إِن أَخلَفَ الوَعدَ حيٌّ يظعَنونَ غَدا

إِن أَخلَفَ الوَعدَ حيٌّ يظعَنونَ غَدا

وَفَى لِيَ الطَّرفُ مِن دَمعي بِما وَعَدا

وَفَى لِيَ الطَّرفُ مِن دَمعي بِما وَعَدا

If a tribe departing tomorrow breaks its promise,

If the living break a promise, they will regret it tomorrow,

my eye will keep its promise to me with my tears.

While my eyes have fulfilled their promise to me with tears they shed.

فَلا تَرى لؤلؤاً مِن مبسِمٍ نَسَقاً

فَلا تَرى لؤلؤاً مِن مبسِمٍ نَسَقاً

حَتىّ تَرى لؤلؤاً مِن مَدمَعٍ بَددا

حَتىّ تَرى لؤلؤاً مِن مَدمَعٍ بَددا

So you will not see pearls arrayed in a smiling mouth

So you won't see a pearl from a smiling meadow,

until you see pearls scattered from a tear duct.

Until you see a pearl from a weeping eye scatter.

يا سَعدُ إِنَّ فِراقاً كنتَ تحذَرُهُ

يا سَعدُ إِنَّ فِراقاً كنتَ تحذَرُهُ

دَنا ليَنزِعَ مِن أَحشائِكَ الكَبِدا

دَنا ليَنزِعَ مِن أَحشائِكَ الكَبِدا

O Sa'd, indeed, a parting you have feared

O Saad, separation you used to fear,

has drawn near to wrench the liver from your entrails.

Has come to tear your liver out of your guts.

هَلمَّ نَبْكِ على نجدٍ وَساكِنِهِ

هَلمَّ نَبْكِ على نجدٍ وَساكِنِهِ

فَلَن تَرى بَعدَ نَجدٍ عيشَةً رَغَدا

فَلَن تَرى بَعدَ نَجدٍ عيشَةً رَغَدا

Come, let us weep for Najd and its dweller;

Come let's cry over Najd and its dwellers,

for after Najd you will never find a life of ease.

For after Najd you won't see a life of comfort again.

وَدَعْ هُذيماً فقد طافَ السُّلُوُ بِهِ

وَدَعْ هُذيماً فقد طافَ السُّلُوُ بِهِ

وَعَن قَريبٍ تَراهُ يَلتَوي كَمَدا

وَعَن قَريبٍ تَراهُ يَلتَوي كَمَدا

And leave Hudhaym, for forgetfulness has come upon him;

Leave Hudhaym alone, for poetry has revolved around it,

and soon you will see him writhing with grief.

And soon you will see it writhe like a twisted rope.

وَيا هُذَيمُ أَلاتَبكي عَلى وَطَنٍ

وَيا هُذَيمُ أَلاتَبكي عَلى وَطَنٍ

يُذيبُ مِن أَدمُعي ذِكراهُ ماجَمَدا

يُذيبُ مِن أَدمُعي ذِكراهُ ماجَمَدا

And, Hudhaym, will you not weep for a homeland

O Hudhaym, won't you cry over a homeland,

whose memory melts whatever of my tears has frozen?

That makes the frozen mention of it melt with my tears?

هَلّا اِقتَدَيتَ بِسَعدٍ في صَبابَتِهِ

هَلّا اِقتَدَيتَ بِسَعدٍ في صَبابَتِهِ

غَداةَ مَدَّ لِتَوديعِ الحَبيبِ يَدا

غَداةَ مَدَّ لِتَوديعِ الحَبيبِ يَدا

Why did you not emulate Sa'd in his ardent longing,

If only you followed Saad in his youth,

the morning he stretched out a hand to bid the beloved farewell?

The morning he bid farewell and waved goodbye to his beloved.

أَتُنجِدانِ فؤاداً شَيِّقاً عَلِقَتْ

أَتُنجِدانِ فؤاداً شَيِّقاً عَلِقَتْ

بِهِ الصَبابَة إِن أَتهَمتُما نَجَدا

بِهِ الصَبابَة إِن أَتهَمتُما نَجَدا

Will you two aid a yearning heart, gripped

Do you both console a passionate heart,

by ardent longing, that goes up to Najd if you two go down to Tihama?

That youthfulness has blamed if you blame Najd?

أَم تَنُقُضانِ عُهوداً كُنتُ أُبرِمُها

أَم تَنُقُضانِ عُهوداً كُنتُ أُبرِمُها

إِن تَنقُضاها فَلا لُقِّيتُما رَشَدا

إِن تَنقُضاها فَلا لُقِّيتُما رَشَدا

Or will you two unravel pledges I used to bind fast?

Or are you breaking pacts I used to make with you,

If you unravel them, may you two never be granted right guidance.

If you break them, may you never be guided.

مَتى تَغيبا وَلَم يَمنَعْكُما كَرَمٌ

مَتى تَغيبا وَلَم يَمنَعْكُما كَرَمٌ

أَنتُخبِرا بِأَحاديثِ الهَوى أَحَدا

أَنتُخبِرا بِأَحاديثِ الهَوى أَحَدا

If ever you two are away, and nobility does not keep you

When will you disappear, and no generosity prevented you,

from telling anyone the tales of love,

From telling the tales of passion to anyone?

فَلا رأَت عَلَمَيْ نَجدٍ عُيونُكُما

فَلا رأَت عَلَمَيْ نَجدٍ عُيونُكُما

وَلا رَعى بِالحِمى نِضواكُما أَبَدا

وَلا رَعى بِالحِمى نِضواكُما أَبَدا

then may your eyes never see Najd's two landmarks,

So your eyes have never seen Najd's flags,

nor may your two worn-out camels ever graze in the protected pasture.

Nor your camels grazed in its protected lands ever.