1. لَمَعَ البَرقُ اليماني

    فَشَجاني ما شَجاني

    The Yemeni lightning flashed,

    and moved me to such sorrow:

  2. ذِكرُ دَهري وَزَماني

    بِالحِمى أَيَّ زَمانِ

    the memory of my days and times

    in the sanctuary—what a time!

  3. يا وَميضَ البَرقِ هَل

    تَرجِعُ أَوقاتُ التَداني

    O gleam of lightning, will

    the times of closeness return?

  4. وَتَرى يَجتَمِعُ الشَم

    لُ وَأَحظى بِالأَماني

    And will you see our company come

    together, and me attain my wishes?

  5. أَيُّ سَهمٍ فَوَّقَ البَي

    نَ مُصيباً وَرَماني

    What arrow did separation nock

    and shoot at me, striking true!

  6. وَمَراراتِ كُؤُسٍ

    مِن تَجَنّيهِ سَقاني

    And the bitterness of cups

    he made me drink through his cruelty.

  7. أَبَعدَ الأَحباب عَنّى

    وَأَراني ما أَراني

    He drove my loved ones away from me

    and showed me what he showed me.

  8. يا خَليلَيَّ إِذا لَم

    تُسعِداني فَذَراني

    O my two friends, if you do not

    comfort me, then leave me be.

  9. هَذِهِ أَطلالُ سُعدى

    وَالحِمى وَالعَلَمانِ

    These are Su'da's ruined dwellings,

    and the sanctuary and the two landmarks.

  10. أَينَ أَيّامُ التَصابي

    وَالشَباب العُنفُوانِ

    Where are the days of youthful dalliance,

    and youth in its prime,

  11. حَيثُ مَجرى اللَهوِ رَحبٌ

    وَالهَوى طَلقُ العِنانِ

    when pleasure's course was wide,

    and love's reins were loose,

  12. وَالأَماني في أَمانٍ

    مِن صُروفِ الحَدَثانِ

    and wishes were safe

    from the vicissitudes of time?

  13. ذَهَبَت تِلكَ البَشاشا

    تُ مَعَ الغيدِ الحِسانِ

    Those joys have departed

    with the graceful, beautiful women.

  14. وَأَمُرُّ العَيشِ عَيشٌ

    ذاهِبٌ بِالبُعدِ فانِ

    And the bitterest life is a life

    lost to separation, fading away.

  15. مَن لِمَرعوبٍ طَليقِ الدَم

    عِ مَأسورِ الجِنانِ

    Who will aid a frightened man with free-flowing

    tears and a captive heart,

  16. دائِمُ الحُزنِ فَريدٌ

    في أَعالي حَفِتيانِ

    ever sorrowful, alone

    in the heights of Hafityan?

  17. حَكَمَت فينا بِما تَخ

    تارُ أَولادُ الزَواني

    Over us they have ruled as they

    choose—the sons of whores.