يا برقُ سُقْ حَيا السّحابِ الأبرَقا
فلقَدْ حكَيْتَ فؤادَ صبٍّ شيّقا
O lightning, water the clouds' pasture,
For you have told of a passionate lover's heart.
وإذا عبَرْتَ فحيِّ دارَ أحبّتي
وقُلْ السلامُ عليكِ أينَ المُلتَقى
And when you pass, greet the abode of my beloved,
And say, "Peace be upon you! Where is our meeting place?"
واستوْدع الأرواحَ كلَّ عشيّةٍ
نفَسَ الرياضِ مغرِّباً ومُشرِّقا
Entrust the spirits every evening
To the soul of the meadows in the setting and rising sun.
تركوا بهمْ عيني سَفوحاً دمعُها
شوقاً وجَفْني بالفِراقِ مؤرِّقا
They left my eyes slopes flowing with tears
Of yearning, and my eyelids burnt with separation.
لا دمعُها يرْقا على تِذْكارِهمْ
يَهْمي فيَحْمي جفنَها أن يُطْبِقا
Neither do their tears flow with remembrance,
Nor does grief flood their lids and close them.
قُلْ كيفَ يلتذُ الرُقادُ متيّمٌ
الوجدُ قلّبَ منه قلباً مُحْرَقا
Say, how can one afflicted with love find sleep?
Passion has set their heart aflame.
طُويَتْ جوامحُهُ على جمرِ الغَضى
لمّا تعشقُ مُقلتي ظبي النّقا
Their pride was folded over the embers of anger,
When my gazelle-like glance fell in love.
قد حكّمَتْ في قلبِه من لحظِها
بالسحْرِ سيفاً حدُّهُ لا يُتّقى
Her glance has authorized in his heart,
A magic sword, whose edge cannot be warded off.
يُثْني أعنّةَ صبرِه أما انثَنَتْ
أعطافُها كالخوط أمْلدَ مورِقا
It bends the joints of his patience if her neck is bent,
Like threads, softly shimmering.
ويَشوقُه ظَلْمُ الثّنايا مُشبِهاً
راحاً جرَتْ ما بينَ دُرٍّ مُنْتَقى
The darkness of her curves makes him yearn,
Like a herd that passed between selected pearls.
أبتِ الوصالَ فقُلتُ هلاّ في الكَرى
فحمَتْ جُفوني طيفَها أن يُطْرِقا
She refused union, so I said, would that in the grave,
Her image might visit and bow to me.
طيبُ النّعيمُ الوصلُ بعدَ قطيعةٍ
والهجرُ بعد الوصلِ من أوفى الشّقا
Pleasant is union after estrangement,
And separation after union is the most faithful companion.
والحبّ تألفُه النفوسُ وحتفُها
فيه وإن لم تلقَ منه الأوفَقا
Souls incline toward love, as do their undoing,
Though they do not find in it the best fortune.
مثلُ الفراشةِ والسِراجُ يروقُها
نوراً ويدعوها إليه لتُحرَقا
Like the moth and the lamp, the light entices it
To come closer, only to be burnt.
والحسنُ للعشّاقِ مثلُ السيفِ يق
تُلُ منْ يكابرُهُ ويُعجِبُ رونَقا
Beauty is to lovers like the sword that
Kills those who challenge it, though charming.
لكنّه يفنى وأحسنُ منه ما
تحلو القوافي إذ لهُ طولُ البَقا
Yet it fades, and better than it, is that
Whose rhymes are sweet, for it has lasting glory,
كنظام مدحِ الحافظِ الحَبْرِ الذي
راقَ المسامعَ والعيونَ منَمقا
Like the excellence of Al-Hafez's praise,
Which pleased ears and eyes, perfectly composed.
حبْرٌ حكتْ أمداحُهُ الحِبَرَ التي
فيها أرَتْ صَنعاء صُنعاً مونقا
An ink which has recorded praises,
In which Sana'a saw skillful workmanship.
علاّمةُ العُلماءِ بحرٌ زاخرٌ
عِلْماً وجوداً للبريّة مُغرِقا
The sign of scholars, a deep, abundant sea,
Its knowledge and generosity drowning the land.
ومهذبُ الطبعِ الذكيّ ففهْمِهُ
نور يفيدُ المشكلات تألّقا
Polishing natural talent, its understanding
Is a light that helps unravel complexities.
فضحتْ أناملَهُ الغمائمَ هطّلاً
لما انبرَتْ قبل السؤال تدفّقا
His fingers made the clouds pour forth,
When they moved before questioning, overflowing.
أضحى له المجدُ المُنيف مجمَّعا
في حفظِه بذلُ النوالِ مفرِّقا
Glory came to be gathered in memorizing it,
Giving freely, though scattered about.
في كل فضلٍ قد غَدا متقدّماً
وأبى تناهي فضلِه أن يُلحَقا
In every virtue he has become foremost,
And refused to allow his merits to be matched.
وحمَتْ مكارمُه المذمةَ عِرضَهُ
فغدا نقيّ العِرْض سامي المرتَقى
His virtues have protected his honor from blame,
So his honor became lofty and noble.
في الفضل أحمدُ أحمدُ الأزكى لقد
حاز المَدى سَبْقاً فأعيا السُبَّقا
In virtue Ahmad, Ahmad the most pure.
He has surpassed in excellence those who raced.
أعطى اتقاءً للإله فكانَ مَنْ
قد قال فيه اللهُ أعطى واتّقى
He gave piety to God, thus becoming one
Of whom God has said, “He gives and fears.”
إهنأ بخيرِ قرينة ميمونة
قد سُرْبِلَتْ بردَ المَفاخِرِ والتُقى
Congratulations on an auspicious wife,
Who is robed in the cloak of glories and piety.
كان الزمانُ لها بفضلِكَ واعداً
فوقى وأعطاكَ المرادَ الأوفَقا
Through your merit, time has promised her,
The best fortune, and granted what you wished.
شمسٌ حواها الغربُ قبلَك مغرِباً
جعل الإلهُ لها محلّكَ مُشرِقا
A sun the west hid before you setting,
God made your place its rising.
سعدٌ قرانُكُما بأيمنِ طائرٍ
لا شَوْبَ من نكَدٍ عليه يُتّقى
Blessed is your marriage, under the auspices
Of the most fortunate bird, safe from harm.
لكَ بالرفاه والبنين تفاؤلاً
طاب الهَناء وقد جَلا متذوّقا
For you, good tidings of well-being and children,
Joy has spread, tastefully observed.
وإليكَ من نظمِ اللسان قصائداً
جاءت وقد حازَتْ مديحاً مُنْتَقى
And to you, from the tongue’s poetry, carefully chosen
Eulogies have come and gained distinguished praise.
شعرٌ كأنّ الدُرَّ فيه منظّمٌ
والسحرَ والروضَ البديعَ المونَقا
Poetry as if pearls were strung in it,
Magic, gardens, and elegant charm.
حاز المحاسنَ كلهنّ مَصْعدا
ومصوَّباً ومُجمّعاً ومُفَرّقا
It has attained all beauties, ascending,
Well-aimed, gathered, and spread about.
خذْها فقدْ شرُفَتْ معانيها التي
أخذتْ من اللفظِ البديعِ الريّقا
Take them, for their meanings have been ennobled,
Which have taken from eloquent words, shimmering luster.
فأتَتْكَ تنشرُ للبديعِ غرائباً
أمنَتْ بحُسْنِ نظامها أن تُسْرقا
They came to you, spreading rhetorical wonders,
Trusting in their well-composed arrangement not to be stolen.
واسحَبْ ذيولَ الفخرِ لابسَ وشيِهِ
حُلَلاً جديداً نسجُها أن يَخلَقا
Pull the train of your pride wearing its mantle,
New robes I have woven for it to be created.
