1. تَنَفَّسَ الرَّوْضُ عَنْ نُوَّارِهِ الأَرِجِ

    وَأَسْفَرَ الصُّبْحُ عَنْ لأْلاَئِهِ البَهجِ

    The garden breathed forth its fragrant blossoms,

    and dawn unveiled its delightful radiance.

  2. بُشْرى بِأَيْمَنِ مَوْلُودٍ لِغُرَّتِهِ

    هَزَّتْ يَدُ الدَّهْرِ مِنَّا عِطْفَ مُبْتَهج

    Glad tidings of the most auspicious newborn, at whose radiant brow

    the hand of Time made us sway with joy.

  3. وافَتْ به لَيْلَةَ الاثْنَيْنِ مُخْبِرَةً

    بِاثْنَيْنِ جاءَ كَرِيمٌ مِنْهُمَا وَيَجِي

    They came with him on Monday night, announcing

    two: one noble soul has come, and another is to come.

  4. لَمْ يَنْظُر المَجْدُ مِنْ عَلْيَاهُ عَنْ حَوَرٍ

    حَتَّى تَبَسَّمَ مِنْ مَرْآهُ عَنْ فَلَج

    Glory had scarcely gazed from its heights with lovely dark eyes

    when, at his sight, it smiled, revealing finely spaced teeth.

  5. هِلاَلٌ سَعْدٍ يُجَلِّي كُلَّ دَاجِيَةٍ

    ظَلاَمُها لَيْسَ يُمْشَى فِيه بِالسُّرُج

    A crescent of good fortune, dispelling every dark night

    whose darkness cannot be crossed even with lamps.

  6. ونُطْفَةٌ مِنْ صَمِيمِ الْفَخْرِ ما بَرَحَتْ

    تَجُولُ مِنْ مَشَجٍ زَاكٍ إلَى مَشَجِ

    And a drop of seed from the very heart of glory, never ceasing

    to pass from one pure mingling to another.

  7. تَفَرَّعَتْ بَيْنَ أَصْلَيْ سُؤْدُدٍ وَعُلاً

    تَقَاسَمَا طَيِّبَ الأَثْمَارِ وَالأَرَج

    It branched between two roots of nobility and exalted rank,

    both sharing the sweetness of fruit and fragrance.

  8. أَبٌ وَخَالٌ أَبَانَا مِنْ رِئَاسَتِه

    ما أَحْرَزا عَنْ خُلَيْفٍ أَوْ أَبِي الْفَرَجِ

    A father and a maternal uncle revealed, in his eminence,

    what they had gained from Khulayf or Abu al-Faraj.

  9. مَنَاسِبٌ كَاطِّرَادِ الْمَاءِ ما انْبَعَثَتْ

    إلاَّ رَأَيْتَ بِحَارَ الأَرْضِ كَالْخُلُج

    Lineages like the onward flow of water—no sooner do they surge

    than you see the seas of earth as mere channels.

  10. تَرَفَّعَتْ بِبَنِي سَعْدٍ ذُرَى شَرَفٍ

    كما سَمَتْ بِنَدِيٍّ غايَةَ الدَّرَجِ

    The summits of honor rose through Banu Sa'd,

    as through Nadi they soared to the highest rank.

  11. مَفَاخِرٌ قَدْ خُصِصْتُمْ يا جُذَامُ بِِها

    فَخَاصِمُوا وثِقُوا بِالفَلْجِ في الْحُجَجِ

    Glories with which you, O Judham, have been uniquely favored:

    so contend, confident of victory in your arguments.

  12. ما زِلْتُمُ بِمَنَارِ اليُمْنِ مِنْ يَمَنٍ

    حَتَّى تَقَوَّمَ من مَيْلٍ وَمِنْ عِوَجِ

    You never ceased upholding the beacon of good fortune from Yemen

    until it stood upright, free of tilt and crookedness.

  13. كَمْ مَسْلَكٍ بِكُمُ قَدْ عادَ مُتَّسِعاً

    وكانَ مِنْ قَبْلُ ذا ضِيقٍ وَذَا حَرَجِ

    How many a path has become broad through you,

    though before it was narrow and constricted!

  14. وقاصِدٍ قَدْ تَلَقَّى السَّيْرَ نَحْوَكُمُ

    بِحَمْدِ مُبْتَكِرٍ مِنْهُ ومُدَّلِجِ

    And how many a seeker has greeted the journey toward you

    with praise for its dawn departures and night travel.

  15. وَبَحْرِ حَرْبٍ قَطَعْتُمْ لُجَّ زاخِرِه

    بأَنْصُلٍ لُجِّجَتْ في الخَوْضِ في اللُّجَجِ

    And how many a sea of war whose surging depths you crossed

    with blades plunged deep as you waded through its waters,

  16. بمَعْرَك لا تَرَى منه العيونُ سِوَى

    شُهْبٍ مِنَ السَّيْرِ في ليلٍ منَ الرَّهَجِ

    on a battlefield where the eyes see nothing

    but meteors speeding through a night of battle-dust,

  17. حيثُ الدِّماءُ عُقارٌ يُسْتَحَثُّ على

    ما شِئْتَ من زَجَلٍ للخَيْلِ أَو هَزَجِ

    where blood is wine, eagerly quaffed to

    whatever clamor of horses or rhythmic song you wish.

  18. والهامُ قد أَوْسَعَتْهَا البِيضُ عَرْبَدَةً

    لمَّا أّدارَتْ عليها خَمْرَةَ المُهَج

    And the bright swords lavished drunken brawling upon the heads

    when they passed round to them the wine of lifeblood,

  19. من كُلِّ ذي جَوْهَرٍ ما زالَ مُنْتَظِماً

    لِلْقِرْنِ في لَبَّةٍ منه وفي وَدَجِ

    from every damascened blade, ever threading

    through an opponent's upper chest and jugular,

  20. وكلِّ مُنْعَطِفٍ كالنَّهْرِ مُطَّرِداً

    بَيْنَ الأَباطِحِ في أَثْنَاءِ مُنْعَرَج

    and every curved blade, flowing like a river

    between gravelly flats, through the bends of its course,

  21. في كَفِّ كُلِّ كَمِيٍّ ما بَصَرْتَ به

    إلاَّ تَنَزَّهْتَ في عَقْلٍ وفي هَوَجَ

    in the hand of every armored warrior, whom you never behold

    without delighting in his reason and his wild fury.

  22. أَولئك الرّايةُ العَلْياءُ من يَمَنٍ

    فاركنْ إلى ظِلِّها تَأْمَنْ مِنَ الوَهَجِ

    Those men are the lofty banner of Yemen:

    so seek refuge in its shade and be safe from the scorching heat.

  23. وَرَدْتَ منها بِبَحْرٍ إنْ تَهُبَّ به

    رِيحُ السؤالِ على عِلاَّتِها يَهجِ

    Through it you have reached a sea: if over it blows

    the wind of petition, whatever its shortcomings, it surges,

  24. جَمِّ العوارِفِ طامٍ غير مُحْتَبِسٍ

    عَذْبِ المَشَارِبِ صافٍ غَيْرِ مُمْتَزِجِ

    rich in benefactions, overflowing, unrestrained,

    sweet to drink, clear and unmixed;

  25. وساكنِ الجَأْشِ ما يَنْفَكُ عزمته

    يلقي الخُطوبَ بلا طَيْشٍ ولا زَعَجِ

    and a man of tranquil heart, whose resolve never ceases

    to meet calamities without recklessness or alarm.

  26. اِهْنَأْ أَبا الحَسَن السّامي بخير فَتًى

    مُحَسَّنٍ لم يَدَعْ من مَنْظَرٍ بَهَجَ

    Rejoice, exalted Abu al-Hasan, in the finest young son,

    Muhassan, who has left no beauty of form unclaimed.

  27. يُكْنَى أَبا الفَضْلِ وَهْوَ الفَضْلُ أَجْمَعُهُ

    وتِلْكَ بُشْرَى بها الأَيَّام في لَهَجِ

    He is called Abu al-Fadl, and he is excellence entire;

    and those are glad tidings the days eagerly repeat.

  28. ما زلْتَ في المجدِ والعلياءِ منفَرِداً

    حتى كُسيتَ به أَوصافَ مُزْدَوَجِ

    You have ever stood alone in glory and exalted rank,

    until through him you were clothed in the qualities of a pair.

  29. فاسْحَبْ على النجمِ ذَيْلَ التِّيهِ مفتخراً

    فَأَنتَ بالتِّيهِ والفخرِ القديمِ حَجِ

    So draw pride's trailing hem across the stars, exulting:

    for you are worthy of pride and ancient glory.

  30. بَقِيتُما كوثَرَيْ عُرُفٍ ومَعْرِفَةٍ

    وَجَنَّتَيْ فَرَحٍ للناس أَو فَرَجِ

    May you both endure as two Kawthar rivers of kindness and knowledge,

    and two gardens of joy or relief for humankind.