1. في كل يوم عارض لك يمطر

    حظ العدا منه النجيع الاحمر

    Each day a cloud of yours pours down,

    the foes' share of it is red gore.

  2. البرق فيه البيض والرعد الوغا

    وسحاب وابله العجاج الأكدر

    Its lightning is gleaming swords, its thunder the din of battle,

    and the cloud of its downpour is murky dust.

  3. هطلت وروت أرض حمير سحبه

    فكأنهم لما عصوك استمطروا

    Its clouds poured down and watered the land of Himyar,

    as though, when they disobeyed you, they had asked for rain.

  4. ولقد دعوت بهم لعلمك أنهم

    ألقوا بأيديهم وهم لم يشعروا

    And indeed, you summoned them, knowing that they

    had cast themselves into ruin, without realizing it.

  5. أنذرتهم يوما رأوا أمثاله

    في غيرهم لو كان فيهم مبصر

    You warned them of a day whose like they had seen

    befall others, had there been anyone among them with eyes to see.

  6. لكنها الأقدار تعمى إن جرت

    طرف البصير ويغفل المتذكر

    But fate's decrees, when they take their course, blind

    the clear-sighted eye, and the mindful grows heedless.

  7. كانت تظن الأمر سهلا حمير

    حتى رأوك فهالهم ما أبصروا

    Himyar had thought the matter easy,

    until they saw you, and what they beheld appalled them.

  8. سالت عليهم بالصوارم والقنا

    تلك الأكام وقام فيها العبثر

    There surged upon them, with keen swords and spears,

    those hills, and dust rose within them.

  9. ورأوا أموراً لا تطاق فهللوا

    من هولها لما رأوك وكبروا

    And they saw things beyond endurance, so they cried, 'There is no god but God,'

    in terror at them when they saw you, and cried, 'God is greatest!'

  10. واستسلموا للموت هذا واقع

    عقرت قوائمه وهذا يعقر

    They surrendered to death: this one lies fallen,

    his legs hamstrung, while that one is being hamstrung.

  11. وتعاقبت فيهم رماحك والضبا

    هاذيك تنظمهم وهذى تنثر

    Your spears and sword-edges struck them in turn:

    those strung them together, and these scattered them.

  12. والهام تسجد كلما صلت بها

    وركعن بيضك والخدود تعفر

    And heads fall prostrate whenever they are led in prayer,

    and your gleaming swords bow, while cheeks are rubbed in dust.

  13. ونحا إمام البيض منهم من نجا

    عريان ينذر قومه ويحذر

    Whoever among them escaped fled ahead of the gleaming swords,

    naked, warning his people and cautioning them.

  14. حتى إذا ما السيف قضى نحبه

    منهم دعاهم وهو منهم يقطر

    Until, when the sword had fulfilled its vow

    against them, it summoned them, dripping with their blood.

  15. من كان مغرور بمنعة حصنه

    فلشدما اغترت بذلك حمير

    Whoever is beguiled by the strength of his fortress—

    how greatly Himyar was beguiled by that!

  16. فاقبل على الصفراء واقطع حظها

    عنا وفي الخضراء أنت مخير

    So turn toward al-Safra, and cut off her share

    from us; as for al-Khadra, the choice is yours.

  17. لا بد للخضرا غدا من مصرع

    ترد الظبا فيه الرقاب وتصدر

    Tomorrow there must be a slaughter-ground for al-Khadra,

    where sword-edges come to drink at necks, then withdraw.

  18. ان لم يفلها الرمج فهي زجاجة

    في الجو يدنيها السعود فتكسر

    If the spear does not break her, she is a glass vessel

    aloft; good fortune brings her near, and she is shattered.

  19. عدد وقلل ما ستطعت فعمرها

    مما تعدد يا حبيشي أقصر

    Count, and make your count as small as you can, for her life

    is shorter than what you count, O Hubayshi.

  20. لا تغترر بالغمض من مستيقظ

    وثباته وثباته لا ينكر

    Do not be deceived by the closed eyes of one awake:

    his pounces and his steadfastness are undeniable.

  21. يندى فيقطر للحيا من وجهه

    ماء به نار الحروب تسعر

    He grows dewy, and from his face, out of modesty, drips

    water by which the fire of wars is kindled.

  22. فاحذره مبتسما وزد من خوفه

    في الحرب وهو على العدا متنمر

    Beware of him when smiling, and fear him still more

    in war, when he rages like a leopard against his foes.

  23. فالسيف يخشى حده في غمده

    وإذا تجرد فالمخافة أكثر

    For a sword's edge is feared even in its sheath,

    and when it is drawn, the fear is greater.

  24. فخر الملوك بنو الرسول وأحمد

    لبنى الرسول وكل ملك مفخر

    The Banu al-Rasul are the pride of kings, and Ahmad

    is the pride of the Banu al-Rasul and of every king.

  25. الناصر الملك الذي ما فوقه

    في الملك إلا الواحد المتكبر

    Al-Nasir, the king above whom there is none

    in sovereignty but the One, the Supremely Great.

  26. من لا يعد ولا يحد فخاره

    والقطر إن عددته لا يحصر

    He whose glory cannot be counted or bounded;

    and rain, if you count it, is beyond reckoning.

  27. يا ابن الملوك الصيد إن كواكب ال

    غراء قد ظفرت بما لا يظفر

    O son of proud kings, indeed Kawakib the

    radiant has won what cannot be won.

  28. وتوصلت بالحظ منك إلى هوى

    ما كان قط على فؤاد يخطر

    And through her good fortune from you, she has attained a desire

    that had never once crossed any heart:

  29. أن أصبحت لزبيد عندك ضرة

    فمن الضرائر عادة لا تؤثر

    she has become, with you, a co-wife to Zabid.

    For among co-wives, she is not ordinarily preferred.

  30. فاقسم إذا لزبيد قسمة منصف

    إن كنت معها وحدها لا تصبر

    Then give Zabid the share a just man would allot,

    if you cannot bear to be with her alone.

  31. والحق ان تقضى لها عن كل يو

    م سنة وبكل شهر أشهر

    And justice is that you make up to her, for every

    day, a year, and for every month, months.

  32. ما كان ظن زبيد فيك بأنها

    تمسى لديك بضرة تتضرر

    Zabid's expectation of you was not that she

    would find herself with you, suffering from a co-wife.

  33. أعرضت عنها واستعضت بوصلها

    أخرى وما كل الأحبة تهجر

    You turned away from her and took, in place of union with her,

    another; not every beloved should be forsaken.

  34. وبأهلها من فرد وجد ما بها

    فلهم عيون بعدكم لا تنظر

    And her people bear the same matchless yearning she bears;

    so they have eyes that, since you left, no longer see.

  35. انت الشفاء وهل أعز من الشفا

    عند السقيم وأنت روح آخر

    You are the cure; is anything dearer than healing

    to the sick? And you are a second soul.