بعيشك هات اخبار المغاني

بعيشك هات اخبار المغاني

ولا تحفل بانغام الاغاني

ولا تحفل بانغام الاغاني

By your life, bring me tidings of the old haunts;

By your life, bring news of the dwellings,

pay no heed to the melodies of songs.

and pay no heed to the melodies of songs.

واسمعنا حديث طلول نجد

واسمعنا حديث طلول نجد

ويوم طويلع والنهرجان

ويوم طويلع والنهرجان

Let us hear the tale of Najd's ruined dwellings,

And let us hear the tale of Najd's ruins,

and of the day of Tuwayliʿ and al-Nahrajān.

and the day of Ṭuwayliʿ and al-Nahrajān.

كأن مراتع الغزلان تزهو

كأن مراتع الغزلان تزهو

بنجد بعض اطراف الجنان

بنجد بعض اطراف الجنان

It is as though the gazelles' grazing grounds exult

As though the gazelles' pastures, flourishing

in Najd—some fringes of Paradise—

in Najd, were some corners of Paradise.

يفوح بها يلنجوج ومسك

يفوح بها يلنجوج ومسك

بنفح الورد او بالاقحوان

بنفح الورد او بالاقحوان

where aloeswood and musk breathe fragrance,

Agarwood and musk waft their fragrance there,

with breaths of roses or chamomile;

with the scent of roses or chrysanthemums.

ونبت بنفسج او ياسمين

ونبت بنفسج او ياسمين

تلوى فوق غابة ارجوان

تلوى فوق غابة ارجوان

where violet or jasmine grows,

And violet or jasmine plants

twining above a crimson grove;

twined above a redbud grove.

واسلاك بها افلاذ در

واسلاك بها افلاذ در

تنظم مع عقود من جمان

تنظم مع عقود من جمان

and strings there bear fragments of pearl,

And strands bearing pieces of pearl

arrayed with necklaces of pearly beads.

are strung with necklaces of pearly beads.

تذكر بالعيون هناك بيضا

تذكر بالعيون هناك بيضا

نضاها السمر للحرب العوان

نضاها السمر للحرب العوان

The eyes there call white blades to mind,

The eyes there bring to mind gleaming swords,

unsheathed by dusky lances for fierce war.

unsheathed by the dusky ones for war renewed.

فلو شاهدتها لذهلت وجدا

فلو شاهدتها لذهلت وجدا

وما الخبر المترجم كالعيان

وما الخبر المترجم كالعيان

Had you seen them, you would have reeled with passion;

Had you beheld them, you would have been dazed with passion;

a relayed account is not the same as seeing.

and no narrated report is like seeing firsthand.

وليل بالابيرق قد تقضى

وليل بالابيرق قد تقضى

يعللنا به البرق اليماني

يعللنا به البرق اليماني

And a night at al-Ubayriq passed away,

And a night at al-Ubayriq passed away,

while Yemeni lightning solaced us through it;

with Yemeni lightning comforting us through it.

يهب بنا عبير الروض فيه

يهب بنا عبير الروض فيه

ويجلو الهم ضوء الزبرقان

ويجلو الهم ضوء الزبرقان

the garden's fragrance blew upon us there,

The garden's fragrance wafted over us that night,

and moonlight's glow cleared grief away.

and the full moon's light dispelled sorrow.

يجاذبنا السهاد الى معان

يجاذبنا السهاد الى معان

فيالله من تلك المعاني

فيالله من تلك المعاني

Sleeplessness tugged us toward Ma'an—

Sleeplessness draws us toward meanings;

O God, what meanings lay in that!

so, O God, what meanings those are!

نناجي البارق النجدي نبكي

نناجي البارق النجدي نبكي

وقد يبكي الموله ما يعاني

وقد يبكي الموله ما يعاني

We confided in the lightning of Najd and wept;

We commune with the lightning of Najd, weeping,

one distraught by love may weep at what he suffers.

and what the love-distraught endures may make him weep.

ترانا قد نذوب وبانطلاق

ترانا قد نذوب وبانطلاق

تترجم ما نكن الدمعتان

تترجم ما نكن الدمعتان

You would see us nearly melting, while, flowing free,

You see us melting away, and, freely flowing,

our two tears interpreted all that we concealed.

the two tears express what we conceal.

ولا عجب فكم نقلوا وقالوا

ولا عجب فكم نقلوا وقالوا

فلان مات وجدا في فلان

فلان مات وجدا في فلان

No wonder: how often people have related and said,

And no wonder, for how often they have recounted and said,

“So-and-so died of longing for so-and-so.”

"So-and-so died of passion for so-and-so."

اعهد الحب في اطلال نجد

اعهد الحب في اطلال نجد

اهل عود لمنصرم الزمان

اهل عود لمنصرم الزمان

Does love still keep its covenant among Najd's ruins?

O days of love among the ruins of Najd,

Can bygone time ever return?

can time gone by return?

وكل اخ مفارقه اخوه

وكل اخ مفارقه اخوه

لعمر ابيك الا الفرقدان

لعمر ابيك الا الفرقدان

Every brother must part from his brother—

And every brother must part from his brother—

by your father's life—except the two Farqad stars.

by your father's life—save the two Farqad stars.

رضينا بالقديم لنا انيسا

رضينا بالقديم لنا انيسا

نطيب به وعير الله فان

نطيب به وعير الله فان

We are content with the Eternal One as our companion;

We are content with the Eternal One as our companion;

in Him we find contentment, while all besides God is perishing.

we delight in Him, and everything but God passes away.