بَكَيت دَماً لَما سَرى بارق الحِمى

فَأَسرَى إِلى قَلبي حَديثاً مكتما

I wept blood when the lightning of fever flashed,

And it conveyed to my heart a secret tale,

وَذَكرني عَيشاً تَقضى برامة

وَعَصراً بِذات الرقمتين تقدما

Reminding me of a life fulfilled in tranquility,

And an era marked by the two abodes.

وَلَم أَنسَها لَكِنَّني زدت لَوعة

وَشَوقاً إِلى الشَعب اليَماني فيهما

I did not forget it, but my agony intensified,

And longing for the Yemeni people in both abodes intensified.

مَغان رِياض العَيش فيها نَضيرة

وَغُصن شَبابي كانَ فيها مقوما

Blissful gardens wherein my counterpart thrived,

And the branch of my youth was made robust.

كَسَتها غَوادي المُزن ثَوباً مُطَرزاً

فَأَضحى أَديم الأَرض مِنها منمنما

Its valleys clothed it with an embroidered gown,

Making the expanse of the land speckled from it.

إِذا ما بَكى جفن الغَمام بِأَرضِها

زَها رَوضها مِن دَمعِه وَتَبَسما

Whenever its cloud's eyelid weeps over its land,

Its meadows flourish from its tears and smile.

وَلَم تَزَل الوَرقاء وَاللَيل فاحم

تردد أَشجاناً وَصَوتاً مرخما

The warbler and the night continue

To echo melancholic tones and husky sounds.

تُشير إِلى الأُخرى وَلَم تَدرِ أَنَّني

أَشَدُّ ولوعاً بِالصَبابة منهما

Hinting to one another, not knowing that I

Am more ardently enamored with youth than both.

حَمامة سلع اقصري إِنَّني فتى

إِذا رنمت وَرقاء نَجد تَرنَّما

O my friend from Sula, I am a lad,

Who, whenever the warbler of Najd sings, sings along.

تَبيتين في سَفح الغوير وَإِنَّني

أَبيت بِأَكناف العِراق متيما

You spend nights on the slope of Al-Ghuwayr while I

Spend nights in the bosoms of Iraq pining.

إِذا نحت وَالأَجفان مِنكَ قَريرة

فَما حالَ جفن قَد غَدا دَمعه دَما

When your eyelids trickle,

What of an eyelid whose tears became blood?

ألا مبلغاً عَني الحِجاز وَأَهله

أهيل الحمى عَني سَلاماً مُسلما

O you, heading to the Hijaz and its people,

Give my regards to the kindred of fever.

وَشَوقاً بقَلبي كُلَّما هبت الصبا

تسعر مِنها حَره فَتَضَرما

And longing in my heart, whenever the northerly wind blows,

Kindles its heat, so it flares up.

أَحن حَنين الإلف فارق إِلفه

إِذا حَكمت أَيدي النَوائب فيهما

I yearn with the most ardent yearning of an intimate separated from his intimate,

When the hands of tribulations come between them.

وَأَصبو إِلى عرب بظمياء خَيموا

وَحُبهم ما بَينَ جَنبي خَيما

And I pine for the Arabs who pitched their abodes,

While love for them pitches its abode between my sides.

وَما الدار قَصدي لَيسَ قَصدي سِوى فتى

عَلَيهِ إِلَه العَرش صَلى وَسَلما

It is not the abode I aim for, I aim for none but the youth,

Upon whom the Lord of the Throne prayed and blessed.

هُوَ السَيد الفَرد الأَخير الَّذي حَوى

بِأَول يَوم فَضل من قَد تَقَدما

He is the singular, final master who embodied

On the first day excellence above all who preceded.

وَبَدر أَضاءَ الكَون مِن نور وَجهِه

وَقَد كانَ بِالأَوثان وَالشرك مُظلِما

A full moon that illuminated the universe with his face’s light,

While it had been darkened with idols and polytheism.

وَشَمس هدى قَد عاين الكُفر عَينها

وَلَكنهُ لَما رأى نورَها عَمى

A guiding sun that polytheism saw with its own eyes,

But when it saw his light, it went blind.

وَطالع حَتّى مزق الحيف نَجمه

فَأَضحى حساماً للشَريعة مخذما

An ascending star that tore the injustice of its star,

Making it a sharp sword for the Law made resolute.

كَريم مَتى صافحته نلت نائِلاً

وَفَضلاً عَميماً جلَ أَن يَتَقَوما

So generous, when you greet him, you attain your wants

And abundant grace too majestic to be bounded.

إِمام النَبيين الكِرام وَسَيد

إِلى الحَق في فَصل القَضاء تَقَدما

The imam of the honorable prophets and master

Stepping forth to the truth in conclusive judgment.

وَإِن غَدَت القَوم الكِرام فَإِنَّهُ

يَكون أَجَل العالَمين وَأَكرَما

And if the honorable become, he will be

The most majestic and generous of both worlds.

هُوَ القَمَر الأَعلى الَّذي ضَم صحبه

وَفَرقَهُم في سائر الكَون أَنجُما

The highest moon that encompassed his companions

And dispersed them as stars across the cosmos.

وَكَم راوَدَتهُ الشم عَن نَفسه فَما

رَأَت قَلبه إِلا غَنياً مُكرما

How often have calamities tested him, yet they did not

See his heart as anything but wealthy and generous.

وَرب حَصى جَيش مِن الشرك أقصدت

فَفاقَت عَصا موسى وَعَزم ابن مريَما

And how many an army of polytheism with evil intentions,

Surpassing Moses’ staff and Jesus son of Mary’s resolve!

وَكَم نار حَرب خاضَها صارَ حَرها

كَما نار إِبراهيم أهَدى وَأَسلَما

And how many fires of war he plunged into, becoming

Like the fire of Abraham—guiding and protected!

وَأَحيا قُلوب العارِفين بِهَديه

وَرَوى بِهِ بَعدَ الحَرارة وَالظَما

He brought to life the hearts of those knowing him through his guidance,

Quenching with it after heat and thirst.

عَلَيهِ صَلاة اللَه ثُم سَلامه

مَدى الدَهر ما حادَ حدا وَتَرَنَّما

Upon him be Allah’s prayers and peace

As long as criticisms flow and verse is rhythmically composed.

صَلاة يَعم الآل وَالصَحب نَشرها

وَكُل العِباد الصالِحين تكرما

Prayers that encompass his Household and companions,

And all righteous servants, honoring them.