وردَ الكتابُ من الكريمِ المفضلِ

وردَ الكتابُ من الكريمِ المفضلِ

العالمِ الفطنِ النبيهِ الأكْملِ

العالمِ الفطنِ النبيهِ الأكْملِ

The letter arrived from the generous benefactor,

The book arrived from the generous, preferred

Learned, discerning, distinguished, and most accomplished;

Learned, wise, accomplished master

ربُّ الرسائلِ والوسائلِ والندَى

ربُّ الرسائلِ والوسائلِ والندَى

وأخُو السماحةِ والنوال المسْبِلِ

وأخُو السماحةِ والنوال المسْبِلِ

Master of letters, means, and bounty,

Lord of messages, means and dew

And a brother to liberality and freely flowing gifts;

And brother of generosity and abundant bestowal

وابنُ الأولى أقوالُهم أفعالُهم

وابنُ الأولى أقوالُهم أفعالُهم

زاكى الأرومةِ والنجارِ الأَنْبَلِ

زاكى الأرومةِ والنجارِ الأَنْبَلِ

A son of those whose words are their deeds,

And son of the best in word and deed

Of pure stock and the noblest lineage.

Of polished spear and refined carpenter

أكرمْ به مِن صاحبٍ ومُصاحَب

أكرمْ به مِن صاحبٍ ومُصاحَب

أحسن به من سيدِ ومُجلَّلِ

أحسن به من سيدِ ومُجلَّلِ

How noble he is as a friend and as one befriended!

Honor him beyond any companion or associate

How splendid he is as a lord and an honored man!

Do well by him beyond any master or revered one

لما أتاني طرسُه وكتابُه

لما أتاني طرسُه وكتابُه

أيْقَنْتُ أن همومَ صَدْرِي تَنْجَلِى

أيْقَنْتُ أن همومَ صَدْرِي تَنْجَلِى

When his sheet and his letter reached me,

When his missive and book came to me

I was certain that the cares within my breast would clear away.

I knew the worries of my heart would disappear

فأخَذْتُه وفضضته ولثَمتُه

فأخَذْتُه وفضضته ولثَمتُه

وقرأته بخلاصِ قَلْبٍ مُقْبِلِ

وقرأته بخلاصِ قَلْبٍ مُقْبِلِ

So I took it, unsealed it, and kissed it,

I took it and opened it and kissed it

And read it with the sincerity of an eager heart.

And read it with a welcoming heart

وأجلتُ فِكْري في معاني لفْظِه

وأجلتُ فِكْري في معاني لفْظِه

فوجدتُ من أهواه أشرفَ مُرْسِلِ

فوجدتُ من أهواه أشرفَ مُرْسِلِ

And let my thought roam through the meanings of its words,

And focused my thoughts on the meaning of its words

And found the one I love the noblest sender.

And found from my beloved the noblest sender

قد جاءَ من وَلدى وقرةِ أعيني

قد جاءَ من وَلدى وقرةِ أعيني

خطٌّ كدرٍّ بالجمنُ مُفَصَّلِ

خطٌّ كدرٍّ بالجمنُ مُفَصَّلِ

There has come from my son, the delight of my eyes,

It came from my solace and delight of my eyes

A script like pearls interspersed with pearl-like beads.

A line like pearls threaded on a necklace

أهلاً به أهلاً به أهلاً به

أهلاً به أهلاً به أهلاً به

فهُو الشفاءُ لكل داء مُعْضِلِ

فهُو الشفاءُ لكل داء مُعْضِلِ

Welcome to it, welcome to it, welcome to it!

Welcome to it, welcome to it, welcome to it

For it is the cure for every intractable ailment.

It is the cure for every stubborn affliction

هاكَ الجوابَ أتى يلوحُ كأنه

هاكَ الجوابَ أتى يلوحُ كأنه

الشمس المنيرة من جناب المُعْوَلِى

الشمس المنيرة من جناب المُعْوَلِى

Take the reply: it comes gleaming as though it were

The brilliant sun from the side of the horizon

The radiant sun, from al-Muʿwalī's presence.

A scent from a message surpassing the diffusion

نفطٌ بطرسٍ فاقَ نشرُ روايحٍ

نفطٌ بطرسٍ فاقَ نشرُ روايحٍ

ما نشر نفحه عنبرٍ وقُرُنْفُلِ

ما نشر نفحه عنبرٍ وقُرُنْفُلِ

Naphtha on a page, whose wafting scents surpassed

Of ambergris and lavender

The fragrance diffused by ambergris and cloves.

And consistent rhyming couplets adorned

وقوافياً متتابعاتٍ زانَها

وقوافياً متتابعاتٍ زانَها

سلكُ النظامِ بهن غيرُ مُخَلّلِ

سلكُ النظامِ بهن غيرُ مُخَلّلِ

And rhymes following one another, adorned

By the string of prosody uninterrupted

By the unbroken thread of ordered verse running through them.

Take them for you are their match so choose for them

خُذْها فإنّك كُفّؤها فاخترْ لهَا

خُذْها فإنّك كُفّؤها فاخترْ لهَا

لتحلَّ مِن حسناتِك أفضلَ مَنْزِلِ

لتحلَّ مِن حسناتِك أفضلَ مَنْزِلِ

Take them, for you are their worthy match; choose a place for them,

The finest place among your virtues to dwell

So they may dwell in the finest abode among your virtues.

And a thousand greetings recur and a thousand

وعليكَ ألفُ تحيةٍ تَترَى وألفُ

وعليكَ ألفُ تحيةٍ تَترَى وألفُ

سلامةٍ طولُ المدَى لَمْ تُنْقَلِ

سلامةٍ طولُ المدَى لَمْ تُنْقَلِ

And upon you a thousand greetings in succession, and a thousand

Safeties the whole time unchanging

Wishes of well-being, throughout all time, never withdrawn.