مَن عَذيري مِنَ الظِباءِ الغيدِ
وَمُجيري مِن ظُلمِهِنَّ العَتيدِ
Who will defend me against the graceful gazelles
Who can shield me from the sly gazelles
And shelter me from the cruelty they have in store?
And protect me from their persistent darkness?
إِنَّ سِحرَ العُيونِ ضَلَّلَ لُبّي
وَحَماني الرُقادَ وَردَ الخُدودِ
Indeed, the eyes' magic has led my mind astray,
The magic of eyes has led my heart astray
And the roses of their cheeks have denied me sleep.
Passion has overcome me, and blushing cheeks.
وَالأَمانِيُّ ماتَزالُ تُعَنّي
نا بِبُخلٍ مِنَ الغَواني وَجودِ
And hopes still torment
Wishes still burden me
Us with the beauties' stinginess and generosity.
With the stinginess of fleeting joys and generosity.
وَمِنَ العَيشِ لَو يُساعِدُ عَيشٌ
أَن يَجيءَ الوِصالُ بَعدَ الصُدودِ
And one delight of life—if life is kind—
If life would only aid a life
Is that union should come after rejection.
Where union comes after separation.
وَبِنَفسي الَّتي تَوَلَّت بِنَفسي
ثُمَّ ضَنَّت بِالنَيلِ مِنها الزَهيدِ
And my life be ransom for her who carried off my soul,
By my soul that turned against itself
Then begrudged me even her slightest favor.
Then was miserly in attaining it, the ascetic.
بَعُدَت دارُها فَما مِن تَلاقٍ
غَيرَ طَيفٍ يَزورُني في الهُجودِ
Her dwelling has grown distant, so there is no meeting,
Her dwelling grew distant, so no meeting remains
Except a phantom that visits me in slumber.
Except an apparition that visits me in solitude.
أَتُراها دامَت عَلى العَهدِ أَم مِن
عادَةِ الغانِياتِ نَقضُ العُهودِ
Do you think she has kept her pledge, or is it
Do I see her keeping to the pact or is it
The beauties' custom to break pledges?
The wont of singing girls to break vows?
أَم تُراني مُلاقِياً مِن قَريبٍ
سَكَناً لي أَشتاقُهُ مِن بَعيدِ
Or do you think I shall soon meet
Or will I soon meet a home
My solace, whom I long for from afar?
That I long for from afar?
الإِمامُ المُعتَزُّ بِاللَهِ أَولى
هاشِمِيٍّ بِالنَصرِ وَالتَأييدِ
The Imam al-Muʿtazz bi-llāh is the most deserving
The Imam al-Mu'tazz Billah, foremost
Hashimite of victory and support.
Of Hashim's descendants, victorious and supported.
وارِثُ البُردِ وَالقَضيبِ وَحُكمِ ال
لَهِ في كُلِّ سَيِّدٍ وَمَسودِ
Heir to the mantle, the staff, and God's rule
Heir of the Mantle and Staff, whose rule
Over every master and subject.
No noble or commoner can oppose.
طابَ نَفساً وَأُمَّهاتٍ وَآبا
ءً وَأَربى فَضيلَةً في الجُدودِ
He is noble in soul, in mothers, and in fathers,
Pure of soul and mothers and fathers
And surpasses others in the virtue of his forefathers.
And most virtuous in ancestry.
عَزَماتُ المَنصورِ مَصروفَةِ السَب
لِ إِلَيهِ وَمَكرُماتِ الرَشيدِ
Al-Manṣūr's resolves, their paths directed
Al-Mansur's resolves have turned
Toward him, and al-Rashīd's noble deeds,
Toward him and al-Rashid's favors.
في المَحَلِّ الجَليلِ مِن سَلَفَي عَب
دِ مَنافٍ وَالسُؤدَدِ المَرفودِ
In the exalted station of the two forebears of ʿAbd
In the sublime station of my ancestors
Manāf's line, and in well-supported lordship.
‘Abd Manaf and the excellent, rejected idols.
مَلِكٌ تَملَأُ العُيونُ بَهاءً
حينَ يَبدو في تاجِهِ المَعقودِ
A king who fills the eyes with splendor
A king whose eyes are filled with splendor
When he appears in his fastened crown.
When his jeweled crown is first seen.
بَرِىءَ اللَهُ مِن مُحِلِّ حَريمِ ال
لَهِ كُفراً وَبَيتِهِ المَقصودِ
God disowns the profaner of God's sanctuary,
May God curse the violator of His sanctuary
In unbelief, and of His House that people seek.
And his house, however intended.
لَم يَكُن سَعيُهُ هُناكَ بِمَرضِي
يٍ وَلا كانَ أَمرُهُ بِرَشيدِ
His endeavor there was not pleasing,
His effort there was not agreeable
Nor was his course rightly guided.
Nor was his command considered judicious.
غَيرَ أَنَّ القُلوبَ سَكَّنَ مِنها
أَن أَتانا مُصَفَّداً في الحَديدِ
Yet what brought some calm to the hearts
Except that it calmed hearts
Was his coming to us shackled in iron,
That he came to us shackled in irons.
عالِماً أَنَّ رايَةَ النَصرِ لا تُر
فَعَ إِلّا مَعَ البُنودِ السودِ
Knowing that the banner of victory is not
Knowing that the banner of victory is not raised
Raised except alongside the black standards,
Except with black standards.
وَمُقِرّاً أَنَّ الخَليفَةَ مَنصو
رٌ بِرُكنٍ مِنَ المَوالي شَديدِ
And acknowledging that the caliph is made victorious
And admitting that the Caliph is supported
By a mighty bulwark of retainers.
By a pillar of loyal, mighty men.
لا يَهالونَ مِن عَدُوٍّ وَلا يُؤ
تونَ مِن عُدَّةٍ وَلا مِن عَديدِ
They are not daunted by an enemy, nor are they
Who fear no enemy, no arms, no multitude.
Vulnerable in equipment or in numbers.
God bless the Caliph in the southern conquest
بارَكَ اللَهُ لِلخَليفَةِ في الفَت
حِ الجَنوبِيِّ وَالبِناءِ الجَديدِ
May God bless the caliph in the victory
And the new construction.
In the south, and in the new building.
A joyous tiding and the building of Yemen
خَبَرٌ مُبهِجٌ وَبُنيانُ يُمنٍ
في مُنيفٍ عِندَ السِماكِ مَشيدِ
Joyous news, and a building of good fortune,
In Munif by al-Simak, erected.
In a lofty edifice raised beside al-Simāk,
Above a lofty palace of wondrous composition and length
فَوقَ صَرحٍ مُمَرَّدٍ مِن قَواري
رَ غَريبَ التَأليفِ وَالتَمديدِ
Above a polished structure of glass,
That, were its beauty unveiled to Solomon's Jinn, they would fall prostrating.
Wondrous in its design and extent.
We counted the day you came as too fair,
لَو بَدا حُسنُهُ لِجِنِّ سُلَيما
نَ لَخَرّوا مِن رُكَّعٍ وَسُجودِ
If its beauty appeared to Solomon's jinn,
Marking it as a feast day.
They would fall down, bowing and prostrating.
I visited it after the new moon with auspicious stars
قَد عَدَدنا اليَومَ الَّذي جِئتَهُ في
هِ لِإِفراطِهِ حُسنِهِ يَومَ عيدِ
We have reckoned the day on which you came to it
In a time when its radiant narcissus is a dangling pearl and unique.
A feast day, for its surpassing beauty.
Between the light of spring greeting you
زُرتُهُ تِلوَ غُرَّةِ الشَهرِ بِالطَي
رِ المَيامينِ وَالنُجومِ السُعودِ
I visited it just after the month's beginning, with
And the pleasant season of winter.
Auspicious birds and propitious stars,
So the chastity, forbearance, and surrender of Islam may endure
في زَمانٍ كَأَنَّ نَرجِسَهُ الغَض
ضَ سُموطٌ مِن لُؤلُؤٍ وَفَريدِ
In a season when its fresh narcissi resembled
And life be for the dew and generosity.
Necklaces of pearls and choice gems,
And God perpetuate your prosperity among us
بَينَ نورٍ مِنَ الرَبيعِ يُحَيِّ
يكَ وَعَهدٍ مِنَ الشِتاءِ حَميدِ
Between spring blossoms that greet
With perfect bounty and excellent increase.
You and a pleasant lingering spell of winter.
فَاِبقَ يَبقَ العَفافُ وَالحِلمُ وَإِسلَم
يَسلَمِ العُمرُ لِلنَدى وَالجودِ
So live on, and chastity and forbearance will live on; stay safe,
And life will stay safe for bounty and generosity.
وَعَلى اللَهِ أَن يُمِدَّكَ فينا
بِتَمامِ النُعمى وَحُسنِ المَزيدِ
And it rests with God to sustain you among us
With complete blessing and a gracious increase.
Sol 6.1