost excuses him

But he is the ruin of every hypocrite

أكرمْ به مِنْ صاحبٍ ومُصاحبٍ

أحسنْ به مِنْ صادَقٍ ومُصَادِق

He is more generous than a companion or befriender

Kinder than a truthful or befriending one

لما أتاني خطُّهُ وكِتابُه

كاللؤلؤ الرطْب اللطيف الرائقِ

When his writing and book came to me

Like fresh, gentle, flowing pearls

ذرفتْ مدامعُ مُقْلتِي متذاكراً

عَهداً قديماً بالمكان السَّامِقِ

My eyelids shed tears remembering

An old pact in the high place

ففضضتُ خَتْمَ كتابِه ونشرتُه

فعرفتُه مِنْ سيدِّي ومُوابِقي

So I opened its seal and unfolded it

And I recognized it was from my master and confidant

أبدي جواهرَ منطِقي لجوابهِ

وخفوقَ قلبي مثلَ قلبِ الوامِقِ

I revealed the gems of my speech in reply

And my heart throbbing like the fervent one's heart

فَطَفِقْتُ أياماً بهِ متحيراً

وأجيلُ أفْكارِي بقلبٍ خانِقِ

So for days I was bewildered by it

And my thoughts were chained in a choking heart

وأنا القَؤُول أعدُّ نفسي ماهراً

في الشعرِ رَبُّ نوادرٍ ودَقائِق

And I, the eloquent one, counted myself skillful

In poetry, Lord of rarities and subtleties

لكنْ أرَى تركَ الجوابِ سفاهة

وأقولُ ترْكُ الرد طبعُ المارِقِ

But I see leaving the reply as foolishness

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

واعذرْ وسامحْ إنني متكلفٌ

لكنْ ظفرتُ به بعونِ الرازِقِ

Forgive and pardon me, for I am pretentious

But I managed it with the Sustainer's help