إنِّي بعَثتُ لِسيّدِي بِكتَابي

إنِّي بعَثتُ لِسيّدِي بِكتَابي

لينُوبَ في لَثمِ اليدَينِ مَنَابي

لينُوبَ في لَثمِ اليدَينِ مَنَابي

I have sent my master my letter,

I sent my letter to my master

to stand in my stead in kissing his hands,

That he may wipe his hands upon it and smell its perfume

وَيَرَى أثيلَ المجدِ في أوجِ العُلا

وَيَرَى أثيلَ المجدِ في أوجِ العُلا

ويَرى جلالَ العزِّ بينَ قِبَابِ

ويَرى جلالَ العزِّ بينَ قِبَابِ

and behold the bearer of ancient glory at the summit of greatness,

And see glory's mantle at its peak

and see the majesty of might among the domes.

And grandeur's majesty between its lines

وَيضُوعُ نشرُ المسكِ بينَ سُطورِه

وَيضُوعُ نشرُ المسكِ بينَ سُطورِه

بفًُكَاهةٍ تسمُو سمُوِّ حُبَابِ

بفًُكَاهةٍ تسمُو سمُوِّ حُبَابِ

The fragrance of musk wafts between its lines,

And musk will flow in waves between its letters

with wit that rises as bubbles rise.

With a smile rising as high as the clouds

أيَظَلُّ مولانَا يُمَتِّعُ طرفَه

أيَظَلُّ مولانَا يُمَتِّعُ طرفَه

في كلِّ منتَقبٍ بِوَردِ شبَابِ

في كلِّ منتَقبٍ بِوَردِ شبَابِ

Will our lord keep feasting his eyes

Does our protector still delight his eyes

on everyone veiled in the roses of youth?

In every fold with the roses of youth?

أوَ كُلُّ بسَّامٍ يَدُلُّ جَبينُه

أوَ كُلُّ بسَّامٍ يَدُلُّ جَبينُه

عَمَّالَه مِن رِقّةِ الآدابِ

عَمَّالَه مِن رِقّةِ الآدابِ

And does every smiling man’s brow reveal

Or does every smiling one bow his forehead

the refinement of manners he possesses?

Taught by the gentleness of proper manners?

وخدِيمُكم عَمِيت نَواظِرُه علَى

وخدِيمُكم عَمِيت نَواظِرُه علَى

مرأى الضَّفادِع في نفُوسِ ذئابِ

مرأى الضَّفادِع في نفُوسِ ذئابِ

And your humble servant’s eyes have gone blind

While your servant's eyes have gone blind

at the sight of frogs with the souls of wolves—

To the sights of frogs in the souls of wolves

من كُلِّ أعمَى عن فضِيلة فاضِلٍ

من كُلِّ أعمَى عن فضِيلة فاضِلٍ

ويَرى نقيصَتَه بعَين عُقابِ

ويَرى نقيصَتَه بعَين عُقابِ

each blind to the virtue of a worthy man,

To every blind man to a virtuous one’s merit

yet seeing his fault with an eagle’s eye.

Who sees but fault with a hawk’s eye

لم يَخلُ مَنبتُ شَعرةٍ في جسمهِم

لم يَخلُ مَنبتُ شَعرةٍ في جسمهِم

مِن مِخلَبٍ يُؤذى به أو نَاب

مِن مِخلَبٍ يُؤذى به أو نَاب

Not a single hair-root on their bodies was free

Not one hair on their bodies is without

of a claw used to harm, or a fang.

A claw that hurts or fang that bites

وتَظلُّ منتقِلا بخَير عواصِمٍ

وتَظلُّ منتقِلا بخَير عواصِمٍ

في خيرِ حاشِية وخَيرِ رِكاب

في خيرِ حاشِية وخَيرِ رِكاب

And you keep traveling through the finest capitals,

While you continue moving through the best of capitals

amid the finest retinue and the finest mounts.

With the best court and best mount

وعُبيدَكُم يرجُو الصَّويرَة ثم لاَ

وعُبيدَكُم يرجُو الصَّويرَة ثم لاَ

يَلقَى سَبيلا مِن فراغٍ وِطَابِ

يَلقَى سَبيلا مِن فراغٍ وِطَابِ

And your humble servant longs for Essaouira, yet cannot

Your slaves hope for little gifts but find no

find a way, for his milk-skins are empty.

Path from emptiness and yearning

لازِلتَ سِيِّدِي المُطاعَ ولم أزل

لازِلتَ سِيِّدِي المُطاعَ ولم أزل

مِن جُملةِ الخُدَّامِ بالأعتَابِ

مِن جُملةِ الخُدَّامِ بالأعتَابِ

May you ever remain my master, obeyed—and I have always been

Still my master you remain obeyed

among the servants at your thresholds.

While I remain among the doorkeepers

وعلَى خديمِك فاسمَحن بجَوابِه

وعلَى خديمِك فاسمَحن بجَوابِه

لا تبخَلُوا عنه برَدِّ جوَابِ

لا تبخَلُوا عنه برَدِّ جوَابِ

And graciously favor your servant with a reply;

So permit your servant to answer

do not withhold an answer from him.

Do not be stingy to him with an answer