أَعِنّي عَلى بَرقٍ أُريكَ وَميضَهُ

أَعِنّي عَلى بَرقٍ أُريكَ وَميضَهُ

يَشوقُ إِذا اِستَوضَحتَ بَرقاً يَمانِيا

يَشوقُ إِذا اِستَوضَحتَ بَرقاً يَمانِيا

Help me watch a lightning flash whose gleam I show you;

Help me with a lightning whose flash you show me

Help me bear witness to lightning whose flash I show you;

it stirs longing when you clearly discern a Yemeni flash.

It allures when you make clear a right lightning

It stirs yearning when you descry the Yemeni gleam.

أَرِقتُ لَهُ وَالبَرقُ دونَ طَمِيَّةٍ

أَرِقتُ لَهُ وَالبَرقُ دونَ طَمِيَّةٍ

وَذي نَجَبٍ يا بُعدَهُ مِن مَكانِيا

وَذي نَجَبٍ يا بُعدَهُ مِن مَكانِيا

I lay awake for it, while the lightning was this side of Tamiyyah

I was sleepless for it while the lightning was without darkness

I stayed sleepless for it, while the lightning fell short of Tamiyyah,

and Dhu Najab—how far it was from where I was!

And of noble origin, oh how far its place from my place

And of Dhu Najab—oh, how far it is from my place!

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي وَاِبنَ أَبيَضَ قَد خَفَت

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي وَاِبنَ أَبيَضَ قَد خَفَت

بِنا الأَرضُ إِلّا أَن نَؤُمَّ الفَيافِيا

بِنا الأَرضُ إِلّا أَن نَؤُمَّ الفَيافِيا

Have you not seen how, for me and Ibn Abyad, it has grown unsteady—

Have you not seen that I and the son of Abuadh have become frightened

Do you not see that I and Ibn Abyad, the earth has narrowed for us,

the earth beneath us—unless we make for the desert wastes?

The land shrinking for us unless we walk carefully

Such that we have no choice but to seek the barren deserts?

طَريدَينِ مِن حَيَّينِ شَتّى أَشَدَّنا

طَريدَينِ مِن حَيَّينِ شَتّى أَشَدَّنا

مَخافَتُنا حَتّى عَلَلنا التَصافِيا

مَخافَتُنا حَتّى عَلَلنا التَصافِيا

Two outcasts from two different tribes, bound fast

Outcasts from two clans who have hardened us

Two outcasts from two diverse tribes, our fear

by our fear, until we drank deeply of mutual affection.

Our fearfulness until our compactness weakened

Strengthened us, until we drank deep of sincere friendship.

وَما لِمتُهُ في أَمرِ حَزمٍ وَنَجدَةٍ

وَما لِمتُهُ في أَمرِ حَزمٍ وَنَجدَةٍ

وَلا لامَني في مِرَّتي وَاِحتِيالِيا

وَلا لامَني في مِرَّتي وَاِحتِيالِيا

And I did not blame him in matters of prudence and valor,

And he has no firmness or help in a matter of resolution

I faulted him not in matters of prudence and valor,

nor did he blame me for my strength and resourcefulness.

Nor do I regarding my concerns and stratagems

Nor did he fault me for my strength and my wiles.

وَقُلتُ لَهُ إِذ حَلَّ يَسقي وَيَستَقي

وَقُلتُ لَهُ إِذ حَلَّ يَسقي وَيَستَقي

وَقَد كانَ ضَوءُ الصُبحِ لِلَيلِ حادِيا

وَقَد كانَ ضَوءُ الصُبحِ لِلَيلِ حادِيا

And I said to him, as he halted to water the camels and draw water,

And I said to him when the early dawn came to give drink and take drink

And I said to him, when he alighted to give and take water,

while dawn's light was already driving the night away:

And the light of dawn had been a guide to the night

While the light of dawn was driving the night away:

لَعَمري لَقَد لاقَت رِكابُكَ مَشرَباً

لَعَمري لَقَد لاقَت رِكابُكَ مَشرَباً

لَئِن هِيَ لَم تُصبِح عَلَيهِنَّ عالِيا

لَئِن هِيَ لَم تُصبِح عَلَيهِنَّ عالِيا

By my life, your riding camels have indeed found a watering place,

By my life, your riding camels have come upon pasturage

"By my life, your riding camels have found a watering place,

if you are not mounted upon them at dawn.

If it does not become high upon them, morning will not come

If indeed they do not find the morning rising high above them."