الدَّهرُ ليسَ على حُرٍّ بمؤتَمنِ
وأَيُّ عِلقٍ تخطتهُ يَدُ الزَّمَنِ
Time does not spare the free man from misfortune,
And which bond has the hand of fate not severed?
يَأتي العَفاءُ على الدُّنيا وساكِنها
كأنَّ آدمَ لمن يَسكُن إلى سَكَن
Prosperity comes upon the world and its inhabitants
As if Adam had not dwelt in it before.
يا باكياً فُرقة الأَحبابِ عن شَحَطٍ
هَلا بكَيتَ فِراقَ الرُّوحِ للبَدنِ
O you who weep over the separation of friends in far off lands,
Why not weep over the soul's departure from the body?
نُورٌ تَقَيَّد في طِينٍ إلى أجَلٍ
وانحاز عَنواً وخلَّى الطينَ في الكفَنِ
A light imprisoned in clay for a time
Then it withdrew haughtily and left the clay in its shroud.
كالطَّيرِ في شَرَكٍ يَسمُو إلى دَرَكٍ
حَتّى تخلَّصَ من سُقمٍ ومِن دَرَن
Like a bird trapped in a snare that longs for escape
Until it is freed from illness and chains.
إن لم يكُن في رِضى اللَهِ التقاؤُهُماغ
فَيا لَها صَفقَةً بُتَّت على دَغَن
If their meeting was not by God's decree,
What a wretched deal struck in loss!
يا شدَّ ما افتَرقا من بَعدِ ما اعتَنَقا
كأنّها صُحبَةٌ كان على دَخَن
Oh how they parted after embracing,
As if their companionship was built on smoke.
ورُبَّ سارٍ إلى وَجهٍ يُسَرُّ بهِ
وافى وقد نَبتَ المَرعى على الدِّمَنِ
Many a person journeys happily to a destination,
Only to find pasture grown over ruins.
أَتى إلى اللَه لا سَمعٌ ولا بَصرٌ
يدعُو إلى الرُّشد أَو يَهدِي إلى السننِ
He came to God without hearing or sight,
Calling to guidance or following tradition.
في كُلّ يوم فِراقٌ لا بقاءَ لهُ
مِن صاحبٍ كرمٍ أو سيّدٍ قَمِنِ
Every day brings separation with no permanence,
From a generous companion or dignified chief.
أَعيا أبا حَسَن فقدُ الذين مَضَوا
فَمن لنا بالذي أعيَا أَبا حسن
I lament Abu Hasan for those who passed are gone,
Who will be for us like the one I lament, Abu Hasan?
كانَ البقيّةَ في قومٍ قد انقَرَضُوا
فَهاجَ ما شاءَ ذاكَ القرنَ من شَجنِ
He was the remnant among a people now extinct,
So whatever that era contained of sadness overflowed.
يُعَدُّ فرداً وفي أَثوابهِ زُمَرٌ
من كلّ ذي خُلُقٍ غَمرٍ وذي فِطَنِ
He is counted an individual though hosts are in his robes,
Of every refined nature, submerged in knowledge and wit.
وإنَّ مَن أَوجَدَتنا كُلَّ مُفتَقَدٍ
حَياتُه لَعزيزُ الفَقدِ والظَّعَنِ
Indeed, He who created us feels the loss when one is absent,
His life is precious, grieved for when lost.
مَن للمُلوكِ إذا خفَّت حُلومُهُم
بما يقاومُ ذاك الطّيشَ من سكنِ
When the ardour of kings fades,
Who can resist that recklessness with composure?
يا يُونسَ الأُنسِ أًصبحنا لِوَحشَتنا
نَشكُو اغتِراباً وما بِنَّا عَنِ الوَطَنِ
O solace of intimacy, our desolation makes us complain of estrangement,
Though we are not far from home.
ويا مُطاعاً مُطِيعاً لا عِنَادَ لهُ
في كُلّ أَمرٍ عَلى الإسلام مؤتَمنِ
And O you who obeyed every command in Islam, never defiant,
Trustworthy in all matters, adhering to law and tradition.
كَم خُطَّةٍ كارتِجاجِ البَحرِ مُبهَمةٍ
فَرَّجتَها بحسامٍ سُلّ من لَسَن
How many tangled schemes, like the heaving ocean,
You disentangled with an Indian sword of sharp tongue.
طودُ المَهابةِ في الجُلَّى وإن جَذَبَت
عِنانَهُ خَلوةٌ هزَّت ذُرى وَثَنِ
Restraint's stronghold, though seclusion might pull
Its reins and shake a galaxy of fair ladies.
أكرِم به سَبباً تَلقى الرَّسولَ بهِ
لِخمسِ واردةٍ في الفَرضِ والسُّنَنِ
Honour the cause and you will meet the Messenger through it,
Due to five incumbent religious duties and prophetic traditions.
ناهِيكَ من مَنهَجٍ شُمُّ القُصورِ بهِ
هُدىً فمن فَدَنٍ عالٍ إلى فَدَن
Not to mention the exemplary moral code perfuming palaces,
Guidance, from peak to peak, from lofty dune to dune.
من كُلّ وادي التُّقى يسقى الغمامُ بهِ
فيستهلُّ شروقَ الضَّرعِ باللَّبَنِ
From every valley of piety the clouds water it,
So the Pleiades shine at dawn with milk.
تَجمَّلت بكَ في أحسَابها مُضرٌ
وأصل مجدِكَ في جرثومَةِ اليَمنِ
Through you Muḍar attained grace in its lineages,
The origin of your glory being the seed of Yemen.
من دَولةٍ حولَها الأَنصارُ حاشِدَةٌ
في طامحِ شامخِ الأَركان والقُنَنِ
From a state surrounded protectively by the Helpers,
With towering pillars sublime and impregnable.
من الذين هم آوَوا وهُم نَصَرُوا
من غَيَّةِ الدِّين لا من جذوةِ الفِتَن
They gave refuge and gave victory,
Not out of political chaos but religious duty.
إن يَبدُ مُطَّلعٌ منهم ومستمعٌ
فارغب بنفسكَ عن لَحظٍ وعن أَذَنٍ
If one of them steps forth to speak or listen,
Turn your gaze and ear away in disinterest.
ما بعدَ منطقِهِ وَشيءٌ ولا زَهَرٌ
ولا لأَعلاقِ ذاكَ الدُّرِّ من ثَمنِ
Nothing compares to their discourse, not blossoms or fruits,
Nor is that precious pearl matched in price.
أقولُ هذا وفينا فَضلُ سُؤددهِ
أستغفرُ اللَه مِلءَ السِّرِّ والعَلَن
I say this though we fall short of their merit,
I ask God's forgiveness openly and in secret.
مُحَمَّدٌ ومُغِيثٌ نِعمَ ذا عِوَضاً
هُما سلالةُ ذاكَ العارِضِ الهَتِنِ
Muḥammad and Mughīth, excellent substitutes,
Both descendants of that brilliant, piercing ancestor.
تقبلا هَديَهُ في كلّ صالحةٍ
نصّ السوابق عن طبعٍ وعن مَرَنِ
Accept their gift in every good cause,
Textbook examples of innate and learned virtue.
ما حلَّ حُبوتهُ إلا وقد عقدا
حُباً بما اختار من أيدٍ ومن مِنَنِ
No sooner did their love take root than they tied
A bond through their choice of hands and favours.
علماً وحلماً وترحيباً وتكرمةً
للزائرين وإغضاءً على وكَنِ
Knowledge, clemency, welcoming visitors and generosity
To guests, overlooking slips and flaws.
يا وافَد الغَيثِ أوسِع قَبرَهُ نُزُلاً
ورَوِّما حول ذاكَ الربع من ثُكَنِ
O you who bring plentiful rain, expand his grave as lodging,
And cultivate the land around that quarter.
وطبَّق الأرض وبلاً في شفاعَتهِ
فَنِعمَ رائدِ ذاك الرِّيفِ واليمنِ
Intercede and make the land moist with blessings,
For excellent are that province's guide and Yemen’s.
وأنتِ يا أرض كُوني بَرَّةً بأبي
مَثوىً كريمٍ ليومِ البَعثِ مُرتَهنِ
As for you, O earth, be kind to my father,
A noble resting place till the Day of Resurrection.
وإن تردَّت بتربٍ فيك أعظُمهُ
فكم لها في جنان الخُلد من رَدَن
If you are sprinkled with dust wherein he is greatest,
Then how much loamier is your soil in paradise gardens!
