كَتَبْتُ إِلىَ عِيسَى الشَّرِيفِ مُسَلِّماً

عَلَيْهِ عَلَى ذِي غِرَّةٍ تُخْجِلُ الْغُرَرْ

I wrote to the noble Jesus submitting

I wrote to the noble Isa, offering greetings of peace

To him, to one with a radiant face that puts gleams to shame,

Upon him, whose radiant countenance puts all other radiant faces to shame,

وَحَمَّلْت رَكْباً قَدْ نَوَوْهُ تَحِيَّةً

يَضُوعُ بِهَا أُفْقُ الجَزَائِرِ فيِ السَّحَرْ

And I loaded a caravan, which I intended as a greeting,

And I entrusted a caravan journeying toward him with a salutation

With which the horizons of the islands shine at dawn,

That perfumes the horizon of Algiers at the break of dawn.

مُضَمَّنُهَا حَمْدٌ وَمُوجِبُهَا هَوىً

وَأَنْفَاسُهَا مِسْكٌ وَأَلْفَاظُهَا دُرَرْ

Containing within it praise, and its requirement love,

Its essence is praise, and its inspiration is affection,

And its breaths are musk, and its words pearls.

Its breaths are musk, and its words are pearls.