الربيع والشعر — Abdullah Al Bardouni

وافاك مجتمع البلاد فرنم

وصبا إليك مسبحاً ومتمتما

The nation's people came to you and sang,

And yearned toward you, chanting praises and murmuring.

وتدافعت(صنعاء) إليك كأنه

حسناء مغرمة تغازل مغرما

And Sana'a surged toward you, as though she were

An enamored beauty courting an enamored man.

وهفت إليك كأنها مسحورة

ملتاعة الأعصاب ملهبة الدما

And she hastened toward you as though bewitched,

Her nerves anguished, her blood aflame.

ورأت ولي العهد فازدانت به

فكأنها قبس يسيل تضرما

And she saw the crown prince and was adorned by him,

As though she were a firebrand pouring forth flame.

وترقصت ربواتها الفرحى كم

رقصت على الأفلاك أقمار السما

And her joyous hillocks danced, as

Heaven's moons danced upon the celestial spheres.

لقيت ولي العهد دنياها كم

لقي العطشان الجدول المترنما

Her world met the crown prince as

A thirsty man met the singing stream.

وصبت نواحيها وجن جنونه

فرحاً وكاد الصمت أن يتكلما

And her districts yearned, and her frenzy ran wild

With joy, and silence nearly began to speak.

وتجاذبتك هضابها وسهوله

شغفاً كما جذب الفقير الدرهما

And her plateaus and plains tugged at you,

Passionately, as a poor man clutches a dirham.

نظرت بنور البدر فجر حياته

ورأت به الأمل الحبيب مجسما

She beheld, by the full moon's light, the dawn of her life,

And saw in him beloved hope embodied.

بدر مطالعة القلوب ونوره

يوحي إلى الأوطان أن تتقدما

A full moon whose rising places are hearts, and whose light

Inspires the homelands to advance.

فكأنه فجر يفيض أشعة

جذلاً وفردوس يفيض تبسما

So he is like a dawn overflowing with rays,

In gladness, and a paradise overflowing with smiles.

وكأنه وهج إلهي السن

ومنابر تمحو دياجير العمى!

And he is like a glow of divine radiance,

And pulpits dispelling the darkness of blindness!

وكأنه بفم الربيع نشيده

خضراء نقشها الصباح ونمنما

And he is like the song upon the lips of spring,

Green, patterned and embroidered by morning.

وروى فم التاريخ سحر جماله

فكراً مجنحة ووحياً محكما

And history's mouth recounted the magic of his beauty

In winged thoughts and flawless revelation.

وكأنه قلب يذوب تأوه

للبائسين ويستفيض ترحما

And he is like a heart melting with sighs

For the wretched, and overflowing with compassion.

فإذا رأى متألماً شاهدته

متوجعاً مما به متألما

So when he sees someone suffering, you see him

In anguish at that person's pain, himself suffering.

حتى تراه لكل عين ماسح

عبراتها ولكل جرح بلسما

Until you see him wiping from every eye

Its tears, and as a balm for every wound.

وأحق أبناء البسيطة بالعل

من شارك العاني وآسى المعدما

And the earth's child most deserving of eminence

Is one who shares the sufferer's plight and comforts the destitute.

وأذل أهل الأرض قلباً من رأى

عبث الظلوم وذل عنه وأحجما

And earth's most craven-hearted person is one who sees

The oppressor's outrages, then cowers from him and holds back.

وإذا تسامى الظلم طاطأ رأسه

متهيباً وكفاه أن يتظلما

And when tyranny towers high, he bows his head,

Overawed, content merely to complain of injustice.

أمحمد من أنت؟ أنت عدالة

وصبابة حرى بأحشاء الحمى

O Muhammad, who are you? You are justice,

And burning passion in the homeland's bosom.

وعواطف تندى وإنسانية

عصما توشحت السمو الأعصما

And feelings moist with dew, and a humanity

Unblemished, robed in unblemished sublimity.

ولدتك آفاق المعالي والعل

شعلا كما تلد السماء الأنجما

The horizons of excellence and eminence bore you

As flames, as the sky gives birth to stars.

غناك شعري والربيع وصفوه

أهدى إليك زهوره والعندما

My poetry sang of you; spring and its pure essence

Offered you its flowers and crimson dye.

حياك ميلاد الربيع بطيبه

وشدتك أشعاري نشيداً ملهما

Spring's birth greeted you with its fragrance,

And my verses sang you an inspired song.

فاسلم تقبلك القلوب وترتو

من فيض بهجتك الأمني والظلما

So remain safe; hearts kiss you, and quenched is the thirst

Of hopes and darkness, by the flood of your joy.