أَمَنزِلَتي سَلمى عَلى القِدَمِ اسلما

أَمَنزِلَتي سَلمى عَلى القِدَمِ اسلما

فَقَد هِجتُما لِلشَّوقِ قَلباً مُتَيَّما

فَقَد هِجتُما لِلشَّوقِ قَلباً مُتَيَّما

O Salma's two dwellings, may you be safe despite your age!

My home, did I bid Salma farewell as she departed,

For you have stirred a love-enslaved heart to longing,

For you have stirred up longing in a grieving heart,

وَذَكَّرتُما عَصرَ الشَبابِ الَّذي مَضى

وَذَكَّرتُما عَصرَ الشَبابِ الَّذي مَضى

وَجِدَّةَ وَصلٍ حَبلُهُ قَد تَجَذَّما

وَجِدَّةَ وَصلٍ حَبلُهُ قَد تَجَذَّما

And recalled the season of youth now past,

And reminded me of the days of youth now passed,

And the freshness of a union whose cord has been severed.

And the prime of union whose rope has now decayed.

وَإِنّي إِذا حَلَّت بِبيشٍ مُقيمَةً

وَإِنّي إِذا حَلَّت بِبيشٍ مُقيمَةً

وَحَلَّ بِوَجٍّ جالِساً أَو تَتَهَّما

وَحَلَّ بِوَجٍّ جالِساً أَو تَتَهَّما

And I, when she settles in Bish to stay,

When she stays at a campsite or sits at a dune,

And dwells in Wajj, heading upland or down to Tihamah—

Yearning comes over me, bringing hope

يَمانِيَةٌ شَطَّت فَأَصبَحَ نَفعُها

يَمانِيَةٌ شَطَّت فَأَصبَحَ نَفعُها

رَجاءً وَظنّاً بِالمَغيبِ مُرَجَّما

رَجاءً وَظنّاً بِالمَغيبِ مُرَجَّما

A Yemeni woman far away, whose favor has become

And assumptions about the absent one.

A hope and a blind conjecture about the unseen—

I love her house being near, though the crevice of its valley refused

أُحِبُّ دُنوَّ الدارِ مِنها وَقَد أَبى

أُحِبُّ دُنوَّ الدارِ مِنها وَقَد أَبى

بِها صَدعُ شَعبِ الدارِ إِلا تَثَلُّما

بِها صَدعُ شَعبِ الدارِ إِلا تَثَلُّما

Long for my dwelling to be near hers; yet

Except to be cracked.

The rift between our dwellings only widens.

He cried over it without knowing, beyond assumption, whether

بَكاها وَما يَدري سِوى الظَنِّ مَن بَكى

بَكاها وَما يَدري سِوى الظَنِّ مَن بَكى

أَحَيّاً يُبَكّي أَم تُراباً وَأَعظُما

أَحَيّاً يُبَكّي أَم تُراباً وَأَعظُما

He wept for her; the weeper knew nothing beyond conjecture:

He was crying over the living or dust and bone.

Was he mourning someone alive, or dust and bones?

Absence came and fear of criticizers came before it,

نَأَت وَأَتى خَوفُ الطَّواعِينَ دونَها

نَأَت وَأَتى خَوفُ الطَّواعِينَ دونَها

وَقَد أنعَمَت أَخبارُها أَن تَصَرما

وَقَد أنعَمَت أَخبارُها أَن تَصَرما

She went far, and fear of plagues barred the way to her,

And news of her became too scarce to flow.

And news of her had all but ceased.

You returned to it for two months, then longing

وَعُدتَ بِها شَهرَين ثُمَّتَ لَم يَزَل

وَعُدتَ بِها شَهرَين ثُمَّتَ لَم يَزَل

بِكَ الشَّوقُ حَتَّى غِبتَ حَولاً مُحَرَّما

بِكَ الشَّوقُ حَتَّى غِبتَ حَولاً مُحَرَّما

You returned to her for two months; then there was no end

Persisted in you until you were absent for a whole sacred month.

To your longing, till you spent a year away, deprived of her.

Why now, when the shadow has descended upon it,

أَفَالآنَ لَما حَلَّ ذُو الأثلِ دُونها

أَفَالآنَ لَما حَلَّ ذُو الأثلِ دُونها

ندِمت وَلَم تَندَم هُنالِكَ مَندَما

ندِمت وَلَم تَندَم هُنالِكَ مَندَما

Is it only now, when Dhu al-Athl stands between you and her,

Do you regret when you did not regret back then?

That you regret, though you felt no regret there?

You bid its mention farewell, but the rule of its mention

سَلِمتَ بِذكراها وَمَا حُكمُ ذِكرِها

سَلِمتَ بِذكراها وَمَا حُكمُ ذِكرِها

بِفارِعَةِ الظُّهرانِ إلا لتَسقَما

بِفارِعَةِ الظُّهرانِ إلا لتَسقَما

May you be safe in remembering her! Yet recalling her

Is nothing but sickness at noon.

At Fari‘at al-Ẓuhran can only make you ill.

So leave it and replace it with a eulogy for the Caliph

فَدَعها وَأَخلِف لِلخَليفَةِ مِدحَةً

فَدَعها وَأَخلِف لِلخَليفَةِ مِدحَةً

تُزل عَنكَ بُؤسى أَو تُفيدُكَ أَنعُما

تُزل عَنكَ بُؤسى أَو تُفيدُكَ أَنعُما

So leave her, and offer the caliph a poem of praise instead,

That would alleviate your misery or profit you boons.

To dispel your hardship or bring you blessings.

For in his hands are keys to mercy

فَإِنَّ بِكَفَّيهِ مَفاتيحَ رَحمَةٍ

فَإِنَّ بِكَفَّيهِ مَفاتيحَ رَحمَةٍ

وَغَيثَ حَياً يَحيا بِهِ الناسُ مُرهِما

وَغَيثَ حَياً يَحيا بِهِ الناسُ مُرهِما

For in his two hands are the keys of mercy,

And rain that brings life to people in drought.

And life-giving rain, falling gently, through which the people live.

An Imam who came to power by clemency, without

إِمامٌ أَتاهُ المُلكُ عَفواً وَلَم يُثِب

إِمامٌ أَتاهُ المُلكُ عَفواً وَلَم يُثِب

عَلى مُلكِهِ مالاً حَراماً وَلا دَما

عَلى مُلكِهِ مالاً حَراماً وَلا دَما

An imam to whom kingship came freely, and who did not pay

Establishing his rule with ill-gotten money or blood.

For his kingship with unlawful wealth or blood.

The Lord of servants selected him for his character

تَخَيَّرَهُ رَبُّ العِبادِ لِخَلقِهِ

تَخَيَّرَهُ رَبُّ العِبادِ لِخَلقِهِ

وَلِيّاً وَكانَ اللَهُ بِالناسِ أَعلَما

وَلِيّاً وَكانَ اللَهُ بِالناسِ أَعلَما

The Lord of His servants chose him for His creation

As Guardian, and Allah knows people best.

As a guardian; and God knew humankind best.