1. أُهدي سَلاماً يَزدَري العُقودا

    بِحُسنِهِ وَدرّها الفَريدا

    I offer a greeting that disdains necklaces,

    And their peerless pearls, through its beauty;

  2. وَيَزدَري بِلُطفِهِ النّسيما

    وَيَعتَلي رَونَقه التّسنيما

    And in its gentleness disdains the breeze,

    And its splendor rises above Tasnim;

  3. وَيَزدَري المِسكَ بِعرفهِ الذّكِي

    وَنَفحِهِ يَعمّ كُلَّ مَسلَكِ

    And scorns musk with its fragrant scent,

    And its fragrant waft pervades every path;

  4. وَيخجل البَدر لَدى التّمامِ

    إِلى الهُمامِ مُصطَفى الإِمامِ

    And shames the moon when it is full—

    To the noble Mustafa, the imam,

  5. مَن قَد حَوى الفَضائِلَ الجَليلَه

    كَما اِحتَوى الفَواضِلَ الجَميله

    Who has gathered the exalted virtues,

    Just as he has gathered beautiful benefactions.

  6. حَماهُ مَولانا مِنَ الأَسواءِ

    ثمَّ وَقاهُ سائِرَ الأَدواءِ

    May our Lord protect him from evils,

    Then shield him from all ailments.

  7. كَذاكَ أُهديهِ مِنَ الثّناءِ

    أَحسَنَهُ وَصالح الدّعاءِ

    Likewise I offer him praise,

    The finest of it, and worthy prayers,

  8. مَعَ السّؤالِ عَن شَريفِ خاطِرهْ

    وَعَن خُطوري الدّهرَ في ضَمائِرِهْ

    With an inquiry after his noble state of mind,

    And about my crossing his thoughts through time.

  9. أُبدي إِلَيهِ أَنّه في الأَشرَفِ

    وَأَيمنِ السّاعاتِ ثمَّ الأَلطَفِ

    I inform him that, in the noblest

    And most auspicious hours, and then the gentlest,

  10. قَد جاءَني تَحريرهُ الفَخيمُ

    فَخَّمْتُهُ إذ حقُّه التّفخيم

    His majestic letter reached me;

    I honored it, for honor is its due,

  11. عَن يَد صالِحٍ أَخي الصّلاحِ

    التّرشِحاني حائِز الفَلاحِ

    By the hand of Salih, a brother in righteousness,

    Al-Tarshihani, who has attained success.

  12. وَغبّ أَن أَدّيته التّعظيما

    رَأَيت منهُ درَّه النّظيما

    And after I had paid it reverence,

    I beheld its strung pearls within it.

  13. قَرَأته بِغايةِ الإِذعانِ

    بِفي اللّسانِ وَفم الأذهانِ

    I read it with the utmost deference,

    With the tongue's mouth and the minds' mouth.

  14. فَسَرَّني مِن حيثُ لي قَد أَخبَرا

    بِصَحَّةِ المِزاجِ مِن غَيرِ اِمترا

    It delighted me, for it had told me

    Of sound health, without any doubt,

  15. وَبِاِعتِدال طَبعك اللّطيفِ

    كَذا بِطيبِ وَقتك الشّريفِ

    And of the balance of your gentle temperament,

    Likewise, of the pleasantness of your noble days,

  16. وَأَنّني خطرتُ في الضَّميرِ

    وَالخاطِر المُكرّم الخطيرِ

    And that I had crossed your inner thoughts

    And your honored, distinguished mind.

  17. حَمدتُ ربّي وَلَه شَكرتُ

    عَلى الّذي يا ذا الحِجى ذَكَرتُ

    I praised my Lord and thanked Him

    For what, O man of understanding, I have mentioned.

  18. وَقَد فَهِمت كُلَّ ما لَهُ حَوى

    وَما عَلَيهِ يا أَخا المَجدِ اِنطَوى

    And I understood all it contained for him,

    And all it enfolded, O brother of glory.

  19. أَوصَيتَني في الصالِحِ المَذكورِ

    خِدن القَوافي الشّاعِر المَشهورِ

    You commended to me the aforesaid Salih,

    Companion of rhymes, the celebrated poet;

  20. فَأَمركَ السّامي عَليَّ واجبُ

    وَإِنّني فيهِ اِمتِثالاً راغبُ

    Your lofty command is therefore binding on me,

    And I am eager to comply with it.

  21. أَدّيتهُ ما اِستَطعتُهُ مِن حَقِّهِ

    وَكلّ حسنٍ شِمتُهُ في خُلقهِ

    I rendered him as much of his due as I could,

    And I discerned every virtue in his character.

  22. وَإِنّني المَخجولُ وَالمقصِّرُ

    وَمِن قُصوري لَكمُ أَستَغفِرُ

    And I am ashamed and remiss,

    And I ask forgiveness for my shortcomings toward you.

  23. وَأَنتَ ذو الصّفحِ بِلا نَكير

    تَعفو عَنِ القُصورِ وَالتّقصيرِ

    And you are forgiving, beyond dispute;

    You pardon shortcomings and neglect.

  24. وَإِنّه سارَ إِلى عكّارِ

    بِحِفظِ رَبّي الواحِدِ الستّارِ

    And he has departed for Akkar,

    Under my Lord's protection—the One, the Concealer of faults.

  25. هَذا وَأَرجو أَنّني لَن أَخرجا

    عَن فِكرك الثاقِبِ يا خِدنِ الحجى

    This said, I hope that I shall never depart

    From your penetrating thoughts, O companion of understanding,

  26. وَأَنّني أَن لا أُرى مَهجوراً

    مِن نَحوِكم بِقطعك التّحريرا

    And that I shall not be seen forsaken

    By you, through your breaking off correspondence.

  27. بَل فيهِ صِلني مِثلَما عَوَّدتني

    فَذَلكَ المحمودُ يا ذا الفطنِ

    Rather, keep in touch with me through it, as you always have;

    For that is praiseworthy, O man of keen wits.

  28. وَإِنْ بِشيء لازم قَدِ اِقتَرنْ

    عَنهُ أَشِرْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنَ المنن

    And if it is accompanied by something needed,

    Let me know of it, for that is a favor;

  29. يَقضى عَلى الرّؤوسِ وَالعيونِ

    وَإِنّني لَكُم مِنَ الممنونِ

    It shall be fulfilled—upon our heads and eyes—

    And I am beholden to you.

  30. وَسَلّموا لَنا عَلى الأَحبابِ

    وَمَن غَدا يَلوذُ بِالجنابِ

    And convey our greetings to the loved ones,

    And whoever has come to seek shelter at your side.

  31. وَاللَّهَ أَرجو أَن يُطيلَ عُمرَكا

    وَيَرفعَ الدّهرَ لَديهِ قَدركا

    And I pray to God that He prolong your life,

    And forever raise your standing in His sight,

  32. وَأَن يَكونَ عَونك المُعينا

    وَالراعِيَ الحَفيظَ وَالضّمينا

    And that He be your aid, your helper,

    And your watchful guardian and guarantor.

  33. وَدُم كَما قَد رُمتَ وَالسّلامُ

    وَبِالسّلامِ يَحسنُ الختامُ

    And remain as you have wished—and peace!

    And with peace, the close is beautiful.