1. جَعلَت تُحدِّثني الحَوا

    دِثُ بالمُقامِ وبِالظَّعَن

    The vicissitudes began to tell me

    of staying and departing,

  2. وتقولُ مَن لَكَ أو بِمَن

    تَسطُو وما عَلِمت بِمَن

    and say, “Who stands by you, or with whom

    do you strike?”—not knowing with whom:

  3. بفتىً وَفَى وسُيوفُهُ

    طُبِعَت عَلى غَدرِ الزَّمَن

    with a youth who kept faith, while his swords

    were forged with the treachery of time.

  4. أوَ ما تَراهُ بمسِّها

    ماذا جَناهُ على اليَمَن

    And do you not see, through their touch,

    what he has inflicted upon Yemen?

  5. أيُّ الأمور اشتَدَّ ها

    نَ عَلى الأميرِ أبي الحَسَن

    Every matter, however difficult, became easy

    for Prince Abu al-Hasan.

  6. يا مَن تَروعُ الرَّوعَ هَي

    بَتُه وتُغنِيه الفِتَن

    O you whose awe terrifies terror itself,

    and whom trials enrich:

  7. جَهِلَت فخُذها مِن لَدُن

    كَ بعلمِ أطرافِ اللُّدُن

    they were ignorant; so take them to task with

    your own knowledge of supple spearpoints.

  8. أصبحتُ يا وطَن المكا

    رِم قد صبَوتُ إلى الوَطَن

    I have come, O home of noble deeds,

    to yearn for my homeland.

  9. وغَرِقتُ في بَحرِ الأما

    ني فَالق لي حَبلَ المِنَن

    And I have drowned in the sea of wishes;

    so cast me the rope of favors.

  10. واعطِف قَناةَ الدَّهرِ إن

    نَ الدَّهرَ يُثبتُ مَن طَعَن

    And bend time’s spear-shaft, for

    time lays low whomever it pierces.