شم برقَ شامةَ من على جَمرِ الغَضَى

شم برقَ شامةَ من على جَمرِ الغَضَى

أوَ ما تراهُ منَ الثَّنيةِ أو مَضَا

أوَ ما تراهُ منَ الثَّنيةِ أو مَضَا

Watch Shāmah’s lightning from atop the embers of ghaḍā wood.

Smell the lightning of a birthmark from the embers of wrath,

And do you not see it from the mountain pass—or has it passed?

Or what you see of the fold, or extinction,

سَلَّت بهِ الظَّلماءُ منهُ عل الحمَى

سَلَّت بهِ الظَّلماءُ منهُ عل الحمَى

سيفاً لهطَّالِ المدامعش يُنتضى

سيفاً لهطَّالِ المدامعش يُنتضى

With it, darkness drew from it above the sanctuary

The darkness sent it to the fever,

A sword unsheathed for one whose tears fall in torrents.

A sword for the long-lasting tears to be fulfilled,

هُم أَرسلوهُ وقد أتاهُ مبُشِّراً

هُم أَرسلوهُ وقد أتاهُ مبُشِّراً

من بعد ما غضروا زماناً بالرِّضا

من بعد ما غضروا زماناً بالرِّضا

They sent it, and it came to him bearing glad tidings,

They sent him while he came to him as a harbinger,

After they had lived for a time in ease and contentment.

After they were content for a while with consent,

فاحذر فُؤادي أن يهيمَ بومضةٍ

فاحذر فُؤادي أن يهيمَ بومضةٍ

إن همَّ أن يقضي حُقُوقهم قَضى

إن همَّ أن يقضي حُقُوقهم قَضى

So beware lest my heart grow love-mad at a flash;

So beware my heart of wandering with a flash,

If it resolves to pay them their due, it will perish.

If they intend to fulfill their rights fulfillment,

حاكَى ابتسامَ ثُغُورهم فأظُنُّهم

حاكَى ابتسامَ ثُغُورهم فأظُنُّهم

بَعثوهُ عما في الثُّغورِ مُعَرَّضا

بَعثوهُ عما في الثُّغورِ مُعَرَّضا

It mirrored the smiles of their lips, so I think they

He imitated the smile of their lips, so I think they

Sent it as a hint of what their mouths held.

Sent him about what was happening in the lips exposed,

حُييتَ من برقٍ أعادَ خُفوقُهُ

حُييتَ من برقٍ أعادَ خُفوقُهُ

من عَهدِ أَيَّامِ الشَّبيبةِ ما مَضى

من عَهدِ أَيَّامِ الشَّبيبةِ ما مَضى

Hail to you, lightning, whose flickering has restored

You were greeted by a lightning whose pulsation returned

What has passed from the days of youth.

From the era of the days of youth that passed,

أَيَّامَ لا غُصنُ الَمسرَّةِ ذابلٌ

أَيَّامَ لا غُصنُ الَمسرَّةِ ذابلٌ

منهُم ولا دَينُ التَّواصُلِ يُقتَضَى

منهُم ولا دَينُ التَّواصُلِ يُقتَضَى

Days when the bough of joy had not withered

The days when the branch of joy was not withered

Because of them, nor was the debt of closeness exacted.

From them, nor was the religion of communication claimed,

حاشا مواثيقَ اللوى تُلوَى ولا

حاشا مواثيقَ اللوى تُلوَى ولا

عَهداً لمِعَهدِ رامَةٍ أَن يُنقَضَا

عَهداً لمِعَهدِ رامَةٍ أَن يُنقَضَا

Never may al-Liwā’s covenants be twisted, nor

Far be it for the covenants of amity to be twisted, nor

A pledge to Rāmah’s familiar abode be broken.

A covenant to the covenant of loftiness to be breached,

يا جِيرةً باتَ البُرَيقُ يَقُصُّ لي

يا جِيرةً باتَ البُرَيقُ يَقُصُّ لي

عَنهُم أَحاديثَ الأُبيَرِقِ والأَضَا

عَنهُم أَحاديثَ الأُبيَرِقِ والأَضَا

O neighbors, the little lightning-flash spent the night recounting to me

O neighbor, the lightening told me at night

About them, tales of al-Ubayriq and the pools.

About them, the talks of brilliance and extinction,

وَشِعابُ نَجدٍ لا خَلَت أَعشابُهُ

وَشِعابُ نَجدٍ لا خَلَت أَعشابُهُ

مِنهُمُ وبَاكَرَها الرَّبيعُ وقَرَّضا

مِنهُمُ وبَاكَرَها الرَّبيعُ وقَرَّضا

And the ravines of Najd—may its grasses never be bereft

And the valleys of Najd, its plants did not lack

Of them; may spring visit them early and sing their praise,

From them, and spring had picked them and plucked them,

حَتَّى تَراها كالرِّياض تَبَسَّمت

حَتَّى تَراها كالرِّياض تَبَسَّمت

عن حُسنِ أوجهُهم على ذَاكَ القَضَا

عن حُسنِ أوجهُهم على ذَاكَ القَضَا

Until you see them like gardens smiling,

Until you see them like gardens smiling

Revealing their faces’ beauty in accord with that decree.

About the beauty of their faces upon that decree,