دَعَوْتُ فؤادي للسُّلُوِّ فما أجدى

وظلَّ يخالُ الغَيَّ في وَجْدِه رُشْدا

I called my heart to be calm, but to no avail,

It persisted roaming confused in its passion.

وما أنا من سلمى وسعدى بمأربٍ

فلا سَلِمَتْ سلمى ولا سعدت سعدى

I am neither from Salma nor Sa'd in Ma'rib,

So neither did Salma find peace, nor Sa'd happiness.

أقمتُ بأرضٍ غير أرضي وموطني

وما لي في أفنائها أنيقٌ تحدى

I stayed in a land not my own,

With no loved ones in its plains to console me.

وأنفقتُ أيَّامي على غير طائل

فلا منهلاً عذباً ولا عيشة رغدا

I spent my days fruitlessly,

With no pleasant springs or comfortable life.

وما اخترطت غير القتاد يدي بها

وغيري جنت من شوكها يده الوردا

My hands harvested nothing but trouble,

While others plucked roses from its thorns.

تُؤخِّرني الأَيَّام عمَّا أُريده

فلم تكتسب شكراً ولم تكتسب حمدا

The days put off what I desire,

Gaining neither gratitude nor praise from me.

وقد قذفتني في البلاد يد النوى

فلم أُبْقِ غوراً ما وطئت ولا نجدا

The hands of fate cast me in these lands,

Where I trod no valley or plain.

نَوًى جمعتني بعد حينٍ بأحمد

سأُوسِعُها شكراً وأحمَدها حمدا

An abode gathered me after a time with Ahmad,

I will thank it abundantly and praise it generously.

من المكرمين الوفد طبعاً وقلَّما

رأيتُ بهذا العصر من يكرم الوفدا

He is naturally one of the generous hosts,

Rarely have I seen one who honors guests like him.

قريب من الحسنى سريٌ إلى النَّدى

وما برحت إذ ذاك أيدٍ له تندى

Close to goodness, secretive to gentleness,

I have not ceased being indebted to him since.

ومستجمع للجود إمَّا دَعوتَه

دعوت مجيباً قد تهيَّأَ واعتدا

A repository of generosity, whenever called upon,

He responds readily prepared and equipped.

إذا مُدَّتْ الأَيدي إليه أمدَّها

بجدوى يَمين تُورِثُ الأَبحرَ المدَّا

When hands are extended to him, he fills them

With the bounty of his right hand that enriches the oceans.

كما أنَّ جدوى كفِّه يُورث الغنى

وقد يُورثُ العلياءَ والعزَّ والمجدا

Just as the bounty of his palm grants wealth,

It also grants the highborn, honor and glory.

يلين لعافيه وإنْ كانَ قد قسا

زمانٌ على عافيه بالعسر واشتدَّا

He is gentle despite the harshness of time,

That has been severe and hard on his wellbeing.

له هممٌ في المعضلات تخالها

كسُمر القنا طعناً وبيض الظبا حدَّا

He has resolves for predicaments that make them

Appear like the lance of Qanat piercing and the sword of Dhu'l-Hadda cutting.

يجرِّدها في كلِّ أمرٍ حلاحلٍ

يقدّ بهنَّ الخطب يومئذٍ قدَّا

He employs them in every difficult matter,

Leading with them affairs when they become complex.

يحلُّ بها عقد الشدائد كلّها

فهل مثله من وُلِّي الحلَّ والعقدا

With them he unties the knots of adversities,

Is there anyone like him gifted in solving and tying problems?

يرى غاية الغايات وهي خفيَّةٌ

كما قد يرى خيط الصَّباح إذا امتدَّا

He sees the epitome of ends though hidden,

As one sees the horizon's thread when outstretched.

يضيء لنا منه شهاب إذا دجا

دُجًى من خطوب في الحوادث واسودَّا

It illuminates for us a flame when in darkness,

A darkness from overwhelming calamities that blackened.

فنحن أُناسٌ لا يشقُّ غبارهم

وأحمرة لا تلحق الضمّر الجردا

We are people whose dust does not rise,

And nobles who do not overburden the barefoot camel.

وهيهات ما بين الثُّريَّا إلى الثرى

ألا إنَّ فيما بين جمعها بعدا

Alas! Between Thurayya and the ground,

Indeed, between gathering them is such a distance!

ترى نفثات السّحر في كلماته

وتجني بأيدي السَّمع من لفظه شهدا

You see the breaths of sorcery in his words,

And reap with listening hands honey from his utterance.

لسانٌ كحدِّ السَّيف أو كجنانه

به مفحم للخصم ألسِنَةً لدا

A tongue sharp as the edge of a sword or its blade,

With it he silences the tongues of disputants.

وها هو في جدِّ الكلام وهزله

يصوغ من الأَلفاظ ما يشبه العقدا

There he is, serious or jesting in speech,

Composing from words what resembles necklaces.

أماناً من الأَيَّام أمسى ولاؤه

يلاحظ وفد الكلّ من يده الرفدا

Protection from days, his loyalty kept guard,

Observing the arrival of all seeking his support.

وها أنا منه حيث طاشت سهامها

لبست به عن كلِّ نائبة سردا

Wearing through him, armor against every affliction.

I thank his hands that shame modesty,

وأشكرُ منه أيدياً تخجل الحيا

ويترك حرَّ القوم إحسانُه عبدا

Leaving the noble through his favors a slave.

To me he has longstanding virtues befitting him,

عليَّ له من فضل قديم ما هو أهله

إليَّ وكم من نعمة منه قد أسدى

And how many blessings from him were bestowed upon me!

I will repay, but never fully thank him,

سأقضي ولن أقضي له حقّ شكره

وإنْ أعجزَ العبدَ القضاءُ فما أدَّى

Though the servant is too weak to fully repay.

I dedicate my praise as best I could for his glory,

وأُهدي ثنائي ما استطعت لمجده

وما غيره عندي لعلياه ما يهدى

None other than him deserves what I gift.