شاقك البرقُ اليماني

شاقك البرقُ اليماني

ي دجىً فيما يشوقُ

ي دجىً فيما يشوقُ

The Yemeni lightning stirred your longing,

The Yemeni lightning struck you

in darkness, among things that stir longing.

In the dark night when you yearned

صبغ الأفقَ فقلنا

صبغ الأفقَ فقلنا

عَنْدَمٌ ذا أم خَلوقُ

عَنْدَمٌ ذا أم خَلوقُ

It dyed the horizon, and we said:

It dyed the horizon, so we said:

Is this red dye, or saffron perfume?

Is it a settlement or just a mirage?

أم غدا كاليَمَنِ اليو

أم غدا كاليَمَنِ اليو

مَ به هذا العقيقُ

مَ به هذا العقيقُ

Or has it become like Yemen today—

Or has it become like the beautiful Yemen

this al-ʿAqīq—because of that lightning?

With this red cornelian stone?

وشككنا وهو بالأف

وشككنا وهو بالأف

قِ عَلوقٌ وشَروقُ

قِ عَلوقٌ وشَروقُ

And we wondered, while on the horizon

We doubted while it was on the horizon

it hung and shone:

Rising and setting.

هَل أُطيرَ اللّيلُ حتّى

هَل أُطيرَ اللّيلُ حتّى

حان للشّمسِ شُروقُ

حان للشّمسِ شُروقُ

Has the night been sent flying, so that

Did the night fly away

the hour has come for the sun to rise?

Until the time came for sunrise?

أم بطاحُ الشّجرِ الغَرْ

أم بطاحُ الشّجرِ الغَرْ

بيِّ في الدَّوِّ حريقُ

بيِّ في الدَّوِّ حريقُ

Or are the plains of the western trees

Or is it the flame of the western

ablaze in the wilderness?

Trees burning in the darkness?

والمطايا كالحنايا

والمطايا كالحنايا

غالها البعدُ السَّحيقُ

غالها البعدُ السَّحيقُ

And the mounts were like bows,

And the riding camels like the slave girls

worn down by the immense distance.

Made distant by the vast expanse.

وجَليدُ الرّكبِ يوماً

وجَليدُ الرّكبِ يوماً

ثَمِلٌ لا يستفيقُ

ثَمِلٌ لا يستفيقُ

And the caravan's stalwart, one day,

And the frost of traveling one day

was drunk, unable to regain his senses.

Numb, unable to awaken,

من رآه قال هذا

من رآه قال هذا

قد سرَتْ فيه الرّحيقُ

قد سرَتْ فيه الرّحيقُ

Whoever saw him said, “This man—

Whoever saw it said: This one

pure wine has coursed through him.”

The nectar has circulated in it.

وعلى العِيسِ وركبُ ال

وعلى العِيسِ وركبُ ال

عِيسِ في البيد طريقُ

عِيسِ في البيد طريقُ

And before the pale camels and the riders of the

And on the stallion and the riders

pale camels lay a road through the wastelands:

Of stallions in the desert a path.

شاحطُ القُطرين ناءٍ

شاحطُ القُطرين ناءٍ

عائر اللُّجِّ عميقُ

عائر اللُّجِّ عميقُ

far-flung at both ends, remote,

Crossing the two lands, complaining,

trackless in its midst, deep.

Sailing the roughness of the dunes.

والفتى من ركب الهَوْ

والفتى من ركب الهَوْ

لَ ولم يدرِ الرّفيقُ

لَ ولم يدرِ الرّفيقُ

And a true man is he who rides into terror,

And the young man of the traveling company

while his companion remains unaware.

Who did not know his companion.