1. كِتابك في بُشرى قُدومك وافاني

    وَكُنتُ سَقيماً بِالفراق فَعافاني

    Your letter, with glad tidings of your arrival, reached me,

    And I was ill from separation; it restored my health.

  2. وَبدَّل تَكديري بِصَفو زَمانه

    يَدوم لَنا بِالسَعد في خَير أَوطانِ

    And it replaced my distress with the serenity of its time;

    may that endure for us, with good fortune, in the best of homelands.

  3. وَنعَّم بالي وَعدُ صدقٍ بِمقدمٍ

    تَزول بِهِ في حالة القُرب أَشجاني

    And a true promise of your coming soothed my mind,

    through which, when we are close, my sorrows will vanish.

  4. وَنَحظى بِما نَهوى عَلى رَغم حاسدٍ

    مَضى عمرُه في محض زور وَبُهتان

    And we shall attain what we desire, despite an envier

    whose life has passed in sheer falsehood and slander.

  5. فَإِن غراب البين طار إِلى اللظى

    لِيُحرق فيها مَع ذَويه بِنيران

    For the raven of separation has flown to the blaze,

    to be burned there with its kin by flames.

  6. وَعَما قَليل بِالمشيئة نَلتَقي

    وَنَسمَحُ مِنا لِلمُسيء بِغُفران

    And soon, by divine will, we shall meet,

    and freely grant the wrongdoer our forgiveness.

  7. وَنَعفو عَن الدَهر الَّذي جاءَ تائِباً

    وَواصلَ مِن بَعد الصُدود وَأَدناني

    And we shall pardon Time, which has come repentant,

    and renewed its bonds after estrangement, drawing me near.

  8. هُنالك تُغني عَن تَوالي رَسائلٍ

    مشاهدة تُحيي دَوارس عرفان

    There, a succession of letters will be made needless

    by a meeting that revives faded traces of acquaintance.

  9. وَنَملأ أَرض اللَه في كُل جَلسة

    صَلاحاً وَعَدلاً باجتهاد وَإِمعان

    And in every sitting we shall fill God's earth

    with righteousness and justice, through diligence and thoroughness.

  10. وَيَشهد لابنا وَأَبناءُ دينه

    لآرائنا في كُل حكمٍ برجحان

    And Labna and the sons of his faith will bear witness

    to the superiority of our views in every judgment.

  11. وَيُذعنُ جاكوني بِحَقِّ تقدّمٍ

    لِفَصل القَضا مِنا بِقاطع بُرهان

    And Jakuni will concede rightful precedence

    to our judicial decisions, backed by conclusive proof.

  12. وَتَبهَر لوتورنو فَضائِلُنا الَّتي

    بِها هامَ مارونيا وَكُلُّ بروسياني

    And our virtues will dazzle Luturno—those

    that enthralled Marunia and every Prussian.

  13. وَأسكوتُ ذاكَ الأنكليزيُّ يَقتدي

    بِنا في اِنتِصاف لِلمُحقِّ مِن الجاني

    And Scott, that Englishman, will follow

    our example in securing justice for the rightful against the offender.

  14. أَباظه وَبارنكى يَقومان بِالثَنا

    لَنا في نظامات تَفوق بِإِتقان

    Abaza and Baranki will rise in praise

    of us for systems that excel in precision.

  15. فَإِن تَمّ هَذا الأَمر زادَ اِبتِهاجُنا

    بِإِنصاف سُنيٍّ وَعبري وَنصراني

    So if this undertaking is completed, our joy will grow

    through fair treatment of Sunni, Hebrew, and Christian.

  16. وَإِلّا فَإِني شاكر لِعناية

    يَجود بِها قَدري لِأَهلٍ وَجِيران

    And if not, I am grateful for the care

    Qadri lavishes on family and neighbors.

  17. وَيَبدأ في أَسنى مَساعيهِ لِلوَرى

    بِمَجدي الَّذي أَضحى لَهُ عَبدَ إِحسان

    And in his noblest efforts for humankind he begins

    with Magdi, who has become a bondsman to his kindness.

  18. وَبَعد فَسلطانُ العُلوم أَبوالعَلا

    يُؤدِّي بِإِخلاصٍ تَحيةَ وَلهان

    And now: Abu al-Ala, the sultan of learning,

    sincerely sends the greeting of one filled with longing.

  19. وَبُطرس مُشتاقٌ إِلَيك وودّه

    لَنا في زيادات عَلى طُول أَزمان

    And Butrus longs for you, and his affection

    for us keeps growing through the long years.

  20. وَبَحرٌ صَديق مُخلص لَكَ دائِماً

    وَأَنتَ بِهِ أَدرى بسرٍّ وَإِعلان

    And Bahr is always your devoted friend,

    and you know him better in private and in public.

  21. وَعَن فرحات لا تَسَلني فَإِنَّهُ

    قَضى نَحبَه في يَوم نَحس وَأَحزانِ

    And do not ask me about Farhat, for he

    met his death on a day of misfortune and sorrow.

  22. وَسارَ إِلى رَبٍّ رَحيم يُثيبُه

    عَلى فعله المَشكور جَنةَ رُضوان

    And he went to a merciful Lord, who rewards him

    for his praiseworthy deed with the garden of divine favor.

  23. فَأَمااليانِعات فَنبتُها

    تَطوّح حَيث الماء فاضَ بطغيان

    As for the flourishing plants, their growth

    was tossed away where the water overflowed beyond bounds,

  24. وَأَغرقها لَما تَباهَت بِزهرها

    عَلى غَيرِها في كُل رَوض وَبُستان

    and drowned them when they boasted of their blossoms

    over others in every meadow and garden.

  25. وَها هِيَ أَضحت بَعدَ زَهو وَنَضرة

    تَلوح لِرائيها كبركة حيتان

    And behold, after splendor and freshness, they have come

    to appear to their beholder like a pool of fish.

  26. وَأَما خجادورٌ فَقد ماتَ وَاِرتَوى

    وَأَصبَح مَحجوباً عَن العالم الفاني

    And as for Khajadur, he has died and drunk his fill,

    and is now veiled from the perishing world.

  27. وَإِني لأَرجو أَن يَكون سَعَى الشِفا

    سَريعاً إِلى رَبِّ الصَفا نسل ساسان

    And I do hope that healing has made its way

    swiftly to the master of purity, the scion of Sasan.

  28. وَبِاللَه قُل لي يا أَخي كَيفَ حالُه

    فَسقم عَليٍّ في الحَقيقة أَشجاني

    And by God, tell me, my brother, how he is,

    for Ali's illness has truly grieved me.

  29. وَبلغ سَلامي لِلأَحبة كُلَّهُم

    وَسلم عَلى الشيخ المدبّ وَغريان

    And convey my greetings to all the loved ones,

    and greet Sheikh al-Mudabb and Gharyan.

  30. وَنَجلي عَلى بَعد المَسافة لَم تَزَل

    رَسائلُه تومي إِليك بِشُكران

    And my son, despite the distance—still

    his letters speak to you in gratitude.

  31. وَيَلثم مِن علياك راحةَ فاضلٍ

    يَرى أَنَّهُ في مصر كَالوالد الثاني

    And he kisses your noble palm, the palm of a worthy man

    whom he regards in Egypt as a second father.

  32. وَقد قالَ لي بَعضُ المُحبين أَنَّهُ

    رَأى نَجلك السامي بِمَنزل سحبان

    And one of the well-wishers has told me that he

    saw your noble son at Sahban's home.

  33. وَلا بُد أَني عَن قَريب أَزوره

    وَأَسأل عَن أَخبار بِان وَنيسان

    And I must visit him before long,

    and ask about the news of Bian and Nisan,

  34. وَأَنقل عَنهُ نَظم در نثرته

    بِهِ يَزدري مَجدي قَلائد عقيان

    and transcribe from him a string of pearls you scattered,

    with which Magdi scorns necklaces of pure gold.

  35. عَلَيكَ سَلام اللَه مِني مُعطَّراً

    بِنَفحة إِخلاص وَرُوح وَرَيحان

    Upon you be God's peace from me, perfumed

    with a breath of sincerity, spirit, and sweet basil.

  36. وَبلَّغك المَأمول في ظل دَولةٍ

    مَكارمُها فاضَت عَلى كُل إِنسان

    And may He bring you to your hope in the shade of a state

    whose bounties have overflowed upon everyone.