A royal sword (saif) dedicated to King Saud ibn Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia (r.1953-64) with scabbard, signed ‘Abd Allah al-Akwa, Yemen, Sanaa, dated AH 1375/1955-56 AD

This sword was presented from a Yemeni delegation to King Saud ibn Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia (reign 9 November 1953 – 2 November 1964) in 1955-56. He was the second son of King Abdulaziz, the founder of Saudi Arabia, and became his father’s successor. King Saud played an important role in establishing lasting peace and friendship between the Saudi and Yemeni states. The words "...(expressing) friendship from a Yemeni..." inscribed on the scabbard are a reference to this.

inscriptions

On the scabbard, at the top: 

(on one side)

‘amal ‘abd allah al-akwa ‘sana 1375

'The work of ‘Abd Allah al-Akwa, year 1375' (1955-56)

(on the other side)

sana’a al-yaman

'Sanaa of the Yemen'

On the scabbard, to the sides (rhyming prose in praise of Ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz):

 ya ibn ‘abd al-‘aziz al su’ud damta fi’l-mulk rafi’an 

[tu]nshir al-‘adl wa’l-hadara wa’l-amr ‘umuman wa-tartaqi bi-junudika 

… al-majd wa’l-ma'arif hata tamla'u al-ard min nizam ‘umudika 

/ wa-yara’ tusilu judan wa-‘adlan wa suyuf la tathni(?) … 

wa-li-hadha ahdaytu sayfan wa ghimdan yamaniyayn min taraz wufudika 

.. al-wadad min yamani ja‘a li’l-hajj mukhlisan min shuhudika

‘O Ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz of the House of Saud, may you always be elevated in dominion!

You dispense justice, and civilisation and authority generally… and through your soldiers is elevated

The… of might and knowledge, so that the earth is filled with order by your mace

And a reed-pen that distributes generosity and justice, and swords that do not bend(?) …

For this reason I have presented a Yemeni sword and scabbard of a style [befitting] a delegation to you,

… [expressing] friendship from a Yemeni who has come to perform pilgrimage, sincerely desiring an audience with you.’

On the hilt (rhyming prose, not all deciphered):

ashraf al-majd(?) buruj su’udika ya malikan wa-zannat (zana’at?) hududuka

min samawat su‘dud wa-fakhar qad ada’at (u’diyat?) anwaruha bi-su’udika

/ fa-ista'adat mahabit al-wahy nuran wa-imanan wa- … bi-humudika

… rif’atan wa-‘izzan wa … wa samuwan ‘ala al-wara bi-shuhuduka

‘Splendour(?) has directed the zodiacal houses of your fortune and your borders are bounded(?)

By the skies of leadership and glory, the lights of which have been lit through your ascent. 

The places of revelation (i.e. the places where the Qur’an was revealed) have reclaimed light and faith and … through your praises, 

… elevation, and glory and … and exaltation upon the people through your presence.’