1. أبرقَ الأبرقين أما

    نزفه بالحيا أضما

    O lightning of al-Abraqayn, will you not

    pour it out as rain upon Idam,

  2. وتشفي سقمَ أرسم من

    معالم تنسب القلما

    and heal the ailing traces of

    landmarks that claim kinship with the pen,

  3. وَترسمُ بالمجلجلَ أرسما

    فيها البِلى رسما

    and sketch at al-Mujaljal the traces

    on which decay has drawn its mark?

  4. وَما من ذاك ضرّك لو

    غمامكَ بالغميمِ هما

    And what harm would that do you, if

    your cloud poured rain over al-Ghumaym,

  5. وأنجم برهة وأدا

    مَ في عرَصاتها الديَما

    and cleared awhile, then kept

    steady rains falling on their open grounds?

  6. فَيكشف إِن دجت ظلم الد

    دجا بِضيائهِ الظلما

    Then, if night's shadows darken, it dispels

    the darkness with its radiance.

  7. إِذا غَسقت حنادسهُ

    هنالكَ أوقدَ الضرما

    When its pitch-dark shadows deepen,

    there it kindles a blaze.

  8. وإِن هبّت له ريح ال

    قبولِ اِنصبّ واِنسجما

    And if the wind blows upon it

    from the east, it pours down and streams.

  9. فَيضحي الروض غضاً ضا

    حكَ النوّارِ مُبتسما

    Then the meadow grows lush,

    laughing with blossoms, smiling.

  10. وَيبدي الأقحوان الدر

    رَ مُنتثراً ومُنتظما

    And the daisies display pearls,

    scattered and strung in order.

  11. أَلا يا بانَتي سفح الل

    لِوى جودي بميسكما

    Ah, you two bān trees at the foot of

    al-Liwa, be generous with your swaying.

  12. فإن سكنَ النسيمُ فري

    حُ شَوقي قد جَرت لَكُما

    For if the breeze falls still, then the wind

    of my longing has blown for you both.

  13. وَلا تَتصافَحا إلّا

    بِلطفك يا لذلكما

    And do not clasp hands except

    with your gentleness—oh, for that, you two!

  14. ولا تَتصافحا إلّا

    بِلطفٍ في اِعتِناقِكُما

    And do not clasp hands except

    gently, as you embrace each other.

  15. أَرى وصبَ العذابِ من ال

    هَوى عذباً لأجلِكُما

    I find the aching torment born of

    love sweet for the sake of you both.

  16. وَمُذ فارَقتُماني ما

    ألفتُ الحبَّ بعدكما

    And since you both parted from me, I have not

    found comfort in love after you.

  17. وَلا نادمتهُ إلّا

    وَقلبي يَشتكي الندَما

    Nor have I made it my drinking companion except

    with my heart lamenting its regret.

  18. أَلا يا عاذِلي ويحاً

    لِشَوقي بحرهنّ طما

    Ah, my reproacher—alas

    for my longing! Their sea has overflowed.

  19. عذلت فتىً أصمّ عن ال

    ملامِ فزدته صمما

    You reproached a youth deaf to

    blame, and only made him deafer.

  20. فَهل حيّاً ترى لي بع

    ده حيّ قوضوا خيما

    So can you see a tribe for me, after

    that tribe which struck its tents?

  21. وَهَل بعدَ الحِمى والرم

    لِ رملٌ يَقتضي وجما

    And after the protected pasture and the sand,

    is there sand that calls forth silent grief?

  22. ربوع كَم بها غازَل

    تُ فيها الجرّدَ الوشما

    Dwellings where, how often, I wooed

    the smooth-skinned, tattooed beauties within them;

  23. خرائد كالدمن يهرق

    ن منّا بِالعيونِ دما

    maidens like dark camp-remains, who shed

    blood from us with their eyes;

  24. شموس كلّما اِلتثمت

    أَضاءَ ضياءها اللثما

    suns that, whenever they veil themselves,

    light up the veils with their radiance;

  25. كواعبُ يَحتوي أفوا

    ههنّ الباردَ الشبما

    full-breasted maidens whose mouths

    hold cool, ice-cold moisture.

  26. هززنَ غصونَ بانٍ في

    دعوص الرملِ مرتكما

    They swayed bān-tree branches amid

    the heaped-up dunes of sand.

  27. بَراني حبُّها العذ

    بِ بريَ الكاتب القَلَما

    Her sweet love has pared me down

    as a scribe pares his pen.

  28. فهنَّ اللائي ذا أطا

    ل لي منهنّ واِحتَكما

    For they are the ones through whom this has prolonged

    my suffering, and held sway over me.

  29. وَأوقدنَ الجَوى في القل

    بِ حتّى شبّ واِضطرما

    And they kindled burning grief in the

    heart, until it blazed and flared.

  30. أَلا يا أيُّها المعدو

    م وفراً يَشتكي العَدَما

    Ah, you who are deprived

    of wealth and complain of poverty,

  31. ترفّع عَن أُناسٍ أص

    بحوا لتليدِهم خَدَما

    rise above people who have become

    servants to their inherited wealth.

  32. وَكُن بالندبِ حمير وال

    فَتى كهلانَ مُعتَصما

    And in the noble Himyar and

    the gallant Kahlan, take refuge.

  33. وَطاوِل في الوَرى فخرا

    بِجاهِهما وَفَضلِهما

    And vie with mankind in glory

    through their standing and their excellence.

  34. فإنّهما هما نعشا ال

    وَرى بغياثِ جودهما

    For it is they both who have raised up

    mankind through the succor of their generosity.

  35. وَصانا كلّما حويا

    ه مِن ملكٍ بِعَدلِهما

    And they have guarded all they possessed

    of dominion through their justice.

  36. وَلا زالا هُما يستم

    طيانِ العزمَ وَالهِمما

    And may they both ever continue to ride

    resolve and lofty aspirations.

  37. فَلا اِغبرّت نواحي الأر

    ض إلّا اِخضرّ ربعهما

    Thus no region of the earth grows dust-gray

    but their abode grows green.

  38. وَلا جدث أَتى إلّا

    سقت أنواء غيثهما

    Nor does a grave appear but

    the rain-bearing stars of their showers water it.

  39. كأنّ منَ السماحة والن

    نَدى خُلقت أكفّهما

    It is as though, from generosity and

    bounty, their hands were fashioned.

  40. لواءُ الحمدِ والإجلا

    لِ مِن دونِ الورى لهما

    The banner of praise and reverence

    is theirs, to the exclusion of all others.

  41. هُما أَعلى الورى رُتباً

    هُما أوفى الوَرى ذِمما

    They hold the highest ranks among mankind.

    They are the truest to their pledges among mankind.

  42. أَلا يا أيّها الملكا

    نِ إنّي واثقٌ بكما

    Ah, you two kings,

    indeed, I place my trust in you both.

  43. عرفتُ أجلّ أربا

    بِ المَعالي مُذ عَرفتكما

    I have known the noblest lords

    of lofty deeds since I came to know you both.

  44. فَطولا واِفخَرا وتقا

    سَما الإِجلال بَينكُما

    So rise high, take pride, and share

    the honor between you both.