شَيِّد بِفَضلِكَ مُشرِفَ البُنيانِ

شَيِّد بِفَضلِكَ مُشرِفَ البُنيانِ

لَم يَبقَ إِلّا خاتِمُ الإِحسانِ

لَم يَبقَ إِلّا خاتِمُ الإِحسانِ

Raise with your bounty the lofty edifice;

With your virtue raise the eminent edifice

Only the final seal of kindness remains.

Nothing remains but the seal of benevolence

رُدَّ الصَنيعَةَ في ابنِ شُكرٍ طَبعُهُ

رُدَّ الصَنيعَةَ في ابنِ شُكرٍ طَبعُهُ

نَشرُ الَّذي توليهِ كُلَّ أَوانِ

نَشرُ الَّذي توليهِ كُلَّ أَوانِ

Renew your favor toward a son of gratitude, whose nature

Repay the favor to the son of gratitude is his nature

Is to proclaim what you bestow at every moment.

He who You have appointed spreads it at all times

أَمّا لِساني في الحِسابِ فَواحِدٌ

أَمّا لِساني في الحِسابِ فَواحِدٌ

وَيَقومُ فيكَ مَقامَ أَلفِ لِسانِ

وَيَقومُ فيكَ مَقامَ أَلفِ لِسانِ

As for my tongue, in number it is one,

As for my tongue in accounting it is one

Yet in your praise it takes the place of a thousand tongues.

And in you it takes the place of a thousand tongues

لاتُبعِدَنّي مِنكَ نِسبَةُ مَن هُمُ

لاتُبعِدَنّي مِنكَ نِسبَةُ مَن هُمُ

خُلَفاءُ قَومِكَ مِن بَني شَيبانِ

خُلَفاءُ قَومِكَ مِن بَني شَيبانِ

Let not kinship with those men estrange me from you—

Do not estrange me from you, the relation of those who are

Your people's successors, from Banu Shayban.

Your nation's caliphs, the Bani Shayban

نَسَبي لَعَمري في رَبيعَةَ غُرَّةٌ

نَسَبي لَعَمري في رَبيعَةَ غُرَّةٌ

فيها وَلي قَلبٌ هَواهُ يَماني

فيها وَلي قَلبٌ هَواهُ يَماني

My lineage, by my life, is a bright blaze in Rabi'ah,

My lineage, by my life, among Rabi'a is a badge of honor

Within it; yet I have a heart whose love is Yemeni.

In it I have a heart that loves Yemen

ذَهَبَت يَمانٌ بِالمَفاخِرِ كُلِّها

ذَهَبَت يَمانٌ بِالمَفاخِرِ كُلِّها

بِكَ دونَ أَهلِ الفَخرِ بِالنُعمانِ

بِكَ دونَ أَهلِ الفَخرِ بِالنُعمانِ

Yaman has carried off all the glories

Yemen has taken all the glories

Through you, rather than those who boast of al-Nu'man.

Below the people of pride, below Nu'man

مَرَجَ الإِلَهُ بِسَيبِ كَفِّكَ لِلنَدى

مَرَجَ الإِلَهُ بِسَيبِ كَفِّكَ لِلنَدى

بَحرَينِ بِالمَعروفِ يَلتَقِيانِ

بَحرَينِ بِالمَعروفِ يَلتَقِيانِ

God has loosed, through your hand's bounty, for generosity,

The God has mixed with the palm of your hand the dew

Two seas that meet in beneficence.

Two seas meeting in benevolence

هَذا يَفيضُ بِفِضَّةٍ وَبِعَسجَدٍ

هَذا يَفيضُ بِفِضَّةٍ وَبِعَسجَدٍ

وَيَفيضُ ذاكَ بِفاخِرِ المَرجانِ

وَيَفيضُ ذاكَ بِفاخِرِ المَرجانِ

This one overflows with silver and gold,

This overflows with silver and worn out rags

And that one overflows with splendid coral.

And that overflows with the most precious coral

وَاللَهُ أَكسَبَكَ المَحامِدَ مُكمِلاً

وَاللَهُ أَكسَبَكَ المَحامِدَ مُكمِلاً

لَكَ كُلَّ إِنسانِيَّةِ الإِنسانِ

لَكَ كُلَّ إِنسانِيَّةِ الإِنسانِ

And God has endowed you with virtues, perfecting

And God has perfected for you all praise

In you all that makes a human human.

Completing for you all humaneness of man

رَفَعَ السَماءَ وَمَجدَ فَخرِكَ قَبلَ أَن

رَفَعَ السَماءَ وَمَجدَ فَخرِكَ قَبلَ أَن

يَبدا بِوَضعِ الأَرضِ وَالميزانِ

يَبدا بِوَضعِ الأَرضِ وَالميزانِ

He raised heaven and the glory of your renown before

He raised the sky and glorified your pride before

Beginning to set down the earth and the balance.

Laying down the earth and scales

فارَقتُ مُذ زَمَنٍ أَبي فَجَعَلتَ لي

فارَقتُ مُذ زَمَنٍ أَبي فَجَعَلتَ لي

مِن بَعدِ ذاكَ أَباً يَقومُ بِشاني

مِن بَعدِ ذاكَ أَباً يَقومُ بِشاني

I parted from my father some time ago, and you provided for me

Since a while back I lost my father, so you made for me

Thereafter a father who tends to my affairs.

After that a father who attends to my affairs

أَتَصونُ لي شِعراً وَأُخلِقُ قَدرَهُ

أَتَصونُ لي شِعراً وَأُخلِقُ قَدرَهُ

في الناسِ ماأُمّي إِذاً بِحَصانِ

في الناسِ ماأُمّي إِذاً بِحَصانِ

Do you safeguard my poetry while I wear down its worth

I compose poetry and create its worth

Among people? Then my mother would not be chaste.

Among people, so what is my mother in steeds

مَهما أَهَنتَ الدُرَّ ما أَكرَمتَهُ

مَهما أَهَنتَ الدُرَّ ما أَكرَمتَهُ

فَاِقطَع نَوالَكَ فَهوَ قَطعُ بَناني

فَاِقطَع نَوالَكَ فَهوَ قَطعُ بَناني

Whenever you dishonor pearls rather than honor them,

However much you debase the pearl, you honor it

Then cut off your bounty: that is the severing of my fingers.

So cut off your gifts, for it is my incisors

ماحِصنُ هَذا الحِصنُ لي بِمُعَوِّلِ

ماحِصنُ هَذا الحِصنُ لي بِمُعَوِّلِ

أَلجا إِلَيهِ وَأَنتَ حِصنُ أَماني

أَلجا إِلَيهِ وَأَنتَ حِصنُ أَماني

This fortress is no stronghold for me to rely on,

This fortress does not protect me with a pickaxe

To seek refuge in, when you are the fortress of my safety.

I resort to it while you are the fortress of my wishes

إِنّي أَتَيتُ مُوَدِّعاً وَأَقولُ لَو

إِنّي أَتَيتُ مُوَدِّعاً وَأَقولُ لَو

لَم آتِ فَضلَكَ طالِباً لَأَتاني

لَم آتِ فَضلَكَ طالِباً لَأَتاني

I have come to bid farewell, and I say: if

I have come to bid farewell, and I say: Had I not

I had not come seeking your bounty, it would have come to me.

Come for your grace, it would have come to me

وَإِذا انتَجَعتُكَ بِالرُجوعِ فَغَيرُهُ

وَإِذا انتَجَعتُكَ بِالرُجوعِ فَغَيرُهُ

أَولى وَأَبعَدُ مِن جَوى الحَدَثانِ

أَولى وَأَبعَدُ مِن جَوى الحَدَثانِ

And if I seek your bounty by returning, another course is

And when I seek you again, another

More fitting, and farther from the anguish of fate.

Is more worthy and farther from the intimacy of the young

فَاشدُد أَبا العَبّاسِ كَفَّكَ بِالعُلا

فَاشدُد أَبا العَبّاسِ كَفَّكَ بِالعُلا

إِنَّ العُلا مِن أَشرَفِ التيجانِ

إِنَّ العُلا مِن أَشرَفِ التيجانِ

So, Abu al-Abbas, bind your hand to high honor;

So strengthen, Abu Al-'Abbas, your palm with elevation

For high honor is among the noblest crowns.

Indeed, elevation is the most honorable of crowns