أَعَنِ الشَمسِ عِشاءً

أَعَنِ الشَمسِ عِشاءً

كُشِفَت تِلكَ السُجوفُ

كُشِفَت تِلكَ السُجوفُ

Was it from the sun at evening

In the evening the sun revealed itself,

that those curtains were lifted?

And that sorrow was uncovered.

أَم عَنِ البَدرِ تَسَرّى

أَم عَنِ البَدرِ تَسَرّى

موهِناً ذاكَ النَصيفُ

موهِناً ذاكَ النَصيفُ

Or from the full moon did slip away

Or was it the full moon that marched,

that head-veil, late at night?

Subduing that hot wind?

أَم عَلى ليتَي غَزالٍ

أَم عَلى ليتَي غَزالٍ

عُلِّقَت تِلكَ الشُنوفُ

عُلِّقَت تِلكَ الشُنوفُ

Or upon the two sides of a gazelle's neck

Or on the two gazelles were those chokers hung?

were those earrings hung?

Or do I see you now as no one has seen you standing still?

أَم أَراكَ الحَينُ ما لَم

أَم أَراكَ الحَينُ ما لَم

يَرَهُ القَومُ الوُقوفُ

يَرَهُ القَومُ الوُقوفُ

Or did doom show you what

Verily the rule of love is not just upon people.

the people standing there had not seen?

They brought near to me ecstasy, and ecstasy is ardent.

إِنَّ حُكمَ المُقَلِ النَج

إِنَّ حُكمَ المُقَلِ النَج

لِ عَلى الخَلقِ يَحيفُ

لِ عَلى الخَلقِ يَحيفُ

Indeed, the judgment of those wide eyes

So they removed patience from me,

deals unjustly with all creatures.

And it was to me a sincere comrade.

هُنَّ قَرَّبنَ إِلَيَّ ال

هُنَّ قَرَّبنَ إِلَيَّ ال

وَجدَ وَالوَجدُ قَذيفُ

وَجدَ وَالوَجدُ قَذيفُ

They brought close to me

Oh, that draft of illness whose mixture is poison infused,

passion—and passion flings one far.

My soul now presented it to me openly, and it is dodging.

فَأَزَلنَ الصَبرَ عَنّي

فَأَزَلنَ الصَبرَ عَنّي

وَهوَ لي خِدنٌ حَليفُ

وَهوَ لي خِدنٌ حَليفُ

So they stripped me of patience,

Oh, daughter of the south Arabian sayings, I am destined by fate’s twists,

though it was my close companion and ally.

If it became illuminated by day, then for it there is an eclipse.

يا لَها شربَةَ سُقمٍ

يا لَها شربَةَ سُقمٍ

شوبُها سُمٌّ مَدوفُ

شوبُها سُمٌّ مَدوفُ

Ah, what a draught of illness,

Or if it blew a breeze, then for it there is a stillness.

whose admixture is dissolved poison!

Do not let the bright sky delude you, for my soul is stormy.

ساقَها الحَينُ لِنَفسي

ساقَها الحَينُ لِنَفسي

جَهرَةً وَهيَ عَيوفُ

جَهرَةً وَهيَ عَيوفُ

Doom drove it to my soul

Sometimes a passionate one yields, then becomes listless again.

openly, though my soul recoils.

So beware of the turning of my soul from you, for the soul is fickle.

يا اِبنَةَ القَيلِ اليَماني

يا اِبنَةَ القَيلِ اليَماني

ي وَلِلدَهرِ صُروفُ

ي وَلِلدَهرِ صُروفُ

O daughter of the Yemeni prince—

It headed for the darkness of an absent forest,

and time has its reversals—

A gazelle within which are the soft murmurs.

إِن يَكُن أَضحى مُضيئاً

إِن يَكُن أَضحى مُضيئاً

فَلَهُ يَوماً كُسوفُ

فَلَهُ يَوماً كُسوفُ

if it becomes radiant,

Sometimes an arrow misses the target, while the archer is weak.

an eclipse awaits it one day;

And a plant whose harvest was reaped after past generations.

أَو يَكُن هَبَّ نَسيماً

أَو يَكُن هَبَّ نَسيماً

فَلَهُ يَوماً هُيوفُ

فَلَهُ يَوماً هُيوفُ

or if it blows as a breeze,

The jinn had chosen it before, while the earth was still empty.

a parching wind awaits it one day.

So it is a meaning no subtle perception can grasp.

لا يَغُرَّنكِ سَما

لا يَغُرَّنكِ سَما

حي فَمُقتادي عَنيفُ

حي فَمُقتادي عَنيفُ

Do not let my generosity deceive you,

And it is in the body an expanse, and in the cup pluckings.

for the one who leads me is fierce.

It is an antidote to the darkness of night, and night is gloomy.

رُبَّما اِنقادَ جَموحٌ

رُبَّما اِنقادَ جَموحٌ

تارَةً ثُمَّ يَصيفُ

تارَةً ثُمَّ يَصيفُ

A headstrong steed may submit

The onlooker turns his gaze from it, and his gaze is dripping.

once, then swerve away.

We have transgressed the prohibition against it, and Allah is Merciful.

فَاِحذَري عَزفَةَ نَفسي

فَاِحذَري عَزفَةَ نَفسي

عَنكِ فَالنَفسُ عَزوفُ

عَنكِ فَالنَفسُ عَزوفُ

So beware my soul's turning

And an abode whose pilgrimage is difficult, distressing, and frightening,

away from you, for the soul readily turns away.

At which the lifespans cried when at it the pots boiled.

أَقصَدَت ضِرغامَ غابٍ

أَقصَدَت ضِرغامَ غابٍ

بَينَ خيسَيهِ غَريفُ

بَينَ خيسَيهِ غَريفُ

A woodland lion was struck dead,

The high values were lowered in it, and the swords were raised.

with dense growth between his two lairs,

I have worn garments while in it ruin is feeble.

ظَبيَةٌ يَكنَفُها في ال

ظَبيَةٌ يَكنَفُها في ال

أَلمَجِيّاتِ الرَفيفُ

أَلمَجِيّاتِ الرَفيفُ

by a doe whom, amid the

When for the souls in pasture there is awe and horror.

almajiyyāt, a shimmer surrounds.

Verily my house is in the midst of barren meadows, it is the blessed house.

رُبَّما أَردى الجَليدَ الس

رُبَّما أَردى الجَليدَ الس

سهمُ وَالرامي ضَعيفُ

سهمُ وَالرامي ضَعيفُ

Often a stalwart man is slain by the

And mine is the supreme bone, and the abundant honor.

arrow, though the archer is weak.

And mine is the everlasting glory, old and refined.

وَعُقارٍ عَتَّقَتها

وَعُقارٍ عَتَّقَتها

بَعدَ أَسلافٍ خُلوفُ

بَعدَ أَسلافٍ خُلوفُ

And many a wine has been aged

No glory the Yemenites have not mastered, yet it is delicate.

by successors after their forebears.

كانَتِ الجِنُّ اِصطَفَتها

كانَتِ الجِنُّ اِصطَفَتها

قَبلُ وَالأَرضُ رُجوفُ

قَبلُ وَالأَرضُ رُجوفُ

The jinn had chosen it

before, while the earth was quaking.

فَهيَ مَعنىً لَيسَ يَحتا

فَهيَ مَعنىً لَيسَ يَحتا

طُ بِهِ الوَهمُ اللَطيفُ

طُ بِهِ الوَهمُ اللَطيفُ

So it is an essence beyond

the grasp of the subtlest imagination.

وَهيَ في الجِسمِ وساعٌ

وَهيَ في الجِسمِ وساعٌ

وَهيَ في الكأسِ قُطوفُ

وَهيَ في الكأسِ قُطوفُ

And within the body it is swift,

while in the cup it is slow-paced.

وَهيَ ضِدٌّ لِظَلامِ ال

وَهيَ ضِدٌّ لِظَلامِ ال

ليلِ وَاللَيلُ عَكوفُ

ليلِ وَاللَيلُ عَكوفُ

And it is the foe of the darkness

of night, while night lingers.

يَصرِفُ الرامِقُ عَنها

يَصرِفُ الرامِقُ عَنها

طَرفَهُ وَهوَ نَزيفُ

طَرفَهُ وَهوَ نَزيفُ

The gazer turns away from it

his gaze, while he is drunk.

قَد تَعَدَّينا إِلَيها الن

قَد تَعَدَّينا إِلَيها الن

نَهيَ وَاللَهُ رُؤوفُ

نَهيَ وَاللَهُ رُؤوفُ

To reach it, we have transgressed

the ban—and God is compassionate.

وَمَقامٍ وِردُهُ مُس

وَمَقامٍ وِردُهُ مُس

توبلٌ ضَنكٌ مَخوفُ

توبلٌ ضَنكٌ مَخوفُ

And many a station whose approach is

unwholesome, straitened, feared—

بَكَتِ الآجالُ لَمّا

بَكَتِ الآجالُ لَمّا

ضَحِكَت فيهِ الحُتوفُ

ضَحِكَت فيهِ الحُتوفُ

life's appointed terms wept when

deaths laughed within it.

خُفِضَت فيهِ العَوالي

خُفِضَت فيهِ العَوالي

وَعَلَت فيهِ السُيوفُ

وَعَلَت فيهِ السُيوفُ

Tall lances were lowered there,

and swords rose there.

قَد تَسَربَلتُ وَعِقبا

قَد تَسَربَلتُ وَعِقبا

نُ الرَدى فيهِ تَعيفُ

نُ الرَدى فيهِ تَعيفُ

I clad myself, while the eagles

of death wheeled within it,

حينَ لِلأَنفُسِ في الرَو

حينَ لِلأَنفُسِ في الرَو

عِ مِنَ الهَولِ وَجيفُ

عِ مِنَ الهَولِ وَجيفُ

when souls, amid terror,

throbbed from dread.

إِنَّ بَيتي في ذُرى قَح

إِنَّ بَيتي في ذُرى قَح

طانَ لَلبَيتُ المُنيفُ

طانَ لَلبَيتُ المُنيفُ

Indeed, my house on the heights of Qahtan

is surely the lofty house.

وَليَ الجُمجُمَةُ العَل

وَليَ الجُمجُمَةُ العَل

ياءُ وَالعِزُّ الكَثيفُ

ياءُ وَالعِزُّ الكَثيفُ

Mine is the loftiest headship,

and honor in abundance.

وَليَ التالِدُ مِلحم

وَليَ التالِدُ مِلحم

دِ قَديماً وَالطَريفُ

دِ قَديماً وَالطَريفُ

Mine is inherited praise,

from of old, and praise newly won.

كُلُّ مَجدٍ لَم يُسَمّن

كُلُّ مَجدٍ لَم يُسَمّن

هُ اليَمانونَ نَحيفُ

هُ اليَمانونَ نَحيفُ

Every glory not fattened

by the Yemenis is lean.