أُهدي سَلاماً يَزدَري العُقودا

بِحُسنِهِ وَدرّها الفَريدا

I send greetings that scorn the ages

With their beauty and unique pearls

وَيَزدَري بِلُطفِهِ النّسيما

وَيَعتَلي رَونَقه التّسنيما

And scorn the gentle breeze with its gentleness

And rise above the murmuring of spring

وَيَزدَري المِسكَ بِعرفهِ الذّكِي

وَنَفحِهِ يَعمّ كُلَّ مَسلَكِ

And scorn musk with its pleasant fragrance

Whose scent permeates every path

وَيخجل البَدر لَدى التّمامِ

إِلى الهُمامِ مُصطَفى الإِمامِ

And the full moon is ashamed in its presence

To the aspirations of Mustafa the Imam

مَن قَد حَوى الفَضائِلَ الجَليلَه

كَما اِحتَوى الفَواضِلَ الجَميله

Who embodied the great virtues

As he did the beautiful merits

حَماهُ مَولانا مِنَ الأَسواءِ

ثمَّ وَقاهُ سائِرَ الأَدواءِ

Our Master protected him from evils

Then saved him from all maladies

كَذاكَ أُهديهِ مِنَ الثّناءِ

أَحسَنَهُ وَصالح الدّعاءِ

So I send him this praise

The best of it and righteous prayer

مَعَ السّؤالِ عَن شَريفِ خاطِرهْ

وَعَن خُطوري الدّهرَ في ضَمائِرِهْ

Asking about his noble mood

And the concerns of time in his conscience

أُبدي إِلَيهِ أَنّه في الأَشرَفِ

وَأَيمنِ السّاعاتِ ثمَّ الأَلطَفِ

I let him know that he is in the most noble

And auspicious time, then the gentlest

قَد جاءَني تَحريرهُ الفَخيمُ

فَخَّمْتُهُ إذ حقُّه التّفخيم

His eminent letter came to me

So I honored it as is its right to honor

عَن يَد صالِحٍ أَخي الصّلاحِ

التّرشِحاني حائِز الفَلاحِ

From the hand of Salih my good brother

Tarshihini, the successful attainer

وَغبّ أَن أَدّيته التّعظيما

رَأَيت منهُ درَّه النّظيما

And I wished I had given it utmost esteem

As I saw its beautiful prosody from it

قَرَأته بِغايةِ الإِذعانِ

بِفي اللّسانِ وَفم الأذهانِ

I read it with utmost compliance

In tongue, lip, and mind

فَسَرَّني مِن حيثُ لي قَد أَخبَرا

بِصَحَّةِ المِزاجِ مِن غَيرِ اِمترا

So I was glad that he informed me

Of the health of the temper without sickness

وَبِاِعتِدال طَبعك اللّطيفِ

كَذا بِطيبِ وَقتك الشّريفِ

And the equilibrium of your gentle nature

As well as the goodness of your noble time

وَأَنّني خطرتُ في الضَّميرِ

وَالخاطِر المُكرّم الخطيرِ

And that I came across in conscience

And the honored, serious thought

حَمدتُ ربّي وَلَه شَكرتُ

عَلى الّذي يا ذا الحِجى ذَكَرتُ

I thanked my Lord and thanked Him

For what you mentioned, O possessor of wisdom

وَقَد فَهِمت كُلَّ ما لَهُ حَوى

وَما عَلَيهِ يا أَخا المَجدِ اِنطَوى

And I understood all that it contained

And what was implied, O brother of glory

أَوصَيتَني في الصالِحِ المَذكورِ

خِدن القَوافي الشّاعِر المَشهورِ

You advised me regarding the aforementioned righteous one

To respond to the famous poet's rhymes

فَأَمركَ السّامي عَليَّ واجبُ

وَإِنّني فيهِ اِمتِثالاً راغبُ

So your sublime order is incumbent upon me

And I am eager to comply with it

أَدّيتهُ ما اِستَطعتُهُ مِن حَقِّهِ

وَكلّ حسنٍ شِمتُهُ في خُلقهِ

I have fulfilled it as much as I was able

And every good trait I sensed in his manners

وَإِنّني المَخجولُ وَالمقصِّرُ

وَمِن قُصوري لَكمُ أَستَغفِرُ

And I am the humble one, the negligent

And I seek forgiveness much for my shortcomings

وَأَنتَ ذو الصّفحِ بِلا نَكير

تَعفو عَنِ القُصورِ وَالتّقصيرِ

While you are the forgiver without rebuke

Pardoning shortcomings and negligence

وَإِنّه سارَ إِلى عكّارِ

بِحِفظِ رَبّي الواحِدِ الستّارِ

And he went on to Akkar

By the protection of my One Lord, the Coverer

هَذا وَأَرجو أَنّني لَن أَخرجا

عَن فِكرك الثاقِبِ يا خِدنِ الحجى

This, and I hope I will not depart

From your penetrating thought, O possessor of wisdom

وَأَنّني أَن لا أُرى مَهجوراً

مِن نَحوِكم بِقطعك التّحريرا

And that I will not be seen discarded

By you all by cutting off your correspondence

بَل فيهِ صِلني مِثلَما عَوَّدتني

فَذَلكَ المحمودُ يا ذا الفطنِ

Rather, connect me to it as you have accustomed me

For that is the praiseworthy thing, O wise one

وَإِنْ بِشيء لازم قَدِ اِقتَرنْ

عَنهُ أَشِرْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنَ المنن

And if anything binding has been associated

Inform me, for it is a blessing

يَقضى عَلى الرّؤوسِ وَالعيونِ

وَإِنّني لَكُم مِنَ الممنونِ

That satisfies heads and eyes

And I am of those who are obligated to you

وَسَلّموا لَنا عَلى الأَحبابِ

وَمَن غَدا يَلوذُ بِالجنابِ

And convey greetings to the loved ones

And those who take refuge in kinship tomorrow

وَاللَّهَ أَرجو أَن يُطيلَ عُمرَكا

وَيَرفعَ الدّهرَ لَديهِ قَدركا

And I hope that God will lengthen your life

And elevate your status in His view

وَأَن يَكونَ عَونك المُعينا

وَالراعِيَ الحَفيظَ وَالضّمينا

And that He will be your helping supporter

And watchful guardian and protector

وَدُم كَما قَد رُمتَ وَالسّلامُ

وَبِالسّلامِ يَحسنُ الختامُ

And so it remains as you have thrown

And greetings be where greetings belong