كَفاني مِن حَوادِثِ كُلِّ دَهرٍ

كَفاني مِن حَوادِثِ كُلِّ دَهرٍ

بِإِسحَقَ بنِ إِبراهيمَ جارا

بِإِسحَقَ بنِ إِبراهيمَ جارا

Against the calamities of every age, it is enough for me

Isaac son of Abraham suffices me

to have Ishaq son of Ibrahim as my protector.

As a neighbor, for the events of every age

سَيَكفيني الحَوادِثَ مُصعَبِيُّ

سَيَكفيني الحَوادِثَ مُصعَبِيُّ

كَأَنَّ جَبينَهُ قَمَرٌ أَنارا

كَأَنَّ جَبينَهُ قَمَرٌ أَنارا

A Mus‘abi will shield me from calamities,

Al-Mu’sabbi will suffice me, events,

as though his brow were a moon aglow.

As if his forehead is an illuminating moon

عَلى ثِقَةٍ وَأَنتَ لِذاكَ أَهلٌ

عَلى ثِقَةٍ وَأَنتَ لِذاكَ أَهلٌ

أَخَذتُ بِحَبلِ ذِمَّتِكَ اِختِيارا

أَخَذتُ بِحَبلِ ذِمَّتِكَ اِختِيارا

With confidence—and you are worthy of it—

With confidence, and you are worthy of that

I willingly grasped the rope of your pledged protection.

I have taken the rope of your covenant by choice

بِإِسحَقَ بنِ اِبراهيمَ أَضحَت

بِإِسحَقَ بنِ اِبراهيمَ أَضحَت

سَماءُ الجودِ تَنهَمِرُ اِنهِمارا

سَماءُ الجودِ تَنهَمِرُ اِنهِمارا

Through Ishaq son of Ibrahim, now

With Isaac son of Abraham,

the sky of generosity pours down in torrents.

The sky of generosity pours heavy rain

فَتىً بِنَوالِهِ في كُلِّ قَومٍ

فَتىً بِنَوالِهِ في كُلِّ قَومٍ

أَقامَ لِكُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ نِجارا

أَقامَ لِكُلِّ مَكرُمَةٍ نِجارا

A young man who, through his gifts among every people,

A young man in his youths in every nation

has established a pedigree for every noble deed.

Who established for every glory, carpenters

عَقَدتُ بِحَبلِهِ حَبلي فَأَضحَت

عَقَدتُ بِحَبلِهِ حَبلي فَأَضحَت

قُواهُ لا أَخافُ لَها اِنبِتارا

قُواهُ لا أَخافُ لَها اِنبِتارا

I tied my rope to his, and now

I tied my rope with his rope, so it became

I fear no severing of its strands.

Its strength, I do not fear its unraveling

لَكُم نِعَمٌ غَوادٍ سارِياتٌ

لَكُم نِعَمٌ غَوادٍ سارِياتٌ

عَلَيَّ مَنَنتُمُ فيها مِرارا

عَلَيَّ مَنَنتُمُ فيها مِرارا

Yours are favors that come at dawn and journey by night,

You have good, flowing favors,

which you have bestowed on me time and again.

You have favored me many times in them

شَكَرتُكُمُ بِها سِرّاً وَجَهراً

شَكَرتُكُمُ بِها سِرّاً وَجَهراً

وَأَنجَدَ فيكُمُ مَدحي وَغارا

وَأَنجَدَ فيكُمُ مَدحي وَغارا

I thanked you for them in secret and openly,

I have thanked you for them, privately and publicly

and my praise of you has reached the highlands and lowlands.

And my praise in you helped and protected

نُفَضِّلُكُم عَلى الأَقوامِ إِنّا

نُفَضِّلُكُم عَلى الأَقوامِ إِنّا

رَأَينا المُلكَ حَلَّ بِكُم وَسارا

رَأَينا المُلكَ حَلَّ بِكُم وَسارا

We prefer you above all peoples, for we

We prefer you over all people, indeed

have seen sovereignty settle among you and travel with you.

We saw the kingdom settled in you and traveled

لَقَد عَمَّت فُضولُكُمُ وَخَصَّت

لَقَد عَمَّت فُضولُكُمُ وَخَصَّت

ذَوي يَمَنٍ كَما سَلَبَت نِزارا

ذَوي يَمَنٍ كَما سَلَبَت نِزارا

Your merits have indeed spread everywhere, and favored

Your virtues have spread and been specific

the people of Yemen, just as they have despoiled Nizar.

To the people of Yemen as it robbed Nizar

تَخَيَّرَكَ الإِمامُ عَلى رِجالٍ

تَخَيَّرَكَ الإِمامُ عَلى رِجالٍ

لِأُمَّتِهِ فَما حُرِمَ الخِيارا

لِأُمَّتِهِ فَما حُرِمَ الخِيارا

The imam chose you over other men

The Imam chose you over men

for his community, and was not denied the finest choice.

For his nation, so the good was not denied

وَليتَ المُسلِمينَ فَلَم تُضَيِّع

وَليتَ المُسلِمينَ فَلَم تُضَيِّع

أُمورَهُمُ الصِغارَ وَلا الكِبارا

أُمورَهُمُ الصِغارَ وَلا الكِبارا

You governed the Muslims and did not neglect

I wish the Muslims, but you did not waste

their affairs, small or great.

Their affairs, neither the small nor the great

بَراكَ اللَهُ مِن كَرَمٍ وَجودٍ

بَراكَ اللَهُ مِن كَرَمٍ وَجودٍ

وَأَلبَسَكَ المَهابَةَ وَالوَقارا

وَأَلبَسَكَ المَهابَةَ وَالوَقارا

God fashioned you from nobility and generosity,

May Allah bless you with generosity and giving

and clothed you in majesty and dignity.

And clothe you with awe and dignity

إِذا ما كانَ جارُكَ مُصعَبِيّاً

إِذا ما كانَ جارُكَ مُصعَبِيّاً

فَلا ضَيراً تَخافُ وَلا اِفتِقارا

فَلا ضَيراً تَخافُ وَلا اِفتِقارا

If ever your protector is a Mus‘abi,

If your neighbor is Al-Mu’sabbi

then you need fear neither harm nor poverty.

Then no harm you fear, nor poverty