لِعَبْدِ اللهِ وَجَّهْتُ الْخِطَابَا

لِعَبْدِ اللهِ وَجَّهْتُ الْخِطَابَا

لِمَنْ فَاتَتْ مَعالِيهِ الْحِسابَا

لِمَنْ فَاتَتْ مَعالِيهِ الْحِسابَا

To ʿAbd Allāh I directed my address,

To Abdullah I have directed this discourse,

to him whose lofty merits surpass all reckoning.

To the one whose noble virtues surpass all calculation,

لِمَوْلاَنَا ابْنِ مَوْلاَنَا التُّهَامِي

لِمَوْلاَنَا ابْنِ مَوْلاَنَا التُّهَامِي

مَنَارِ الرُّشْدِ أَمْلَيْتُ الْجَوَابَا

مَنَارِ الرُّشْدِ أَمْلَيْتُ الْجَوَابَا

To our master, son of our master al-Tuhāmī,

To our master, the son of our master, Al-Tuhami,

the beacon of right guidance, I dictated my reply.

The beacon of true guidance, I have dictated this reply.

مُقَدَّمُهُ سَلامٌ مِثْلُ خُلْقٍ

مُقَدَّمُهُ سَلامٌ مِثْلُ خُلْقٍ

لَهُ كَالْمِسْكِ رِيحاً لاَ انْتِسَابَا

لَهُ كَالْمِسْكِ رِيحاً لاَ انْتِسَابَا

It opens with a greeting, like the character

Its prelude is a greeting of peace, much like a character

he bears—musklike in fragrance, not in lineage.

Whose fragrance is truly musk, not merely by name.

وَبْعُد فَكَتْبُكُمْ وَصَفَ اشْتِيَاقاً

وَبْعُد فَكَتْبُكُمْ وَصَفَ اشْتِيَاقاً

وَبَاطِنُ شَوْقِهِ أَبْدَى عِتَابَا

وَبَاطِنُ شَوْقِهِ أَبْدَى عِتَابَا

And now: your letter expressed longing,

And thereafter: your letter described a deep yearning,

and the heart of its longing revealed reproach.

And the hidden depths of its longing revealed a reproach.

لقَدْ أَمْسى العِتابُ لدَيَّ أحْلَى

لقَدْ أَمْسى العِتابُ لدَيَّ أحْلَى

منَ العَسَلِ الذِي أضْحى لُبابَا

منَ العَسَلِ الذِي أضْحى لُبابَا

Indeed, that reproach has grown sweeter to me

Yet this reproach has become sweeter to me

than honey in its purest essence.

Than honey that has been distilled to its purest essence.

وَأَخْجَلَنِي فَأَبْدَيْتُ اعْتِرافاً

وَأَخْجَلَنِي فَأَبْدَيْتُ اعْتِرافاً

بِتَقْصيرٍ يُكَمِّلُ لِي عِقابَا

بِتَقْصيرٍ يُكَمِّلُ لِي عِقابَا

And it shamed me, so I made confession

It made me ashamed, so I brought forth a confession

of a failing that makes my punishment complete.

Of a shortcoming that justifies my full punishment.

فَصَفْحاً سَيِّدِي فَالصَّفْحُ أَوْلَى

فَصَفْحاً سَيِّدِي فَالصَّفْحُ أَوْلَى

بِمَنْصِبِكَ الذِي خَفَضَ النِّصابَا

بِمَنْصِبِكَ الذِي خَفَضَ النِّصابَا

So pardon me, my lord: pardon better befits

So grant forgiveness, my master, for pardon is most fitting

your station, which has humbled noble lineages.

For your exalted rank, which humbles all other statures.

وَعُذْرِي حَيْثُ لَيْسَ لِي اعْتِذَارٌ

وَعُذْرِي حَيْثُ لَيْسَ لِي اعْتِذَارٌ

دُخُولِي مِنْ رِضَاكَ عَلَيَّ بَابَا

دُخُولِي مِنْ رِضَاكَ عَلَيَّ بَابَا

And my excuse, when I have no excuse,

And my excuse—where truly I have no excuse—

is that I enter through a door of your favor toward me,

Is that I have entered through the door of your good pleasure.

وَأنْ لاَ بُدَّ مِنْ وُدٍّ لِعَبْدٍ

وَأنْ لاَ بُدَّ مِنْ وُدٍّ لِعَبْدٍ

وَإِنْ عَدِمَ الزِّيَارَةَ وَالصَّوَابَا

وَإِنْ عَدِمَ الزِّيَارَةَ وَالصَّوَابَا

and that a servant must still be loved,

And that there must inevitably be affection for a servant,

even if he fails to visit and to act aright.

Even if he falls short in visiting and in right conduct.

فَأشْوَاقُ ابنِ زَاكورٍ إِلَيْكُمْ

فَأشْوَاقُ ابنِ زَاكورٍ إِلَيْكُمْ

عَلَى الأَحْشاءِ تَلْتَهِبُ الْتِهَابَا

عَلَى الأَحْشاءِ تَلْتَهِبُ الْتِهَابَا

For Ibn Zākūr’s longings for you

For the yearnings of Ibn Zakour towards you

burn fiercely in his entrails.

Blaze like a fierce fire within his inmost being.

فَحَقِّقْ فِي صَدَاقَتِهِ ظُنُوناً

فَحَقِّقْ فِي صَدَاقَتِهِ ظُنُوناً

وَإِنْ أَبْدَتْ ظَوَاهِرُهُ ارْتِيَابَا

وَإِنْ أَبْدَتْ ظَوَاهِرُهُ ارْتِيَابَا

So affirm your good opinion of his friendship,

So confirm the hopeful thoughts regarding his friendship,

even if his outward conduct gives rise to doubt.

Even if his outward actions display hesitation.

وَطِبْ نَفْساً كَمَا قَدْ طِبْتَ أَصْلاً

وَطِبْ نَفْساً كَمَا قَدْ طِبْتَ أَصْلاً

وَفَرْعاً فَالذِي تَرْجُو اسْتَجَابَا

وَفَرْعاً فَالذِي تَرْجُو اسْتَجَابَا

And be glad at heart, as you are noble in root

And be joyful in soul, just as you are pure in your roots

and branch; the one you hope in has answered.

And in your branches, for what you hope for has been answered.