هُمّو عَلَّموا عَيني سُؤال المَعالِمِ

هُمّو عَلَّموا عَيني سُؤال المَعالِمِ

بِنَوَعَينِ هَطّالٍ عَلَيها وَساجِمِ

بِنَوَعَينِ هَطّالٍ عَلَيها وَساجِمِ

They taught my eye to question the landmarks,

They taught my eyes to ask for the horizons

With two kinds of tears upon them, pouring and streaming.

With looks casting arrows at them insistently

أَبوا ضِنَّة بي أَن أَرى غَيرَ مُغرَمٍ

أَبوا ضِنَّة بي أَن أَرى غَيرَ مُغرَمٍ

فَهَمّوا بِقَلبي أَن يُرى غَير هائِمِ

فَهَمّوا بِقَلبي أَن يُرى غَير هائِمِ

They refused, out of jealous concern for me, to let me appear other than lovelorn;

They refused to allow me to see one not in love

So they threatened my heart lest it be seen as anything but love-distraught.

So they made my heart set on seeing none but the passionate

كَأَنَّهُم إِذا أَزمَعوا سَلَبوا الكرى

كَأَنَّهُم إِذا أَزمَعوا سَلَبوا الكرى

جُفوني فَما أَحظى بِلَذَّة نائِمِ

جُفوني فَما أَحظى بِلَذَّة نائِمِ

As though, when they resolved to depart, they stole sleep

It's as if when they determine to rob the vines

From my eyelids, so I enjoy none of a sleeper's delight.

They blind me, so I enjoy no delight in sleep

وَهَبتُ نَصيبي من سُلوّي لِعاذِلي

وَهَبتُ نَصيبي من سُلوّي لِعاذِلي

وَصارَمت حَبلي من حَبيب مَصارِمِ

وَصارَمت حَبلي من حَبيب مَصارِمِ

I gave my share of solace to my reproacher,

I gave away my share of bliss to my critic

And severed my cord to a beloved who severed ties with me.

And tied myself to a lover binding ties

وَصاحبت هَذا الحب طِفلاً وَيافِعاً

وَصاحبت هَذا الحب طِفلاً وَيافِعاً

فَلَم أَرَ أَضنى مِن مُحبٍ مَكاتِمِ

فَلَم أَرَ أَضنى مِن مُحبٍ مَكاتِمِ

And kept company with this love as a child and a youth,

And I accompanied this love as a child and young man

So I saw no one more wasted than a lover who conceals his love.

But saw no dearer than the silent lover

وَما بُحتُ حَتّى اِستَنطَقَ الشَوق أَدمُعي

وَما بُحتُ حَتّى اِستَنطَقَ الشَوق أَدمُعي

وَذَكَّرَني عَهدُ الحِمى المُتَقادِمِ

وَذَكَّرَني عَهدُ الحِمى المُتَقادِمِ

Nor did I speak openly until longing made my tears speak,

I did not speak until longing drew tears from me

And the sanctuary's long-past days stirred my memory.

And the ancient days of passion reminded me

فَسرت أَشيم الجود في كُلِّ مَعدَنٍ

فَسرت أَشيم الجود في كُلِّ مَعدَنٍ

وَأَنتَقِدُ الناس اِنتِقادَ الدَراهِمِ

وَأَنتَقِدُ الناس اِنتِقادَ الدَراهِمِ

So I traveled, seeking generosity in every mine,

So I set out testing generosity in every source

And assayed people as one assays dirhams.

And appraising people with the appraisal of coins

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ اليُمنِ رَب إِمارَةٍ

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ اليُمنِ رَب إِمارَةٍ

حُميد بن مَحمود حَليف المَكارِمِ

حُميد بن مَحمود حَليف المَكارِمِ

So I saw no lord of a principality like al-Yumn,

Thus I did not see the equal of Yemen’s lord

Humayd ibn Mahmud, ally of noble deeds.

Humayd bin Mahmoud, ally of glorious deeds

هوَ الجَبَل العالي الَّذي شُرُفاته

هوَ الجَبَل العالي الَّذي شُرُفاته

تَعَلّى عَلى أُسِّ النُجومِ النَواجِمِ

تَعَلّى عَلى أُسِّ النُجومِ النَواجِمِ

He is the lofty mountain whose peaks

He is the lofty mountain whose peaks

Tower above the foundation of the rising stars.

Rise above the stars’ clusters arrayed

فَإِن قالَ قَوم إِنَّهُ مِثلَ حاتِم

فَإِن قالَ قَوم إِنَّهُ مِثلَ حاتِم

فَفي كُلِّ عُضوٍ مِنهُ أَمثال حاتِمِ

فَفي كُلِّ عُضوٍ مِنهُ أَمثال حاتِمِ

So if people say that he is like Hatim,

If a people say he is like Hatem

Then in every limb of his are counterparts of Hatim.

In every limb of his there are many Hatems

فَيا طيئاً طَيَّ الأَمير وَمن غَدا

فَيا طيئاً طَيَّ الأَمير وَمن غَدا

لَهُ شرف عالي الذُرى وَالدَعائِمِ

لَهُ شرف عالي الذُرى وَالدَعائِمِ

So, O Tayy—Tayy of the prince and of him who has come

So O Tai shield the prince, and whoever strives

To possess honor with lofty summits and pillars—

For the honor of lofty lineage and pillars

بَقيتَ لِيَومَيكَ اللَذينَ عُلاهُما

بَقيتَ لِيَومَيكَ اللَذينَ عُلاهُما

مصنَّفة في عُربها وَلأ اعاجِمِ

مصنَّفة في عُربها وَلأ اعاجِمِ

May you endure for your two days, whose glory

You remained for your two days which were enhanced

Is chronicled among Arabs and non-Arabs.

By compositions in Arabic and non-Arabic

فَيَومُ وَغىً يَسطو بِقَسوَةٍ جابِرٍ

فَيَومُ وَغىً يَسطو بِقَسوَةٍ جابِرٍ

وَيَوم رضىً يَحنو بِعطفة راحِمِ

وَيَوم رضىً يَحنو بِعطفة راحِمِ

One is a day of battle, when he strikes with a subduer's harshness;

A day of severity overwhelming in oppression

And one a day of favor, when he shows a merciful one's tenderness.

And a day of pleasure gentle in compassion

وَلَمّا رأى اللَهَ النَدى في عِبادِهِ

وَلَمّا رأى اللَهَ النَدى في عِبادِهِ

مَقاماً وَرُكن الجودِ لَيسَ بِقائِمِ

مَقاماً وَرُكن الجودِ لَيسَ بِقائِمِ

And when God saw generosity among His servants

And when God saw the dew in His servants

With an abode, though bounty's pillar was not standing,

A place not upheld, the pillar of generosity

حَباكَ بِبَحرٍ من نَوالٍ إِذا طَما

حَباكَ بِبَحرٍ من نَوالٍ إِذا طَما

ثَوى البَحرِ في تَيارِهِ المُتَلاطِمِ

ثَوى البَحرِ في تَيارِهِ المُتَلاطِمِ

He endowed you with an ocean of gifts; when it overflows,

He gifted you an ocean of bounty, whose waves

The sea itself rests in its clashing current.

Settle into its currents surging

لَئِن سَلَّمت طَييٌّ إِلَيك عنانها

لَئِن سَلَّمت طَييٌّ إِلَيك عنانها

فَأَصبَحت أَسنى ذَخرها لِلعَظائِمِ

فَأَصبَحت أَسنى ذَخرها لِلعَظائِمِ

If Tayy has indeed handed you its reins,

If Tai surrenders its reins to you

So that you became its finest reserve against great calamities,

Its finest treasures will be for the magnificent

وَعدَّل فيها عدَّة الدَولَة الَّذي

وَعدَّل فيها عدَّة الدَولَة الَّذي

يُشارُ إِلَيهِ في كِتابِ المَلاحِمِ

يُشارُ إِلَيهِ في كِتابِ المَلاحِمِ

And ʿUddat al-Dawla set matters right among them, he who

And he rectified in it the tools of state

Is alluded to in the book of great battles,

Referred to in the book of epics

فَما عدم التَوفيق عَن مُستَحَقِّهِ

فَما عدم التَوفيق عَن مُستَحَقِّهِ

وَلَيسَ الخَوافي في الوَرى كالقَوادِمِ

وَلَيسَ الخَوافي في الوَرى كالقَوادِمِ

Then success has not been withheld from one who deserves it;

Good fortune is not absent from the deserving

And among mankind the secondary feathers are not like the primaries.

And impending events in the world are like those come