وافى كتابُ العبدِ ضمنَ كتابِكمْ

وافى كتابُ العبدِ ضمنَ كتابِكمْ

فالقلبُ بينَ مسرتينِ يُوزَّعُ

فالقلبُ بينَ مسرتينِ يُوزَّعُ

Your servant's book arrived enclosed with your letter;

My letter has reached you within your book

so my heart is divided between two joys.

So my heart is torn between two joys

فغدوْتُ أَحْسدُ مِنْ كتابيَ أحرفاً

فغدوْتُ أَحْسدُ مِنْ كتابيَ أحرفاً

ظلَّتْ بحسنِكَ برهةٌ تتمتعُ

ظلَّتْ بحسنِكَ برهةٌ تتمتعُ

So I began to envy some letters in my book

I envy the letters of my writing

that lingered awhile, delighting in your beauty.

That have reveled in your beauty for a while

قد كنتُ أخشى أَنْ يُرَدَّ بعيبهِ

قد كنتُ أخشى أَنْ يُرَدَّ بعيبهِ

شرْعاً فعادَ بحلَّةِ تتلمَّعُ

شرْعاً فعادَ بحلَّةِ تتلمَّعُ

I had feared it would be returned for its flaw,

I feared it would be rejected for its faults

under the law; yet it returned in a gleaming robe—

Yet it returned adorned in splendor

حمراءَ مِنْ حللِ الصِّبا فضفاضةً

حمراءَ مِنْ حللِ الصِّبا فضفاضةً

ذهبيةً أوصافُها تتنوَّع

ذهبيةً أوصافُها تتنوَّع

red and flowing, one of the robes of youth,

Red like the robes of youth, flowing

golden, its qualities manifold.

Golden, its qualities diverse

لَوْ لمْ تجلدْهُ وحقِّكَ لم يطقْ

لَوْ لمْ تجلدْهُ وحقِّكَ لم يطقْ

عنكَ اصطباراً فالتجلُّدُ ينفَعُ

عنكَ اصطباراً فالتجلُّدُ ينفَعُ

Had you not bound it—by your honor!—it could not have endured

Had you not supported it, for your right

separation from you with patience; fortitude has its uses.

It could not have endured with patience, and patience profits

أنتَ الذي أكبرتني عَنْ خلعةِ

أنتَ الذي أكبرتني عَنْ خلعةِ

أدباً فَرُحْتَ على كتابي تخلعُ

أدباً فَرُحْتَ على كتابي تخلعُ

You are the one who deemed me above a robe of honor,

You who made me too great to shed

out of courtesy, so you bestowed one upon my book.

The raiment of propriety, and rejoiced over my letter shedding it

حجَّتْ إليكَ بناتُ أفكاري وَقَدْ

حجَّتْ إليكَ بناتُ أفكاري وَقَدْ

رجعتْ بفضلِكَ كالحمائمِ تسجَعُ

رجعتْ بفضلِكَ كالحمائمِ تسجَعُ

The daughters of my thoughts made pilgrimage to you, and have

The daughters of my thoughts appealed to you

returned through your bounty, cooing like doves.

And by your grace returned like doves cooing

فاسحبْ ذيولَ سعادةٍ إنعامُها

فاسحبْ ذيولَ سعادةٍ إنعامُها

لا ينقضي وسحابُها لا يقلعُ

لا ينقضي وسحابُها لا يقلعُ

So trail the hems of happiness, whose bounty

So pull along the trains of your endless fortune

never ends, and whose clouds never disperse.

Its clouds never dissipate nor withdraw