أَجَزِعْتِ بعد إِقامتي من رحلتي

ليسَتْ عقودُ هَوَاكِ بالمُنْحَلَّةِ

I fretted when I left after my journey

Your love’s ties are not loosened

هُوَ ما علمتِ من الغرامِ فَعَلَّةٌ

من فِيك تَشْفِي غُلَّتِي أَو عِلَّتي

What you learned of passion is an ailment

Part of you heals my anxiety or illness

ما زُلْتِ عن قلبي وإِن شَحَطَ النَّوى

فنُقِلْتِ ساعَةَ نقلتي من نُقْلَتِي

You have not receded from my heart though the stars have set

You were transported for a time from my transport

تحت الشّراعِ أَبيتُ غيرَ مُوَسَّدِ ال

أَيدي إِذا ما بِتُّ تحتَ الكِلَّةِ

Under the sail, I lie without a pillow

My hands when I sleep under the blanket

وأَطوفُ في الأَقطارِ لا من رغبةٍ

في كثرةٍ أَو رغبة عَنْ قِلَّةِ

And I roam in the lands, not out of greed

Or desire for more, or desire for less

كم ضاحِكٍ خلفي وتحت ضلوعِهِ

نارٌ تُشَبُّ بأَدمعٍ مُنْهَلَّةِ

How many laughing behind me with a fire

Kindling in their ribs with profuse tears

نطقي الذي خَفَضَ اللئامَ فلا هوى

ويدي التي عبثَتْ بهمْ لا شُلَّتِ

My speech which humbled the vile, it is no passion

And my hand which toyed with them, it did not weaken

لي نقلةٌ ليستْ تُفَتَّر دائماً

والبدرُ غير مُفَتَّرٍ في النُّقلة

I have an ascension that does not always wane

While the moon does not wane during ascension

ولقد دُلِلْتُ على الكرامِ وإِنَّما

كان النَّدى والبأْسُ بعضَ أَدِلَّتي

And indeed I was guided to nobles, yet

Dew and valor were some of my guides

ملكٌ تلقَّى دولةً قد أَقبلَتْ

يسعى إِليه بسعدِها لا وَلَّتِ

A king who assumed a state which came to him

Rushing to him in its prosperity without declining

فلئن حَلَلْتُ عُرايَ عن أَوطانِهِ

فمدائِحي معقودةٌ ما حُلَّتِ

So if I stripped the devoted of their homes

My panegyrics remain clasped, they did not loosen

ما سِرْتُ عن عَدَنٍ ولا عن أَهلِها

إِلا وقد أَحْرَزْتُ كُلَّ مسرَّةِ

I did not leave Aden or its people

Except I had seized every pleasure

وتَخَيَّرَتْ عيني الجِلابَ وأَهلَها

فرزقت أَيمن جُلْمَةٍ في حَلْبَةِ

And my eye chose Jilab and its people

So I obtained the best assembly in the arena

كم لابنِ عبدِ اللِّه عندِيَ من يدٍ

تبيضُّ عند الشّدةِ المسودَّةِ

How much aid to the son of Abdullah I possess

Which whitens during hardship however darkened

الناخذاءُ عِليٌّ المُحْتَلُّ من

رُتَب الرِّبانَةِ رأْسَ أَرفعِ رتبةِ

Al-Nakhdha is Ali the carried from

The ranks of captaincy, the highest rank

من يهتدي في مظلماتِ بحارِه

وقت الضلالِ بفطْنَةٍ مبيَّضةِ

Whoever is guided in the darknesses of his seas

In times of straying with a whitened intelligence

ويودُّ نوحٌ أَنهُ رُبَّانُهُ

لو كان شاهَدَ مالَهُ من خِبْرةِ

And Noah wishes that he was its captain

If he had witnessed his competence and experience

لله جُلْبَتُهُ التي نَهَضَتْ بما

قد حَمَّلَتْهُ وصَمَّمَتْ في الحَمْلَةِ

To God belongs his ship which set out with what

It carried and persisted in carrying

وسَمَالها ذُو رأسٍ فاسْتَذْرَتْ بِهِ

في ساكنِ الأَمواجِ دانِي الهَبَّةِ

Its sailor, one with a lofty head, so it cut through

The still waters, nearing the gift

حتَّى إِذا كَمُلَتْ لها آلاتُها

من عُدَّةٍ تجري بها أَو عِدّةِ

Until when its apparatus was completed for it

Of equipment which runs it or tools

مدَّتْ من الرّيحِ التي يختارُها

فطَوَتْ بساطَ بحارِها الممتدَّةِ

It extended from the wind which it chose

So it spanned the expanse of its extended seas

ضَرَبَتْ ببطنِ رباك ظَهْرَ دياقَةٍ

ولَوَتْ إِلى الإِحسانِ ثم تَوَلَّتِ

It struck with the belly of its hull the back of a vessel

And inclined toward benevolence, then declined

وعَوَى لها كلبو فقال مَرَاكَةٌ

أَهلاً لقيتَ ومرحباً فتثنَّتِ

And Ku'ayb bid it welcome, saying

Greetings to you, and welcome, so it nodded

ثم استقامَتْ في قعو واستَظْهَرَتْ

في بطنِهِ صُبْحًا بحَطٍّ مُثْبِتِ

Then it sailed straight in Ku'ayk and took cover

In its interior morning with steady easterly winds

وتجنُّبٍ قادجَ العميرَ ولم تكُنْ

للعارَةِ الفيحاءِ ذاتَ تلفُّتِ

And avoiding Al-'Umayrah's hot winds, and it was not

Of the ugly naughty one's temperament

واستشرفَتْ للبابِ فانفَتَحَتْ لها

طُرُقُ السَّلامَةِ من بحارِ الرحمةِ

And it viewed Bab Al-Mandab so it opened for it

The paths of safety from the seas of mercy

فسقى المنادِخَ من مكلا صيرَةٍ

مُزْنٌ يَفُوزُ بكُلِّهِ ذُو الخُشَّتِ

So it irrigated Al-Mina'dikh from Mukalla's cistern

A full load won completely by the best

وَهَمى لِمَغْبُونٍ وَصَيِّلةً الحيا

غَدِقاً وحيَّى اللُّه رأْسَ التِّرمِتِ

And it intended for Maghbu'n and Wusaylah the life

Bountifully and the crescent moon gave life to At-Turmit

فعوانَ فالركمايِ فالحبلِ الذي

فيه المَغَاصُ فما حوى من دُرَّةِ

To Fu'an then Ar-Rikma'i then the rope which

Contains the harbor so it did not contain a pearl

فموارِدِ التّيسينِ من أَمواجِها

فمياهِ عَنْدِ يَد الرِّحابِ المَنْبِتِ

To the wells of At-Taysi'n from its waves

To the waters by the hand of Ar-Riha'b the growth

فمقرِّ أَبعَلَ لي إِلى حَرُّ وجَةٍ

فالكردَمِيَّاتِ التي وَكَفَى التى

To the harbour of Ab'al then to Harwujah

To Al-Kardamiyyat where sufficed the one who

شَرْمٌ كُفِينا الشَّرَّ فيه ومن يَجُزْ

حَدَّ الصِّراطِ مُبَشَّرٌ بالجَنَّةِ

Sharam prevented us evil therein so whoever deserves

The edge of the path is given tidings of Paradise

للِّه ذُو ألأَفراسِ غيرَ صَواهلٍ

وسَرَنْدَلِي والماءُ مِنْ مُبْذُولةِ

To God belongs Dhu Al-Afra's not cutting back

And Sarandela'i and the water from Mubdhulah

فإِلى بناتِ حَجُو فَمَطْرَحِ جانبِ ال

حَرْنُو نِيابِ فسارِبُو فالحَمْلَةِ

To the daughters of Haju' then Matrah on the side which

Harnu' overlooks then Saribu' then Al-Himlah

فالماءِ من بُلَعٍ وما هو آجِلٌ

فالعَزْرِ من سارُو تجاهَ القُلَّت

To the water from Bula' and what is delayed

To Al-'Azur from Saru' facing Al-Qulah

فجزيرةِ النَّعْتِ التي هيَ ملجأٌ

أَوصَيِّلِ الناموسِ فوقَ الشَّوْرَت

To the island An-Na't which is a refuge

For laying anchor above Ash-Shawrat

فمياهِ أَو الشَّوْلِ من أَفيائِها

فمسارِحِ الأَغنامِ عند العَرْبَةِ

To the waters or Al-Shawl from its streams

To the pastures of sheep at Al-'Arabah

ولبحرِه عندي ولستُ أَقوله

ما ضلَّني تذكارُه عن بَحْرَتي

And to its sea I have ties and I do not say it

Remembrance distracted me from my tie

فَدَرْعَرعٍ فالقَحْمِ فالقَلى الذي

منه المجازُ فدجلةٍ فالطُّرَّةِ

To Dar'ur then Al-Qahm then Al-Qulaa from which

Is passage then the Tigris then At-Turrah

فمغاثِ ذي المَعِزِ القليلِ ثُغاؤُهُ

فالماءِ من حاراتِ عند الفَلَّةِ

To the shallows of Dhi Al-Ma'iz, little are its gazelles

To the water from the hot lands at Al-Fallah

فمدارِ ظهرَيْهَا فرأْسِ سَرُوجِها

فراقُ رأْسِ سَرُوجها من مُنْيَتي

To the orbits of its back then the head of its saddle

Parting from the head of its saddle from my death

فبعادِ بَعْسَلَ لي دفَّنى داخلاً

بطن الحُبابِ بأَزْيَبٍ مُتَثَبِّتِ

To the remoteness of Ba'sal laid me to rest within

The belly of love in a confirmed burial

طوبَى لتلك القولَتَيْنِ بيانعا

سِرْ منه تفضها إِلى بَرِّيَّةِ

Blessed are those two hills, youthfully splendid

From it the dawn breaks unto bareness

إِذ مندلو ادبر مصغى وقصارها

وعبيتها ودهرها في القبضةِ

When Mandilu turned away listening and shortened

Its Ukhaybar and Dahrah in the grasp

فنقا مشايتري فصهر يجي دسي

محراب ما ضع وهي كالمعمورةِ

So Naqa Mashaytiri then Suhar Yaji Dasi

A sanctuary not placed and it is like the populated one

فالواحةِ الغرّاءِ أَحسن مطرح

تبدو لنا دخه بأَيمن غرةِ

To the splendid oasis, most beautiful refuge

Dikha appears to us at first light

فمبايعات يلينها ويلينها

يغدو مبايعهم بأَوفر بيعةِ

Then the pledges of allegiance, again and again

Their pledging occurs abundantly

بالسَّمْنِ بالأَعسالِ بالأَغنامِ بالذُّ

رَةِ التي قد أسْرَفَتْ في الكَثْرةِ

With butter, camels, sheep, and wealth

Which indeed was excessive in its abundance

فانهَضْ إِلى حِينٍ إِلى سكبٍ إِلى

مَرْسَى إِماراتٍ بأَوَّلِ مرّةِ

So stand up to a time, to a pouring, to

A harbour of emirates at the first sprinkle

وبَعَالِ عن راس الوعابي وحل

ظهر نهالها وتَعَدَّ عن ذي الفضلةِ

And cross the peaks of Ar-Ru'aybi and descend

Its slopes and go past Dhi Al-Fadlah

فاقصد زرائِبَ للمبيتِ وإِن تُرِدْ

رِيًّا فرِدُهُ مِن ذِي الَأثلةِ

So head to Az-Zara'ib for lodging and if you want

A place to rest, get it from Dhi Ath-Thalah

وإِذا مَرَرْتَ بصصات فحَيِّهِ

سعياً وما مِنْ حَوْلِهِ من شُعْبَةِ

And when you pass by Sasah then greet it

Striving and not deviating from its valley

واندَخْ سواكِنَ داخلاً في حَوْرِها

واركَبْ على الأَعلى بأَعلى همّةِ

And enter the plateau internally within its edges

And ascend above with the highest ambition

يا حبّذا أَنْسَتْ وقد أَنَّستُها

من بَرْكِسَايَ غداةَ قُلْتُ بلمحةِ

How excellent it made me feel at home and I felt it was home

From Birkisa'i at dawn I said in a glimpse

وأَدمت عن أَدْمَاتَ سَيْرِي بائِتًا

منْ آضُعٍ في مثلِ وَسْطِ البلدةِ

And I continued from Adamat my travel spending the night

From Adhu' in the middle of the town

فَشَعوبُ عَدِّ إِلى جزيرتِها التي

عُرِفَتْ بعبدِ اللِّه عند النِّسْبةِ

To the Shu'bs of 'Ad then back to its island which

Is known as Abdullah in lineage

فَعُرى الحريِص إِلى زور زينب إِلى

مرسى مَجَرْتَاتٍ وخيراً جَرَّتِ

The devoted stripped bare to Zur Zaynab to

The harbour of Majarrat and best it flowed

فإِلى الخوايِ إِلى كراعِيتَ إِلى

مرسى مَدَرْوِيتَ التي قَدْ دَرَّتِ

To Al-Khawa'i to Kira'iyyat to

The harbour of Mada'wiyat which overflowed

ثم استمرَّت عن طيوب وأَن حلت

فكلا ولكن في في دَرورٍ حلَّتِ

Then it continued from Tayyub and oh if it landed

But in Darur it landed

ولنا الحبور محرامات وقد

أَبدى زهير صيلا كالزهرةِ

And we have Al-Habur, Mahramat, and indeed

Zuhair portrayed Si'la like a flower

فنويّ أَو مرسى عروسٍ أَو محا

ومحا محلٌّ منه حَلُّ العُقْدةِ

To Nuwayy or the harbour of 'Arus or the erasure

Of erasure, a harbour from which the knot is untied

مد ريح أَو يعو نرى فالسدى

من راكباي إِلى مكلاَّ حَطَّتِ

Whether the wind blew or Ya'u we see, then As-Sadaa

From our riders to Mukalla it descended

فإِلى السَّلاقَيْنِ اللذَيْن تَعَرَّفَا

باسمَيْنِ من صغر بحبّ وكبرةِ

To As-Salaqayn which were known

By two names since young with love and oldness

ولقد عَقَدْتِ نَفَحْتُ آمالي كما

عُقِدَ الحليبُ بِجَوْهَرِ الأَنفحتِ

And I tied my hopes, just as

Milk is curdled with the jewel of the bubble

وضربت جَعْدَ دمادبٍ بدبادبٍ

فَغَدَتْ مُبَشِّرَةٌ لنا بالدَّوْلَةِ

And I struck the braid of Damadib with Dabada

So it gave tidings of leadership for us

نُشِرَتْ فأَنْشَرَتِ الشِّراعَ ولم تَعُقْ

عند العَيُوقِ بمُدَّةٍ عن مدةِ

It unfurled so it unfurled the sail and did not waver

At stubbornness for a time beyond its term

جَرَتْ خيلُ النَّسيمِ على الغديرِ

ورُدَّتْ تحت قسطالِ العبيرِ

The horses of the breeze galloped on the pool

And were tethered under the sail of perfume

وعَبَّ الصُّبحُ في كأْسِ الثُّرَيَّا

وكان برحَةِ القَمَرِ المنيرِ

And dawn bubbled in the chalice of Thurayya

And it was like the crescent moon's wink

وقام على جبين الشمس يهفو

كما يهفو اللِّواءُ على أَميرِ

And it stood on the forehead of the sun swaying

As the banner sways over a prince

ودار بها على يدِهِ فكانَتْ

كطوقِ الجامِ في كفِّ المديرِ

And it revolved by its hand so it was

Like a ring on the palm of the butler

ومَجَّت في زجاجِ الماءِ لونًا

قد انْتَزَعَتْهُ من حَلَبِ العصيرِ

And it swam in the glass of water with a colour

It had snatched from the milk of nectar

فقمنا نستنيمُ إِلى قلوبٍ

تناجَتْ تحت أَستارِ الصُّدورِ

So we passed the time soothing hearts

That conversed beneath the veils of chests

نحقِّقُ بالوفا عِدَةً الأَماني

ونملأُ بالرِّضا نُخَبَ السرورِ

We realized with loyalty the promise of wishes

And we filled with satisfaction the best of joys

إِلى أَن غادرَتْنَا الكأْسُ صَرْعَى

نَفِرُّ من الكبيرِ إِلى الصغيرِ

Until the cup left us unconscious

Fleeing from elder to young

ونحسَبُ أَنَّ دِيكَ بني نُمَيْرٍ

أَميرُ المؤمنينَ على السَّريرِ

And we reckoned the rooster of Bani Nimayr

Is the Commander of the Faithful on the throne

رُزِقْنَا التاجَ والإِيوانَ منها

وطُفْنَا بالخَوَرْنَق والسَّديرِ

We were granted the crown and the hall by it

And we circled Al-Kharanq and As-Sadir

ورُحْنَا تَستطيفُ بنا الليالي

ونبسُطُ من يمينِ المستجيرِ

And we rested, caressed by the nights

And we revelled on the right of the Protected

كَأَنَّا من تَسَحُّبِنَا عليها

روادِفُ تستطيلُ على خُضورِ

As if by our drawing upon them

We were its long shadows on greens

وجَرّدْنَا المدائِحَ فاسْتَقَرَّتْ

على أَوصافِ جُرْدَنَّا الوزيرِ

And we prepared the eulogies so they settled

On the qualities of our composed eulogy

فَنَظَّمْنَا المفاخِرَ كاللآلِي

وحَلَّيْنَا المعالِيَ كالنُّحورِ

So we strung the glories like pearls

And we adorned the virtues like bridesmaids

وقمنا في سماءِ العِزِّ نَرْعَى

جبينَ الشَّمْسِ في اليومِ المطيرِ

And we stood in the sky of honour grazing

The forehead of the sun on the rainy day

وأَعجَبُ ما جَرَى أَنَّا أَمِنَّا

ونحنُ بجانبِ الليثِ الهَصورِ

And the strangest thing that happened is that we felt safe

While we were next to the ferocious lion

وأَرسَلْنَا من الأَشعارِ رِيحًا

نَهُزُّ بها المعاطِفَ من ثَبِيرِ

And we sent from the poems winds

With which we shake the outer garments of the old

وقَلَّدْناهْ دُرًّا جاءَ منه

كذاك الدُّرُّ جاءَ من البُحورِ

And we collared him with a pearl which came from him

Just as that pearl came from the seas

وقُلْنَا للمُسائِلِ عن عُلاهُ

تَسَمَّعْ قد وَقَعْتَ على الخَبيرِ

And we said to the questions about his eminence

Listen, you have fallen upon the expert

لهيبُ صواعِقِ العَزَمَاتِ مِنْهُ

يكاد يُذيبُ أَفئِدَةَ الصُّخورِ

The flames of resolute determination are from him

Almost melting the hearts of rocks

وماءُ مكارمِ الأَخلاقِ منه

يكادُ يردُّ صاعِدَةَ الزَّفيرِ

And the water of noble morals from him

Nearly makes rising sighs return

وأَغراسُ الأَمانِي في يَدَيْهِ

بِهِنَّ معاطِفُ الدَّوْحِ النَّضِيرِ

And the saplings of wishes in his hands

With them are the plucked outer garments of the companions

وعَيْنُ حِرَاسَةِ المَلِكِ اسْتَخَصَّتْ

فلم تَطْرِفْ على سِنَةِ الفُتورِ

And the eye of guarding the king specially chose

So it did not blink in the state of slackness

رأَى منه المليكُ حِلَى أَمينٍ

بَرِئَ النُّصْحِ من سُقْمِ الضَّميرِ

The king saw in him the jewelry of a trustee

Innocent of the illness of conscience

فأرْقاهُ إِلى الرُّتَبِ اللواتي

يراها النجمُ من طَرْفٍ حَسيرِ

So he promoted him to ranks

Which the stars see from a miserable side

وصَدَّرَهُ على الدِّيوانِ سطراً

هو البِسْمُ التي فوق السُّطورِ

And made him lead the office, a line

Which is the “In the name of God” above the lines

فطالَ بضَبْطِهِ باعُ ارتفاعٍ

تشمّر قبل باعٍ قَصيرِ

So he stretched in checking it, his high reach

That girded before a short cubit

ونادَتْهُ الدُّهورُ خُلِقْتَ معنًى

تَكَرَّرَ بَيْنَ أَلسِنَةِ الدُّهورِ

And time called him, “You were created in meaning

Repeated between tongues of time”

وأَصبحَتِ القصورُ كما عَهِدْنا

مشيَّدةً على غَيْرِ القُصورِ

And the palaces became as we knew them

Built upon other than palaces

وصُيِّرَتِ البلادُ جِنانَ عَدْنٍ

وكانَتْ قبلُ من نارِ السَّعيرِ

And the countries were made gardens of Eden

When before they were from the heat of Sa'ir

تدبَّرَها فدَبَّرَها برأْيٍ

محا ظُلُمَاتِها بِضياءِ نورِ

He managed them, so he managed them with an opinion

That erased its darkness with the light of day

ومدَّ على الرَّعِيَّةِ ظِلَّ عدلٍ

وقاهُمْ لَفْحَ أَلسِنَةِ الهجيرِ

And he extended over the subjects the shade of justice

And protected them from the hot tongues of slander

وجدَّل بالسَّعادَةِ مَنْكِبَيْهِ

فَجَرَّ ذيولَها حِبَرَ الحُبورِ

And he rolled for good fortune his shoulders

So its trains flowed with ink of seas

أَحامِي المُلْكِ بالباعِ المُرامِي

وراعِي المُلْكِ باللَّحْظِ الغَيُورِ

Guardian of the kingdom with far-reaching throws

And keeper of the kingdom with the jealous glance

ومَنْ هُوَ ناظرٌ فيه بذهن

له إِدراكُ أَعقابِ الأُمورِ

And he who looks upon him with a mind

That comprehends the outcomes of matters

خدمتُ بخاطرِي عَلْيَاكَ جُهْدِي

ولم أَخْدُمْ به غَيْرَ الخطيرِ

I served you with my heart’s devotion my utmost

And did not serve with it other than the noble

وكنتُ متى نظمتُ نظمتُ منه

لِرَبِّ التَّاجِ أَو ربِّ السَّريرِ

And whenever I composed poetry, I composed about

The Lord of the Crown or Lord of the Throne

فدُمْ تطوي العِدَا والسَّعْدُ يَشْدُو

عليهم لا نُشورَ إِلى النُّشورِ

So time, extend the respite, and good fortune sing

About them without any summons to the summons