كِتابك في بُشرى قُدومك وافاني

وَكُنتُ سَقيماً بِالفراق فَعافاني

Your letter heralding your arrival brought me joy

When I was sick with longing, it made me well

وَبدَّل تَكديري بِصَفو زَمانه

يَدوم لَنا بِالسَعد في خَير أَوطانِ

It changed my sadness into happy times

May it last, bringing us fortune in the best of lands

وَنعَّم بالي وَعدُ صدقٍ بِمقدمٍ

تَزول بِهِ في حالة القُرب أَشجاني

And delight in the sincerity of your promised arrival

By which sorrows disappear when we are close

وَنَحظى بِما نَهوى عَلى رَغم حاسدٍ

مَضى عمرُه في محض زور وَبُهتان

And we attain what we desire despite the envious

Whose life was spent in sheer deceit and confusion

فَإِن غراب البين طار إِلى اللظى

لِيُحرق فيها مَع ذَويه بِنيران

So the raven of separation has flown into the flames

To burn there with its kind in fires

وَعَما قَليل بِالمشيئة نَلتَقي

وَنَسمَحُ مِنا لِلمُسيء بِغُفران

And soon, God willing, we shall meet

And forgive those who have wronged us

وَنَعفو عَن الدَهر الَّذي جاءَ تائِباً

وَواصلَ مِن بَعد الصُدود وَأَدناني

And pardon the days that came in repentance

And reconciled after estrangement, drawing me near

هُنالك تُغني عَن تَوالي رَسائلٍ

مشاهدة تُحيي دَوارس عرفان

There your letters make up for the succession of messages

A reunion that brings to life bonds of friendship

وَنَملأ أَرض اللَه في كُل جَلسة

صَلاحاً وَعَدلاً باجتهاد وَإِمعان

And at every gathering we fill God’s land

With righteousness and justice, striving and dedication

وَيَشهد لابنا وَأَبناءُ دينه

لآرائنا في كُل حكمٍ برجحان

And the son and fathers of our faith bear witness

To the superiority of our views in every judgment

وَيُذعنُ جاكوني بِحَقِّ تقدّمٍ

لِفَصل القَضا مِنا بِقاطع بُرهان

And Jackonian yields to the truth of progress

To impartial ruling among us with conclusive proof

وَتَبهَر لوتورنو فَضائِلُنا الَّتي

بِها هامَ مارونيا وَكُلُّ بروسياني

And Luturno is dazzled by our virtues

Which enthralled Marounia and all Prussians

وَأسكوتُ ذاكَ الأنكليزيُّ يَقتدي

بِنا في اِنتِصاف لِلمُحقِّ مِن الجاني

And that Englishman is silent, emulating

Us in defending the wronged from the criminal

أَباظه وَبارنكى يَقومان بِالثَنا

لَنا في نظامات تَفوق بِإِتقان

Abbaad and Barinki praise

Our regulations surpassing in perfection

فَإِن تَمّ هَذا الأَمر زادَ اِبتِهاجُنا

بِإِنصاف سُنيٍّ وَعبري وَنصراني

If this happens our joy increases

With justice for Sunni, Hebrew and Nazarene

وَإِلّا فَإِني شاكر لِعناية

يَجود بِها قَدري لِأَهلٍ وَجِيران

Otherwise, I thank the care

Of my fate for family and neighbors

وَيَبدأ في أَسنى مَساعيهِ لِلوَرى

بِمَجدي الَّذي أَضحى لَهُ عَبدَ إِحسان

And it begins in propitious efforts for people

With my glory which has become humbly loyal

وَبَعد فَسلطانُ العُلوم أَبوالعَلا

يُؤدِّي بِإِخلاصٍ تَحيةَ وَلهان

And then the sultan of knowledge, Abul Alaa

Offers sincere greetings and sweet words

وَبُطرس مُشتاقٌ إِلَيك وودّه

لَنا في زيادات عَلى طُول أَزمان

And Butrus longs to see you, his affection for us

Increasing over long years

وَبَحرٌ صَديق مُخلص لَكَ دائِماً

وَأَنتَ بِهِ أَدرى بسرٍّ وَإِعلان

And a sincere friend of the sea, always devoted to you

While you know best what is secret and public

وَعَن فرحات لا تَسَلني فَإِنَّهُ

قَضى نَحبَه في يَوم نَحس وَأَحزانِ

As for Farhat, do not ask me, for he

Met his doom on an unlucky and mournful day

وَسارَ إِلى رَبٍّ رَحيم يُثيبُه

عَلى فعله المَشكور جَنةَ رُضوان

And went to a Merciful Lord who rewards

His appreciated deed with the Garden of Bliss

فَأَمااليانِعات فَنبتُها

تَطوّح حَيث الماء فاضَ بطغيان

As for the blossoms, their shoots

Were swept away where the water overflowed violently

وَأَغرقها لَما تَباهَت بِزهرها

عَلى غَيرِها في كُل رَوض وَبُستان

And drowned them when they boasted of their flowers

Above all others in every garden and orchard

وَها هِيَ أَضحت بَعدَ زَهو وَنَضرة

تَلوح لِرائيها كبركة حيتان

And there they are after pride and prosperity

Appearing to beholders like whales’ ponds

وَأَما خجادورٌ فَقد ماتَ وَاِرتَوى

وَأَصبَح مَحجوباً عَن العالم الفاني

And as for Khijadour, he died and was saturated

And is now veiled from this transient world

وَإِني لأَرجو أَن يَكون سَعَى الشِفا

سَريعاً إِلى رَبِّ الصَفا نسل ساسان

And I hope the efforts of recovery

Will swiftly lead the Sasanian lineage to the Lord of Purity

وَبِاللَه قُل لي يا أَخي كَيفَ حالُه

فَسقم عَليٍّ في الحَقيقة أَشجاني

By God, tell me brother how is he

For the illness of Ali has truly saddened me

وَبلغ سَلامي لِلأَحبة كُلَّهُم

وَسلم عَلى الشيخ المدبّ وَغريان

And convey my greetings to all the loved ones

And greet the elderly scholar, Ghreian

وَنَجلي عَلى بَعد المَسافة لَم تَزَل

رَسائلُه تومي إِليك بِشُكران

And my son, though far away, his letters

Have continued thanking you

وَيَلثم مِن علياك راحةَ فاضلٍ

يَرى أَنَّهُ في مصر كَالوالد الثاني

And he kisses the hand of your noble replacement

Who considers himself like a second father in Egypt

وَقد قالَ لي بَعضُ المُحبين أَنَّهُ

رَأى نَجلك السامي بِمَنزل سحبان

And some of the loved ones told me they saw

Your noble son at the house of Suhban

وَلا بُد أَني عَن قَريب أَزوره

وَأَسأل عَن أَخبار بِان وَنيسان

And soon I will visit him

And ask about the news of Bian and Nisan

وَأَنقل عَنهُ نَظم در نثرته

بِهِ يَزدري مَجدي قَلائد عقيان

And convey on his behalf prose verses he scattered

With which my glory belittles the necklaces of monkeys

عَلَيكَ سَلام اللَه مِني مُعطَّراً

بِنَفحة إِخلاص وَرُوح وَرَيحان

Peace from God perfumes you with sincerity

And the breath of spirit and sweet basil

وَبلَّغك المَأمول في ظل دَولةٍ

مَكارمُها فاضَت عَلى كُل إِنسان

And it conveys what is hoped for under a state

Whose noble deeds have overflowed upon all people