هُمّو عَلَّموا عَيني سُؤال المَعالِمِ

بِنَوَعَينِ هَطّالٍ عَلَيها وَساجِمِ

They taught my eyes to ask for the horizons

With looks casting arrows at them insistently

أَبوا ضِنَّة بي أَن أَرى غَيرَ مُغرَمٍ

فَهَمّوا بِقَلبي أَن يُرى غَير هائِمِ

They refused to allow me to see one not in love

So they made my heart set on seeing none but the passionate

كَأَنَّهُم إِذا أَزمَعوا سَلَبوا الكرى

جُفوني فَما أَحظى بِلَذَّة نائِمِ

It's as if when they determine to rob the vines

They blind me, so I enjoy no delight in sleep

وَهَبتُ نَصيبي من سُلوّي لِعاذِلي

وَصارَمت حَبلي من حَبيب مَصارِمِ

I gave away my share of bliss to my critic

And tied myself to a lover binding ties

وَصاحبت هَذا الحب طِفلاً وَيافِعاً

فَلَم أَرَ أَضنى مِن مُحبٍ مَكاتِمِ

And I accompanied this love as a child and young man

But saw no dearer than the silent lover

وَما بُحتُ حَتّى اِستَنطَقَ الشَوق أَدمُعي

وَذَكَّرَني عَهدُ الحِمى المُتَقادِمِ

I did not speak until longing drew tears from me

And the ancient days of passion reminded me

فَسرت أَشيم الجود في كُلِّ مَعدَنٍ

وَأَنتَقِدُ الناس اِنتِقادَ الدَراهِمِ

So I set out testing generosity in every source

And appraising people with the appraisal of coins

فَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ اليُمنِ رَب إِمارَةٍ

حُميد بن مَحمود حَليف المَكارِمِ

Thus I did not see the equal of Yemen’s lord

Humayd bin Mahmoud, ally of glorious deeds

هوَ الجَبَل العالي الَّذي شُرُفاته

تَعَلّى عَلى أُسِّ النُجومِ النَواجِمِ

He is the lofty mountain whose peaks

Rise above the stars’ clusters arrayed

فَإِن قالَ قَوم إِنَّهُ مِثلَ حاتِم

فَفي كُلِّ عُضوٍ مِنهُ أَمثال حاتِمِ

If a people say he is like Hatem

In every limb of his there are many Hatems

فَيا طيئاً طَيَّ الأَمير وَمن غَدا

لَهُ شرف عالي الذُرى وَالدَعائِمِ

So O Tai shield the prince, and whoever strives

For the honor of lofty lineage and pillars

بَقيتَ لِيَومَيكَ اللَذينَ عُلاهُما

مصنَّفة في عُربها وَلأ اعاجِمِ

You remained for your two days which were enhanced

By compositions in Arabic and non-Arabic

فَيَومُ وَغىً يَسطو بِقَسوَةٍ جابِرٍ

وَيَوم رضىً يَحنو بِعطفة راحِمِ

A day of severity overwhelming in oppression

And a day of pleasure gentle in compassion

وَلَمّا رأى اللَهَ النَدى في عِبادِهِ

مَقاماً وَرُكن الجودِ لَيسَ بِقائِمِ

And when God saw the dew in His servants

A place not upheld, the pillar of generosity

حَباكَ بِبَحرٍ من نَوالٍ إِذا طَما

ثَوى البَحرِ في تَيارِهِ المُتَلاطِمِ

He gifted you an ocean of bounty, whose waves

Settle into its currents surging

لَئِن سَلَّمت طَييٌّ إِلَيك عنانها

فَأَصبَحت أَسنى ذَخرها لِلعَظائِمِ

If Tai surrenders its reins to you

Its finest treasures will be for the magnificent

وَعدَّل فيها عدَّة الدَولَة الَّذي

يُشارُ إِلَيهِ في كِتابِ المَلاحِمِ

And he rectified in it the tools of state

Referred to in the book of epics

فَما عدم التَوفيق عَن مُستَحَقِّهِ

وَلَيسَ الخَوافي في الوَرى كالقَوادِمِ

Good fortune is not absent from the deserving

And impending events in the world are like those come