أيها الماجد الّذي لم يقصِّرْ

أيها الماجد الّذي لم يقصِّرْ

عن معالي آبائه الأبرارِ

عن معالي آبائه الأبرارِ

O illustrious one, who has not fallen short

O glorious one whose forefathers were virtuous,

of the lofty virtues of his righteous forefathers,

The right of affection with people of manners, is a right of great esteem,

إنّ حقّ الوداد عند ذوي الآ

إنّ حقّ الوداد عند ذوي الآ

داب حقّ معظَّم المقدار

داب حقّ معظَّم المقدار

indeed, affection's claim, among those of

Especially the right of one so pure and upright towards you openly and secretly,

good manners, is a claim held in great esteem.

I give you excuse, so accept my apology,

سيمَّا حقّ من صفا وتَناهَى

سيمَّا حقّ من صفا وتَناهَى

لكَ في ظاهرٍ وفي إضمارِ

لكَ في ظاهرٍ وفي إضمارِ

Especially the claim of one sincere and utterly devoted

I cannot fulfil his rights though he is unique,

to you, outwardly and inwardly.

How could I when I combined it with neighbourhood?

أنا فيه مقدِّم لك عذرا

أنا فيه مقدِّم لك عذرا

فأجِزْ بالقبول وجهَ اعتذاري

فأجِزْ بالقبول وجهَ اعتذاري

In this, I offer you an excuse;

My eloquence and tongue could not express,

so accept the grounds of my apology.

A tenth of what my secrets contain,

لا أُؤَدِّي حقوقَه وهْو فردٌ

لا أُؤَدِّي حقوقَه وهْو فردٌ

كيف لمَّا شفعتُه بالجِوار

كيف لمَّا شفعتُه بالجِوار

I do not fulfill its dues even when it stands alone;

It's not that I was weak towards him, but that,

how, then, when I have paired it with neighborliness?

My poetry fell short of reaching him,

لم تعبِّر بلاغتي ولساني

لم تعبِّر بلاغتي ولساني

منه عن عُشْر ما حوتْ أسراري

منه عن عُشْر ما حوتْ أسراري

My eloquence and my tongue have not expressed

Your closeness made my soul closer to his soul,

a tenth, concerning it, of what my innermost secrets hold.

And my home closer to his home,

ليس أني ضعُفت عنه ولكن

ليس أني ضعُفت عنه ولكن

ضعفتْ عن بلوغه أشعاري

ضعفتْ عن بلوغه أشعاري

It is not that I was too weak for it, but

So my poetry was made more beautiful by your poetry,

my poems were too weak to reach it.

Just as my home was adorned by your home's proximity,

زاد رَبْعي دنُّو رَبْعِك منه

زاد رَبْعي دنُّو رَبْعِك منه

أَنَساً في القلوب والأبصار

أَنَساً في القلوب والأبصار

Your home's nearness to mine has made my dwelling

Congratulations on your abodes, your greatness,

more pleasing to hearts and eyes.

And your ever prosperous life,

زان شعري لذيذُ شِعرِك فيه

زان شعري لذيذُ شِعرِك فيه

مثلَ ما زان قربُ دارك داري

مثلَ ما زان قربُ دارك داري

Your delightful poetry within mine has adorned my verse,

Had I been sure of what I feared, I would have visited you first,

just as your home's nearness has adorned my home.

To fulfil the right of visiting you, which cannot be fulfilled by my letter and poem,

فهنيئاً لك المنازلُ والإق

فهنيئاً لك المنازلُ والإق

بالُ والعمرُ دائَم الإيسار

بالُ والعمرُ دائَم الإيسار

So may you enjoy these dwellings, good

If I delayed by my choice of time from you, know that getting close is my choice,

fortune, and a life of lasting prosperity!

An hour of collecting your talk is better than hearing songs and drinking wine,

لو أمِنتُ الذي حذرتُ إذاً زر

لو أمِنتُ الذي حذرتُ إذاً زر

تُكَ فيهنّ أوّل الزُّوّار

تُكَ فيهنّ أوّل الزُّوّار

Had I been safe from what I feared, I would have visited

And conversing with you, gently strolling through meanings and subtle ideas,

you in them, the first of all visitors,

Is sweeter to me than the kingdom of Chosroes and deflowering virgins,

قاضياً في زيارتي لك حقّاً

قاضياً في زيارتي لك حقّاً

ليس تقضيه رُقْعتي واستتاري

ليس تقضيه رُقْعتي واستتاري

fulfilling, through my visit to you, an obligation

O unique in perfection in every art, unique in days and eras,

that my letter and my seclusion cannot fulfill.

Your Nile is delighted by what you built, like the sky by the moon,

إن تأخّرتُ باختيار زماني

إن تأخّرتُ باختيار زماني

عنك فاعلم أن الدنّو اختياري

عنك فاعلم أن الدنّو اختياري

If my times have chosen to keep me away

Just so, places boast of the generous, a boasting that humbles every pride,

from you, know that nearness is my choice.

May God protect you, elevate you, and avert the accidents of fate from you!

ساعةٌ من جني حديثك ما بي

ساعةٌ من جني حديثك ما بي

ن سماع الغِنَا وشُرْب العُقَار

ن سماع الغِنَا وشُرْب العُقَار

An hour spent gathering the fruits of your conversation, amid

listening to song and drinking wine,

ومعاطاتُك الكئوسُ على رو

ومعاطاتُك الكئوسُ على رو

ض المعاني ورِقّة الأفْكار

ض المعاني ورِقّة الأفْكار

and exchanging cups with you in the meadow

of meanings and the subtlety of thoughts—

هو عندي ألذّ من مُلْك كِسَرى

هو عندي ألذّ من مُلْك كِسَرى

وافتضاضِ الكواعب الأبكار

وافتضاضِ الكواعب الأبكار

is sweeter to me than Khosrow's kingdom

and deflowering virgins with budding breasts.

يا وحيدَ الكمالِ في كلّ فنّ

يا وحيدَ الكمالِ في كلّ فنّ

ووحيدَ الأيّام والأعصار

ووحيدَ الأيّام والأعصار

O peerless in perfection in every art,

and peerless through all days and ages,

أبهج النِيلَ ما بنيتَ عليه

أبهج النِيلَ ما بنيتَ عليه

كابتهاج السماء بالأقمار

كابتهاج السماء بالأقمار

what you have built upon the Nile has gladdened it,

as the sky delights in the moons.

وكذاك البقاعُ تفخرُ بالأمْ

وكذاك البقاعُ تفخرُ بالأمْ

جاد فخراً يَحُطُّ كلَّ فخَار

جاد فخراً يَحُطُّ كلَّ فخَار

And likewise, places take pride in illustrious

men, with a pride that humbles every other boast.

صانك اللهُ مُبَقِّي مُعَلِّي

صانك اللهُ مُبَقِّي مُعَلِّي

وَلَوى عنك حادثَ المقْدار

وَلَوى عنك حادثَ المقْدار

May God protect you, preserving and exalting you,

and turn fate's calamity away from you.