أَقولُ لِسَعدٍ وَهوَ خِلِّي بِطانَةً

أَقولُ لِسَعدٍ وَهوَ خِلِّي بِطانَةً

وَأَيُّ عَظيمٍ لَم أُنَبِّهْ لَهُ سَعدا

وَأَيُّ عَظيمٍ لَم أُنَبِّهْ لَهُ سَعدا

I say to Sa'd, who is my intimate confidant,

I say to Saad while he is my closest friend,

and what weighty matter have I not drawn Sa'd's attention to?

And what great man have I not advised Saad about?

إِذا نَكَبَتْ نَجداً مَطاياكَ لَم أُبَلْ

إِذا نَكَبَتْ نَجداً مَطاياكَ لَم أُبَلْ

بِعَيشٍ وَإِن صادَفتُهُ خَضِلاً رَغدا

بِعَيشٍ وَإِن صادَفتُهُ خَضِلاً رَغدا

If your mounts turn aside from Najd, I shall care nothing

If your riding camels stumble in Najd, I do not care

for life, even if I find it lush and easy.

about livelihood, even if I find it plentiful.

تَلَبَّثْ قَليلاً يَرْمِ طَرْفي بِنَظرَةٍ

تَلَبَّثْ قَليلاً يَرْمِ طَرْفي بِنَظرَةٍ

إِلى رَبواتٍ تُنبِتُ النَّفَلَ الجَعْدا

إِلى رَبواتٍ تُنبِتُ النَّفَلَ الجَعْدا

Linger a little, that my eye may cast a glance

Rest your eyes on me briefly,

toward hillocks where thick-tufted clover grows.

Towards pastures that grow soft herbage.

فَإِنَّكَ إِن أَعرَقْتَ وَالقَلبُ مُنجِدٌ

فَإِنَّكَ إِن أَعرَقْتَ وَالقَلبُ مُنجِدٌ

نَدِمتَ وَلَم تَشمُم عَراراً وَلا رَندا

نَدِمتَ وَلَم تَشمُم عَراراً وَلا رَندا

For if you go to Iraq while your heart is bound for Najd,

For if you journey and your heart is eager,

you will regret it, and smell neither arar nor rand;

You will regret it and will not smell fragrance or taste dew.

وَلَم تَرِدِ الماءَ الَّذي زادَكَ النَّوى

وَلَم تَرِدِ الماءَ الَّذي زادَكَ النَّوى

وَقَد ذُقتَ ماءَ الرَّافِدَينِ بِهِ وَجدا

وَقَد ذُقتَ ماءَ الرَّافِدَينِ بِهِ وَجدا

nor will you reach the water for which separation has deepened—

You did not want the water that increased your determination,

though you have tasted the two rivers' water—your longing.

Although you have tasted the water of the two rivers with passion.

أَتَرمي بِنا أَرَضَ الأَعاجِمِ ضَلَّةً

أَتَرمي بِنا أَرَضَ الأَعاجِمِ ضَلَّةً

فَتَزدادَ عَمّا تَشتَهي قُربَهُ بُعدا

فَتَزدادَ عَمّا تَشتَهي قُربَهُ بُعدا

Will you cast us, in folly, into the land of non-Arabs,

Do you cast us into the lands of non-Arabs, lost,

and so grow farther from what you long to be near?

So that you increase your distance from what you desire?

وَها أَنا أَخشى وَالحوادِثُ جَمَّةٌ

وَها أَنا أَخشى وَالحوادِثُ جَمَّةٌ

إِذا زُرتَها أَن لا تَرى بَعدَها نَجدا

إِذا زُرتَها أَن لا تَرى بَعدَها نَجدا

And here I am, afraid—with misfortunes so many—

And here I fear, while calamities abound,

that if you visit it, you will never see Najd again.

That if you visit those lands, you will not see Najd again.