1. دعيني فعندي للنهوض عزائم

    ولما يكن لي عند ذاك قوادم

    Leave me be, for I have resolves to rise,

    and then I had no flight feathers yet.

  2. فكيف وقد أضحى الجناح متمماً

    عليه من التأييد ريش مراكم

    How much more now that the wing is complete,

    with feathers of support piled upon it?

  3. وقد أبصرت عيني الامام وفعله

    وسيرته في الحق والحق قائم

    And my eye has seen the Imam and his deeds,

    and his conduct in truth, while truth stands firm.

  4. وكنت أرجي أن أصادف عصبة

    تنوط بها للحسنيين العزائم

    I had hoped to find a band

    on whom resolves for the two best outcomes could rest,

  5. تطلق دنياها وتنشر وصلها

    أبايعها بيع الشرا وأقاسم

    divorcing its worldly life and spreading its fellowship;

    I would pledge to it the self-sellers' pledge, and share its lot.

  6. فصادفتها لكن عمان تماسكت

    بها عامها هذا لتطغى الأعاجم

    I found it, but Oman held fast

    to it this year, leaving the foreigners to run rampant.

  7. فلما عدمت الراغبين ولم أجد

    سوى من تدَّنيه إلى الدراهم

    When I lacked willing men and found none

    except those drawn toward dirhams,

  8. صرفت عنان الذكر عنهم مجنباً

    ووجه امام العدل عن ذاك سادم

    I turned the reins of remembrance away from them, keeping aside,

    while the face of the Imam of justice grieved over that.

  9. فجدت له بالعذر بسطاً وجاد لي

    بما فيه نصر لاعدته المكارم

    So I freely offered him my excuse in full, and he gave me

    what could bring victory—may noble deeds never forsake him.

  10. فها أَنا ذا بالمال والبيض والقنا

    على حضرموت بالسلامة قادم

    Here I am, then, with money, bright swords, and spears,

    coming safely to Hadramawt.

  11. سلا تخبرا عني إذا صرت نحوها

    وناديت في الاخوان أين اللهامم

    Ask, you two, and hear of me when I head toward it

    and call among the brethren, 'Where are the valiant men?'

  12. وأين أولو الفرقان والعرف والنهى

    وأين منارات الهدى والمعالم

    And where are the men of discernment, goodness, and reason?

    And where are the beacons and landmarks of guidance?

  13. وأين حماة الدين فالدين مدحر

    وأين سيوف الحق فالحق راغم

    And where are the faith's defenders? The faith is driven back.

    And where are the swords of truth? Truth is humbled.

  14. واين كهوف المسلمين وحصنهم

    وأين لجا الاسلام أين المعاصم

    And where are the Muslims' refuges and their stronghold?

    And where is Islam's refuge? Where are the safeguards?

  15. وأين المساعير المقاديم في الوغى

    وأين الصناديد الصلاب الصلادم

    And where are the battle-kindlers, the foremost in combat?

    And where are the champions, stalwart and unyielding?

  16. واين رجال يصبح الضيم دونها

    لواذاً ولا ترعي حماها المظالم

    And where are men before whom oppression turns

    to flight, and no injustice grazes in their guarded land?

  17. وأين رجال لا تقر عيونهم

    إذا ملك الأمر الطغام البهائم

    And where are men whose eyes find no rest

    when the rabble, those beasts, seize power?

  18. وأين لجا المستضعفين فقد سطت

    عليهم من الداء العضال المناسم

    And where is the downtrodden's refuge? For they have been trampled

    by the camel-hooves of incurable disease.

  19. هنالك يا ان الأكرمين تجيبني

    بلبّيك من داع ليوث ضراغم

    There—ah, indeed!—the noblest answer me,

    with 'At your service, caller!'—lions, fierce lions.

  20. وتبرز في الأوزار من عرصاتها

    إِلى الصوت أقيال عليها العمائم

    And from its open grounds come forth, bearing arms,

    toward the call, chieftains wearing turbans.

  21. كأني بها يوم الاياب وقد رسى

    لبيعتها منا القضاة الحضارم

    I seem to see it on the day of return, when they have assembled—

    the Hadrami judges among us—for its pledge of allegiance.

  22. كأني بها قد قلدت أمر دينها

    أمام رضى ترتاب منه الأشائم

    I seem to see it entrusting the affairs of its faith

    to a worthy Imam, whom the ill-omened regard with dread.

  23. كأني بها قد قابلت كل كاشح

    بغيض ولاقاها الشقي المقاوم

    I seem to see it confronting every spiteful foe,

    hateful, while the wretched adversary faces it.

  24. كأني بشيخ الحزم والعزم والأذى

    يثبتها عند اللقا ويلاحم

    I seem to see the elder of prudence, resolve, and hardship

    steadying it at the encounter and fighting hand to hand.

  25. كأني به يخطو رويداً أمامها

    وقد قامت الهيجا وحان التصادم

    I seem to see him stepping slowly before it,

    as battle rises and the hour of collision comes.

  26. كأني به قد صمد اللّه أمره

    يكرّ وقد طارت لديه الجماجم

    I seem to see him, God having strengthened his cause,

    charging while skulls fly before him.

  27. هو المقبل الساعي إِلى كل هاتف

    غريق ينادي أين أين المقاحم

    He is the one who comes, hastening to every caller,

    a drowning man crying, 'Where, where is the one who will plunge in?'

  28. عليّ لذي الآلاء أمّا نصرته

    نذور له قلبي على الحق كاتم

    For his victory, I owe the Giver of blessings

    vows my heart faithfully keeps hidden for Him.

  29. فيا والدي هل تر الدين مدحراً

    حقيراً ولم يصبح له اليوم عاصم

    O my father, do you see the faith driven back,

    despised, with no protector for it today?

  30. فأنت حقيق أن تقوم بثاره

    كما أنه حقاً لمثلك عادم

    You are worthy of rising to avenge it,

    just as it truly lacks anyone like you.

  31. فيا نصر دين اللّه بالحق متحف

    وصاحبه مذ كان للخصم خاصم

    O Nasr, God's faith is endowed with truth,

    and its champion has always been the enemy's adversary.

  32. وذو الحرب لا يلقى الفنا قبل حينه

    ولم يبق بعد الحين منه المسالم

    The warrior does not meet death before his appointed time,

    nor does the peaceable man survive beyond that time.

  33. فشمر لا ترع لك الضيم محجراً

    فليس يقر الضيم إِلا الكرائم

    So gird yourself; let not oppression graze within your enclosure,

    for only the noble ones submit to oppression.

  34. ولا تقبلن رأي البليد فإنه

    وإِن كان يمشي في الورى فهو نائم

    Do not accept the dullard's counsel, for he,

    though he walks among mankind, is asleep.

  35. أعوذ بذي الآلاء عن رأي عاجز

    جبان يريع القلب منه الأكالم

    I seek refuge in the Giver of blessings from a weakling's counsel,

    a coward whose words terrify the heart.

  36. يصد عن الخيرات من رام قصدها

    بتعظيمه ما تزدريه القماقم

    He turns away from good deeds whoever seeks them,

    by magnifying what mighty chiefs disdain.

  37. فلا قدس اللّه أمرأ ظن أنني

    أراجع أيام الغنا وهو عالم

    May God never sanctify a man who thinks I

    would return to days of plenty, though he knows

  38. بأني قد فارقتها عن ملالة

    فراق امرىء بعد القلى لا يلائم

    that I left them out of weariness,

    as one parts who will not reconcile after loathing.

  39. كأن لم يكن ذو العرش في الصف ماقتاً

    لمن خالف الأفعال منه التظالم

    As though the Lord of the Throne had not, in al-Saff, shown hatred

    for one whose complaints of injustice contradict his deeds.

  40. أقول لمختار الرضى ومهلهل

    وقد صاح رب الفلك أين الخضارم

    I say to Mukhtar al-Rida and Muhalhil,

    as the shipmaster cries, 'Where are the mighty men?'

  41. عشية أزمعنا وفي الصدر كابة

    ووجد لو شك البين والدمع ساجم

    on the evening we resolved to leave, with gloom in my breast,

    and anguish at impending parting, while tears streamed down:

  42. خليلي ما من سلوة ولذاذة

    ولا غبطة إِلا لها الدهر صارم

    My two friends, there is no solace or delight,

    nor happiness, that time does not sever.

  43. خليلي قد كان القيام لديكما

    لذيذاً ولكن للفراق علاقم

    My two friends, my stay with you was

    sweet, but parting tastes of bitter colocynth.

  44. لعمري لقد آويتما ونصرتما

    وقد يفعل الفعل الكريم الأكارم

    By my life, you both sheltered and supported me,

    and noble people indeed do noble deeds.

  45. وأي ملاذ للبرية أنتما

    إِذا نابهم خطب من الدهر داهم

    What a refuge for creation you both are,

    when a sudden calamity of time befalls them!

  46. وقد أيقنت أن لا يصد سواكما

    عن الناس بلواها الأمور الجسائم

    I am certain that none but you two can ward off

    from people the afflictions of grievous events.

  47. خذا عن ضنين بالفراق مودع

    وداعاً له التشمير والجد لازم

    Take from one loath to part, who bids farewell,

    a farewell from one bound to effort and earnest toil.

  48. ولا تنسيا ما عشتما الدهر ذكره

    فذكر كما في قلبه الدهر دائم

    Never forget to remember him as long as you both live,

    for remembrance of you both endures in his heart for all time.

  49. سأنشر ما أوليتما من صنيعة

    إِذا ما رأى كتم الصنيعة كاتم

    I shall proclaim the kindness you both bestowed,

    when a concealer chooses to conceal a kindness.

  50. سلام من الرحمن مني عليكما

    ورحمته ما صام اللّه صائم

    Peace from the All-Merciful, from me, be upon you both,

    and His mercy, as long as anyone fasts for God.

  51. وصلى إِله العرش جل جلاله

    على أحمد ما قام للّه قائم

    And may the God of the Throne—exalted is His majesty—bless

    Ahmad, as long as anyone stands in prayer for God.