1. رَعَايا الْيَمَنِ الْمَيْمو

    نِ أَضْحَوْا ما لَهُمْ رَاعي

    The subjects of blessed Yemen

    Have come to have no shepherd.

  2. فَلاَ الْعَدْلُ يُرْجُّونَ

    وَلاَ الرَّدْعُ لِطمّاعِ

    So they have no hope of justice,

    Nor any restraint upon the greedy.

  3. وَمالُ النّاسِ قَدْ وُزِّ

    عَ ظُلْماً بَيْنَ أَوْزاعِ

    And the people's wealth has been distributed

    Unjustly among disparate groups.

  4. فَهَذَا بِيَد الْوَالي

    وَهَذا بِيَدِ السّاعي

    So this is in the governor's hand,

    And this in the tax collector's hand.

  5. وَهَذَا نَهْبُ خَوّانٍ

    وَهَذا نَهْبُ خَدّاعِ

    And this is a traitor's plunder,

    And this a deceiver's plunder.

  6. فَيَا بارِي الْبَرَايا يَا

    مُحِيباً دَعْوَةَ الدّاعي

    So, O Maker of creatures, O

    Answerer of the supplicant's call,

  7. وَيَا فَتِحَ أَقْفالِ

    قُلُوبٍ ثُمَّ أَسْماعِ

    And O Opener of the locks

    Of hearts, and then of ears,

  8. أَرِحْ خَلْفَكَ مِنْ جَوْرٍ

    وَمِنْ خَوْفٍ وإفْزاعِ

    Give Your creatures relief from oppression,

    And from fear and terror.

  9. وذُدْ عَنْهُمُ من أَفْظَ

    عَ فيهمْ أَيَّ إفظاعِ

    And ward off from them whoever has committed

    Any atrocity against them.

  10. وَحَبِّبْ مَنْهَجَ الْعَدْلِ

    إلى الْمَرْعيِّ والرّاعي

    And make the path of justice beloved

    To the flock and the shepherd.

  11. فَيا رَبَّاهُ قَدْ أَكْثَرْ

    تُ في ذَا الأَمْرِ أَطْماعي

    So, O my Lord, I have multiplied

    My hopes concerning this matter.

  12. وَأَرْجُو أَنَّني في نَشْ

    رِهِ في العالَمِ السّاعي

    And I hope that, in spreading it,

    I am striving throughout the world.

  13. وكَمْ قَدْ جئْتُ ذاكَ الْبَا

    بَ أَرْجُو فَتْح مِصْراعِ

    And how often I have come to that door,

    Hoping for a door-leaf to open.

  14. وَقَدْ أَعْتَدْتُ أَقْتَابي

    وَأَحْلاسِي وأَنْساعِي

    And I have readied my pack saddles,

    And my saddlecloths and my girths.

  15. فَطَوِّل ليَ إنْ قصَّرْ

    تُ يَوْماً عِنْدَهُ بَاعِي

    So lengthen for me—if I fall short

    There one day—my reach.

  16. وكثنْ ناصِراً في كُ

    لّ إبْطائِي وإسْراعِي

    And be my helper in all

    My slowness and my haste.

  17. فَيَا فَتّاحُ جُدْ بالفَتْ

    حِ للبابِ لقَرّاعِ

    So, O Opener, generously grant the opening

    Of the door to the one who keeps knocking.