حياك يعرب عن بنيه وتبع

حياك يعرب عن بنيه وتبع

وتحدثت عنك الجهات الأربع

وتحدثت عنك الجهات الأربع

Ya'rub greeted you on behalf of his sons, and Tubba' too.

Your tribe expresses devotion and allegiance,

And the four directions spoke of you.

And all directions spoke of you,

واستقبلتك مروجها ونجوده

واستقبلتك مروجها ونجوده

وقلوبها وأكفها والأذرع

وقلوبها وأكفها والأذرع

And its meadows and highlands welcomed you,

Its meadows and generosity welcomed you,

And its hearts, its palms, and its arms.

As well as its hearts, palms, and arms.

وتوقف التاريخ دونك برهة

وتوقف التاريخ دونك برهة

متأملاً متمهلاً يستجمع

متأملاً متمهلاً يستجمع

And history paused before you for a while,

History paused before you for a moment,

Reflecting, unhurried, gathering its thoughts.

Contemplating, collecting itself slowly.

وشدا معين وحمير بك والتقى

وشدا معين وحمير بك والتقى

سيف بن ذي يزن الفتي الأروع

سيف بن ذي يزن الفتي الأروع

And Ma'in and Himyar sang of you, and you were met by

And swords met with your aid, O Humaymah’s gallant youth,

Sayf ibn Dhi Yazan, the most splendid youth.

The most magnificent young man.

وترنمت سبأ بلحنٍ خالدٍ

وترنمت سبأ بلحنٍ خالدٍ

إكسيره الذكر الجميل الممتع

إكسيره الذكر الجميل الممتع

And Saba' sang an immortal melody,

Saba’ sang an immortal melody,

Its elixir: beautiful, delightful remembrance.

Its enchanting beautiful mention an elixir.

وتطلعت بلقيس من عليائه

وتطلعت بلقيس من عليائه

ترنو إليك وكيف لا تتطلع

ترنو إليك وكيف لا تتطلع

And Bilqis looked out from on high,

Bilqis looked expectantly from her high place,

Gazing at you—and how could she not gaze?

Yearning for you - how could she not yearn?

وبك استعاد حفيدها ما حطمت

وبك استعاد حفيدها ما حطمت

كف الزمان وشتتت ما جمعوا

كف الزمان وشتتت ما جمعوا

And through you her grandson recovered what had been shattered

Through you her descendant regained what

By time's hand, which scattered what they had gathered.

The hand of time had destroyed and scattered.

وتأملتك ملامحاً وملاحم

وتأملتك ملامحاً وملاحم

فرأت صنيعك فوق ما تتوقع

فرأت صنيعك فوق ما تتوقع

And she contemplated your features and heroic exploits,

I observed your features and your courage,

So she saw your handiwork surpass what she expected.

And saw your work surpassing all expectations.

فلو أن في مقدورها لتحدثت

فلو أن في مقدورها لتحدثت

بلسان صدق عنك في ما تصنع

بلسان صدق عنك في ما تصنع

And had it been within her power, she would have spoken

If it were in her power, she would have spoken

With a truthful tongue of you and what you do,

Truthfully of you and what you were making.

وأتتك بالخبر اليقين مؤيد

وأتتك بالخبر اليقين مؤيد

بوثائق التاريخ وهي المرجع

بوثائق التاريخ وهي المرجع

And brought you certain news, supported

She would have brought you certain news, supported

By history's documents, which are the authority.

By history’s documents - they are the reference.

نبتت فروعك من صميمم أصوله

نبتت فروعك من صميمم أصوله

وبك الغداة فروعها تتجمع

وبك الغداة فروعها تتجمع

Your branches sprang from the very heart of its roots,

Your branches sprouted from your roots’ essence,

And through you its branches gather this morning.

And through you, its branches gather in the morning.

يا زائد والخير جم وافر

يا زائد والخير جم وافر

ويد الكريم على الكريم توسع

ويد الكريم على الكريم توسع

O Zayed, goodness is abundant and plentiful,

O Zayed, goodness is abundant,

And the generous man's hand gives lavishly to the generous.

And the generous hand is open to the generous.

للسد جارات سبقنك في الغنى

للسد جارات سبقنك في الغنى

وبذلن لم يبخلن في ما ينفع

وبذلن لم يبخلن في ما ينفع

The dam has neighbors who preceded you in wealth,

Your neighbors in al-Sedd preceded you in wealth

And gave, not stinting on anything beneficial.

And did not begrudge what benefits.

كانت نجوم سماء ليلي حالك

كانت نجوم سماء ليلي حالك

للمدلج الساري تضيء وتلمع

للمدلج الساري تضيء وتلمع

They were stars in the sky of my pitch-dark night,

The stars of my night sky were like your condition,

Shining and gleaming for the traveler journeying by night.

Illuminating and sparkling for the late night wanderer.

لكنك الشمس المضيئة في الضحى

لكنك الشمس المضيئة في الضحى

تذر النجوم شواخصاً إذ تسطع

تذر النجوم شواخصاً إذ تسطع

But you are the radiant sun of the forenoon,

But you are the shining sun at dawn,

Leaving the stars staring as you shine.

That makes the stars seem like nothing when you rise.

يا بانياً صرح الرخاء لأمة

يا بانياً صرح الرخاء لأمة

خلدت ذكراً بالشذى يتضوع

خلدت ذكراً بالشذى يتضوع

O builder of prosperity's edifice for a nation,

O builder of the edifice of prosperity for a nation

You immortalized a remembrance exuding sweet fragrance,

Whose mention is immortalized in fragrant beauty.

ذكراً تردده القرون محامد

ذكراً تردده القرون محامد

ومآثراً منه المروءة تنبع

ومآثراً منه المروءة تنبع

A remembrance the centuries repeat in praises,

A mention echoed by centuries with praises

And noble deeds from which chivalry springs.

And virtues through which nobility springs forth.

حققت مأرب مأربٍ في سده

حققت مأرب مأربٍ في سده

وأعدت ما ضيها فطاب المربع

وأعدت ما ضيها فطاب المربع

You fulfilled Ma'rib's wish in its dam,

You made Mārib into a Mārib through its dam,

And restored its past, so its dwelling-place grew pleasant.

And restored what had been lost, so the square was set right.

لله درك أي وصف ينتقيه

لله درك أي وصف ينتقيه

لك الأدين وأي شعر يبدع

لك الأدين وأي شعر يبدع

God bless you! What description could be chosen

My God, what description should be chosen for you?

For you by the writer, and what poetry could he create?

For you are most righteous, and what poetry can match you?

ولك اليد البيضاء في تاريخن

ولك اليد البيضاء في تاريخن

أنقى من الماء الزلال وأنصع

أنقى من الماء الزلال وأنصع

And yours is the white hand of generosity in our history,

Yours is the whitest hand in our history,

Purer than limpid water, and more radiant.

Purer than clear water and more radiant.

وحدتنا في دولة عربية

وحدتنا في دولة عربية

وبأمنها ورخائها نتمتع

وبأمنها ورخائها نتمتع

You united us in an Arab state,

You united us in an Arab state,

And we enjoy its security and prosperity.

Where we enjoy its security and prosperity.

ومضيت تبني في الحياة طريقه

ومضيت تبني في الحياة طريقه

وطريقها مجدٌ يشاد ويزرع

وطريقها مجدٌ يشاد ويزرع

And you went on building its path through life,

You continued building life’s path,

And its path is glory, built up and planted.

And its path is a glory that is built and planted.

حُييت كم لك من يد معطاءة

حُييت كم لك من يد معطاءة

سخرتها في ما يفيد وينفع

سخرتها في ما يفيد وينفع

Salutations to you! How many a bountiful hand is yours,

How many a generous hand you revived

That you have devoted to what helps and benefits.

And directed toward what benefits and aids!

من حول الصحراء بعد محوله

من حول الصحراء بعد محوله

روضاً أريضاً بالأزاهر تمرع

روضاً أريضاً بالأزاهر تمرع

Who transformed the desert, after its barrenness,

You made the desert, after changing it,

Into a luxuriant garden flourishing with flowers?

Into a soft meadow blooming with flowers.

فغدت تموج مروجها ووروده

فغدت تموج مروجها ووروده

ونخليها وثمارها المتنوع

ونخليها وثمارها المتنوع

So its meadows and roses came to billow,

So it came to wave with meadows and roses

And its date palms and varied fruits.

And palms and diverse fruits.

فإليك من غرر النفائس درة

فإليك من غرر النفائس درة

عزت مثيلتها على من يطمع

عزت مثيلتها على من يطمع

So here for you is a pearl among the choicest treasures,

To you, from the rarest treasures, a pearl

Its equal eludes anyone who covets it.

That outvalued its like to whoever covets.

أوحى الضمير بها فجاءت وفق م

أوحى الضمير بها فجاءت وفق م

يهوى الصديق وفوق ما يتوقع

يهوى الصديق وفوق ما يتوقع

Conscience inspired it, so it came in keeping with what

My conscience inspired it, so it came exceeding

The friend desires, and beyond what he expects.

What a friend desires, beyond all expectations.

لا أبتغي من أجلها غنما ول

لا أبتغي من أجلها غنما ول

ثمناً ولا مالاً يساق ويدفع

ثمناً ولا مالاً يساق ويدفع

I seek no gain for its sake, nor

I seek through it no profits or price

Any payment, nor money brought and paid.

To be led and paid.

فالله أغنانا بواسع فضله

فالله أغنانا بواسع فضله

وإلى سحائب عفوه نتطلع

وإلى سحائب عفوه نتطلع

For God has enriched us through His abundant grace,

God has enriched us through His abundant grace,

And we look expectantly to the clouds of His pardon.

And to His clouds of pardon we look expectantly.

يفنى الزمان بقضه وقضيضه

يفنى الزمان بقضه وقضيضه

والذكر لا يفنى ولا يتزعزع

والذكر لا يفنى ولا يتزعزع

Time perishes, with all it contains,

Time passes with its ups and downs,

But remembrance neither perishes nor wavers.

But mention does not pass away or shake.