1. The garden breathed out its bright lights,
And dawn unveiled its radiant pearls.
١. تَنَفَّسَ الرَّوْضُ عَنْ نُوَّارِهِ الأَرِجِ
وَأَسْفَرَ الصُّبْحُ عَنْ لأْلاَئِهِ البَهجِ
2. Good tidings of a blessed newborn,
Whose charm made fate extend a joyous hand.
٢. بُشْرى بِأَيْمَنِ مَوْلُودٍ لِغُرَّتِهِ
هَزَّتْ يَدُ الدَّهْرِ مِنَّا عِطْفَ مُبْتَهج
3. Monday night brought the news,
Of two honorable ones, one of whom arrived.
٣. وافَتْ به لَيْلَةَ الاثْنَيْنِ مُخْبِرَةً
بِاثْنَيْنِ جاءَ كَرِيمٌ مِنْهُمَا وَيَجِي
4. Glory never looked down from its heights,
Until it smiled at its reflection in the water.
٤. لَمْ يَنْظُر المَجْدُ مِنْ عَلْيَاهُ عَنْ حَوَرٍ
حَتَّى تَبَسَّمَ مِنْ مَرْآهُ عَنْ فَلَج
5. A crescent of fortune dispelling all gloom -
Its darkness cannot be traversed with lamps.
٥. هِلاَلٌ سَعْدٍ يُجَلِّي كُلَّ دَاجِيَةٍ
ظَلاَمُها لَيْسَ يُمْشَى فِيه بِالسُّرُج
6. An essence of pure nobility never ceased
Roaming from glorious origin to origin.
٦. ونُطْفَةٌ مِنْ صَمِيمِ الْفَخْرِ ما بَرَحَتْ
تَجُولُ مِنْ مَشَجٍ زَاكٍ إلَى مَشَجِ
7. Branching between two roots of glory and might,
Sharing the good fruits and meadows between them.
٧. تَفَرَّعَتْ بَيْنَ أَصْلَيْ سُؤْدُدٍ وَعُلاً
تَقَاسَمَا طَيِّبَ الأَثْمَارِ وَالأَرَج
8. A father and uncle who proved their leadership,
Never attaining it through an heir or crown prince.
٨. أَبٌ وَخَالٌ أَبَانَا مِنْ رِئَاسَتِه
ما أَحْرَزا عَنْ خُلَيْفٍ أَوْ أَبِي الْفَرَجِ
9. Continuous like flowing water, nothing emerged
Except you'd see earth's seas swirling.
٩. مَنَاسِبٌ كَاطِّرَادِ الْمَاءِ ما انْبَعَثَتْ
إلاَّ رَأَيْتَ بِحَارَ الأَرْضِ كَالْخُلُج
10. The heights of glory rose with Sa'd's sons,
As stars reached the farthest zenith.
١٠. تَرَفَّعَتْ بِبَنِي سَعْدٍ ذُرَى شَرَفٍ
كما سَمَتْ بِنَدِيٍّ غايَةَ الدَّرَجِ
11. You are honored, O Judham, with such glories -
So dispute and rely on eloquence in your disputes.
١١. مَفَاخِرٌ قَدْ خُصِصْتُمْ يا جُذَامُ بِِها
فَخَاصِمُوا وثِقُوا بِالفَلْجِ في الْحُجَجِ
12. You never strayed from Yemen's minaret,
Until all crookedness and leaning was corrected.
١٢. ما زِلْتُمُ بِمَنَارِ اليُمْنِ مِنْ يَمَنٍ
حَتَّى تَقَوَّمَ من مَيْلٍ وَمِنْ عِوَجِ
13. Through you many a path was widened,
Which before was narrow and constricted.
١٣. كَمْ مَسْلَكٍ بِكُمُ قَدْ عادَ مُتَّسِعاً
وكانَ مِنْ قَبْلُ ذا ضِيقٍ وَذَا حَرَجِ
14. With praise a traveller came seeking you,
Glorifying at dawn and darkening at dusk.
١٤. وقاصِدٍ قَدْ تَلَقَّى السَّيْرَ نَحْوَكُمُ
بِحَمْدِ مُبْتَكِرٍ مِنْهُ ومُدَّلِجِ
15. You crossed the turbulent sea of war,
With swords plunging into the depths amidst the waves.
١٥. وَبَحْرِ حَرْبٍ قَطَعْتُمْ لُجَّ زاخِرِه
بأَنْصُلٍ لُجِّجَتْ في الخَوْضِ في اللُّجَجِ
16. A battle in which eyes see only
Meteors of cavalry in a dark night of clamour.
١٦. بمَعْرَك لا تَرَى منه العيونُ سِوَى
شُهْبٍ مِنَ السَّيْرِ في ليلٍ منَ الرَّهَجِ
17. Where blood is an elixir to incite
Any warhorse or steed to zeal and agitation.
١٧. حيثُ الدِّماءُ عُقارٌ يُسْتَحَثُّ على
ما شِئْتَ من زَجَلٍ للخَيْلِ أَو هَزَجِ
18. And dreams expand the egg to be an ostrich,
When the wine of passion whips it into fervor.
١٨. والهامُ قد أَوْسَعَتْهَا البِيضُ عَرْبَدَةً
لمَّا أّدارَتْ عليها خَمْرَةَ المُهَج
19. Every being of value proceeded in order,
In rings of mane and locks of hair.
١٩. من كُلِّ ذي جَوْهَرٍ ما زالَ مُنْتَظِماً
لِلْقِرْنِ في لَبَّةٍ منه وفي وَدَجِ
20. And every winding turn like a river,
Flowing between dunes amidst the bends.
٢٠. وكلِّ مُنْعَطِفٍ كالنَّهْرِ مُطَّرِداً
بَيْنَ الأَباطِحِ في أَثْنَاءِ مُنْعَرَج
21. In the palm of every protector what you saw
Would delight your mind and impassion you.
٢١. في كَفِّ كُلِّ كَمِيٍّ ما بَصَرْتَ به
إلاَّ تَنَزَّهْتَ في عَقْلٍ وفي هَوَجَ
22. They are the lofty standard of Yemen,
So seek shade in its shadow and safety from heat.
٢٢. أَولئك الرّايةُ العَلْياءُ من يَمَنٍ
فاركنْ إلى ظِلِّها تَأْمَنْ مِنَ الوَهَجِ
23. And you will gain from it a sea, if
The winds of questioning blow harshly upon it.
٢٣. وَرَدْتَ منها بِبَحْرٍ إنْ تَهُبَّ به
رِيحُ السؤالِ على عِلاَّتِها يَهجِ
24. Pure drinking waters, clear and unmixed -
Gathering of rare virtues not to be contained.
٢٤. جَمِّ العوارِفِ طامٍ غير مُحْتَبِسٍ
عَذْبِ المَشَارِبِ صافٍ غَيْرِ مُمْتَزِجِ
25. Whose resolve in peril does not waver,
Meeting misfortunes without panic or alarm.
٢٥. وساكنِ الجَأْشِ ما يَنْفَكُ عزمته
يلقي الخُطوبَ بلا طَيْشٍ ولا زَعَجِ
26. Congratulate Abu Al-Hassan the Sublime, a fine youth
Who left no pleasing spectacle without beautifying.
٢٦. اِهْنَأْ أَبا الحَسَن السّامي بخير فَتًى
مُحَسَّنٍ لم يَدَعْ من مَنْظَرٍ بَهَجَ
27. Nicknamed Abu Al-Fadl, and he is all virtue embodied,
Good tidings the days murmur of.
٢٧. يُكْنَى أَبا الفَضْلِ وَهْوَ الفَضْلُ أَجْمَعُهُ
وتِلْكَ بُشْرَى بها الأَيَّام في لَهَجِ
28. You remained unmatched in glory and nobility
Until you were clothed in dual attributes.
٢٨. ما زلْتَ في المجدِ والعلياءِ منفَرِداً
حتى كُسيتَ به أَوصافَ مُزْدَوَجِ
29. So trail the hem of your cloak upon the stars proudly,
For you are of old prestige and pride.
٢٩. فاسْحَبْ على النجمِ ذَيْلَ التِّيهِ مفتخراً
فَأَنتَ بالتِّيهِ والفخرِ القديمِ حَجِ
30. You remain like two meadows of nobility and knowledge,
And gardens of joy for people, or relief.
٣٠. بَقِيتُما كوثَرَيْ عُرُفٍ ومَعْرِفَةٍ
وَجَنَّتَيْ فَرَحٍ للناس أَو فَرَجِ