وَرَدَ الكتابُ من الجَنَابِ السَّامِي

وَرَدَ الكتابُ من الجَنَابِ السَّامِي

فأخَذْتُ في الإجْلالِ والإعْظَامِ

فأخَذْتُ في الإجْلالِ والإعْظَامِ

The letter arrived from the August Presence;

The letter arrived from the exalted presence,

I began with awe and veneration.

So I began to show reverence and veneration.

ووَقَفْتُ مُنتصِباً فَوَدَّتْ هَامتِي

ووَقَفْتُ مُنتصِباً فَوَدَّتْ هَامتِي

لو أنَّهَا نابَتْ عن الأَقْدَامِ

لو أنَّهَا نابَتْ عن الأَقْدَامِ

I stood erect, and my head longed

And I stood upright; then my head wished

to take the place of my feet.

That it might take the place of my feet.

ولثمتُهُ فَكأنَّ فَارَةَ تاجِرٍ

ولثمتُهُ فَكأنَّ فَارَةَ تاجِرٍ

فَقمتْ بعبقتِهَا مَنَاطَ لِثَامِي

فَقمتْ بعبقتِهَا مَنَاطَ لِثَامِي

I kissed it—as though a perfumer’s musk pod

And I kissed it, as though a merchant’s musk pod

had steeped the resting place of my veil in its fragrance.

Had suffused the place where my veil is fastened with its fragrance.

وفَضَضْتُهُ فكأنَّما استَجليتُ مِنْ

وفَضَضْتُهُ فكأنَّما استَجليتُ مِنْ

أَسْطَارِهِ مُسْتَودَعَ الأكْمَامِ

أَسْطَارِهِ مُسْتَودَعَ الأكْمَامِ

I broke its seal, as though I were drawing forth from

And I broke its seal, as though I had unveiled from

its lines the treasure hidden within flower-calyxes.

Its lines what lies stored within flower buds.

فَلِرَاحَةٍ كَتَبَتْهُ ألفُ سَلاَمَةٍ

فَلِرَاحَةٍ كَتَبَتْهُ ألفُ سَلاَمَةٍ

وعلَى امرئٍ أهْدَاهُ ألفُ سَلاَمِ

وعلَى امرئٍ أهْدَاهُ ألفُ سَلاَمِ

A thousand blessings upon the hand that penned it,

So, a thousand wishes for the safety of the palm that wrote it,

and a thousand greetings to the man who sent it.

And a thousand greetings of peace to the man who bestowed it.