هذِهْ رسالةُ صَبٍّ دائمِ القَلقِ

هذِهْ رسالةُ صَبٍّ دائمِ القَلقِ

إلى حبيبٍ جميلِ الخَلْقِ والخُلُقِ

إلى حبيبٍ جميلِ الخَلْقِ والخُلُقِ

This is a letter from a lover ever restless,

This is a message of pouring anxiety

To a beloved, beautiful in form and character.

To a beloved of beautiful nature and character

تَضمَّنتْ نارَ شَوقٍ بينَ أضلُعهِ

تَضمَّنتْ نارَ شَوقٍ بينَ أضلُعهِ

فاعَجبْ لهُ كيفَ يُهدِي النَّارَ في الوَرَقِ

فاعَجبْ لهُ كيفَ يُهدِي النَّارَ في الوَرَقِ

It holds the fire of longing between his ribs;

It contained the fire of yearning in his ribs

So marvel at him: how he offers fire in paper!

So marvel at how he sends fire in paper

عليلةٌ اللفظِ والمعنى مجرَّدةٌ

عليلةٌ اللفظِ والمعنى مجرَّدةٌ

صحيحةُ العَزْم في الأسفارِ والطُرُقِ

صحيحةُ العَزْم في الأسفارِ والطُرُقِ

Frail in wording and meaning, unadorned,

Weak in wording and meaning purely stripped

Yet sound in resolve on journeys and roads.

Firm in resolve on journeys and roads

راحت تَخوضُ إليهِ البحرَ خائفةً

راحت تَخوضُ إليهِ البحرَ خائفةً

من نَقدِهِ إذ يَراها لا من الغَرَقِ

من نَقدِهِ إذ يَراها لا من الغَرَقِ

It set out to cross the sea toward him, fearful

It went to plunge into the sea afraid of him

Of his criticism when he sees it, not of drowning.

Of his criticism when he sees it, not of drowning

هذا الصَّديقُ الذي تَبقَى مَوَدَّتُهُ

هذا الصَّديقُ الذي تَبقَى مَوَدَّتُهُ

للدَّهرِ خالصةً من شُبهةِ المَلَقِ

للدَّهرِ خالصةً من شُبهةِ المَلَقِ

This is the friend whose affection endures

This friend whose affection remains

Forever, free of any taint of flattery.

For lifetimes pure from the taint of insincerity

تَمضي الليالي ولا تُلقِي بها أثراً

تَمضي الليالي ولا تُلقِي بها أثراً

إلاّ كما أثَّرَ الصمْصامُ في الدَّرَقِ

إلاّ كما أثَّرَ الصمْصامُ في الدَّرَقِ

The nights pass and leave no trace upon it,

Nights pass and leave in them no trace

Except as a keen sword leaves its mark on shields.

Except as a bracelet left its trace on the forearm

محمدُ العاقلُ المشهورُ تسميةً

محمدُ العاقلُ المشهورُ تسميةً

بالحمدِ والعقلِ طِبْقَ الذَّاتِ في النَسَقِ

بالحمدِ والعقلِ طِبْقَ الذَّاتِ في النَسَقِ

Muhammad al-Aqil, whose celebrated name

Muhammad the wise one famed in name

Pairs praise and reason in an order matching his nature.

For praise and wisdom the essence of self in form

يتلو لنا سورةَ الإخلاصِ مَنطِقُهُ

يتلو لنا سورةَ الإخلاصِ مَنطِقُهُ

وَوجهُهُ ظَلَّ يتلو سُورةَ الفَلَقِ

وَوجهُهُ ظَلَّ يتلو سُورةَ الفَلَقِ

His speech recites for us the Surah of Sincerity,

His speech recites the chapter of purity

And his face has kept reciting the Surah of Daybreak.

And his face reciting the chapter of daybreak

لَئِنْ تكُنْ عينُ تلكَ الشَّمسِ غائبةً

لَئِنْ تكُنْ عينُ تلكَ الشَّمسِ غائبةً

فقد أقامَت علينا رايةَ الشَفَقِ

فقد أقامَت علينا رايةَ الشَفَقِ

Even if the eye of that sun is absent,

If the eye of that sun is absent

Yet it has raised over us the banner of twilight:

It has raised over us the banner of affection

رسالة كبياضِ العينِ رُقعتُها

رسالة كبياضِ العينِ رُقعتُها

وذلك الخط فيها أسود الحدق

وذلك الخط فيها أسود الحدق

A letter whose sheet is like the white of the eye,

A message white as the eye, its wrapper

And the script within it is the black of the pupils.

And that line in it, the black of the pupil

تِجارَةٌ بينَنا واللهِ قد رَبحتْ

تِجارَةٌ بينَنا واللهِ قد رَبحتْ

ممَّن أرَى فضلَهُ كالطَوقِ في عُنقي

ممَّن أرَى فضلَهُ كالطَوقِ في عُنقي

A trade between us, by God, has yielded profit

A trade between us and God that has profited

From one whose favor I see as a collar around my neck.

From one I see whose merit is like a necklace around my neck

يُهدِي اللآلي ويُهدَى بعدَها خَرَزاً

يُهدِي اللآلي ويُهدَى بعدَها خَرَزاً

منا فلا زالَ رَبَّ الفَضلِ والسَبَقِ

منا فلا زالَ رَبَّ الفَضلِ والسَبَقِ

He offers pearls, and afterward is given beads

He gives pearls and is gifted pearls in return

From us; so may he ever be lord of excellence and preeminence.

From us so the Lord of merit and precedence remains