أَرضَ العُذَيبِ أَما تَنفَكُّ بارِقَةٌ

أَرضَ العُذَيبِ أَما تَنفَكُّ بارِقَةٌ

تَسمو بِطَرفي إِلى الرَيّانِ أَو حَضَنِ

تَسمو بِطَرفي إِلى الرَيّانِ أَو حَضَنِ

O land of al-ʿUdhayb, does a lightning flash never cease

O land of al-Udhayb, does a lightning bolt never cease

to lift my gaze toward al-Rayyan or Ḥaḍan?

To take me to the meadows or an embrace?

أَصبو إِلى أَرضِ نَجدٍ وَهيَ نازِحَةٌ

أَصبو إِلى أَرضِ نَجدٍ وَهيَ نازِحَةٌ

وَالقَلبُ مُشتَمِلٌ مِنّي عَلى الحَزنِ

وَالقَلبُ مُشتَمِلٌ مِنّي عَلى الحَزنِ

I yearn for the land of Najd, though it lies far away,

I long for the land of Najd though it moves away

and the heart within me enfolds sorrow.

While my heart holds tight to sorrow within me

وَأَسأَلُ الرَّكبَ عَنها وَالدُّموعُ دَمٌ

وَأَسأَلُ الرَّكبَ عَنها وَالدُّموعُ دَمٌ

بِناظِرٍ لَم يَخِطْ جَفناً عَلى وَسَنِ

بِناظِرٍ لَم يَخِطْ جَفناً عَلى وَسَنِ

And I ask the caravan about it, while my tears are blood,

I ask the caravans about it with tears that are blood

in an eye that has not stitched its lid shut in drowsiness.

From an eye that has not drawn a lid over delight

وَإِن سَرى البَرقُ مِن تِلقائِها غَرِضَت

وَإِن سَرى البَرقُ مِن تِلقائِها غَرِضَت

عِيسِي بِذي سَلَمٍ مِن مَبرَكٍ خَشِنِ

عِيسِي بِذي سَلَمٍ مِن مَبرَكٍ خَشِنِ

And if lightning courses by night from its direction, they grow weary—

And if lightning flashes on its own, I aim

my pale camels at Dhu Salam—of their rough kneeling ground.

My gaze at one with a rough mantle from an auspicious rain

وَالرِّيحُ إِن نَسَمَتْ عُلويَّةً نَضَحَتْ

وَالرِّيحُ إِن نَسَمَتْ عُلويَّةً نَضَحَتْ

بِالدَّمعِ حَنَّةَ عُلويٍّ إِلى الوَطَنِ

بِالدَّمعِ حَنَّةَ عُلويٍّ إِلى الوَطَنِ

And if the wind breathes from the uplands, it sheds

And if the wind blows loftily, it drips down

tears, out of an uplander's yearning for his homeland.

My tears, yearning for the homeland, to the high ground

فَهَل سَبيلٌ إِلى نَجدٍ وَساكِنِهِ

فَهَل سَبيلٌ إِلى نَجدٍ وَساكِنِهِ

يَهُزُّ مَن أَلِفَ المِصرَيْنِ لِلظَعَنِ

يَهُزُّ مَن أَلِفَ المِصرَيْنِ لِلظَعَنِ

Is there, then, a way to Najd and its dweller

Is there a way to Najd and its inhabitants

that stirs one accustomed to the two cities to depart?

That would rouse one accustomed to both Egypts against time?

لَيسَ العِراقُ لَهُ بَعدَ الحِمى وَطَناً

لَيسَ العِراقُ لَهُ بَعدَ الحِمى وَطَناً

يَميسُ عافيهِ بَينَ الحَوضِ وَالعَطَنِ

يَميسُ عافيهِ بَينَ الحَوضِ وَالعَطَنِ

Iraq is no homeland for him after the protected pasture,

Iraq is not a home for it after the sanctuary lands

where one seeking its bounty struts between the trough and the camels' resting ground.

That are healthy between the basin and twisted rivers.

وَتَستَريحُ المَطايا مِن تَوَقُّصِها

وَتَستَريحُ المَطايا مِن تَوَقُّصِها

إِذا فَلَتْ لِمَمَ الحَوذانِ بِالثَفَنِ

إِذا فَلَتْ لِمَمَ الحَوذانِ بِالثَفَنِ

And the riding camels rest from their jolting gait

The she-camels find rest from their constant roaming

when they comb the buttercup's tresses with their calloused pads.

When they reach the twisted sands with the saddlebags.

فَلَيتَ شِعري وَكَم غَرَّ المُنى أُمَماً

فَلَيتَ شِعري وَكَم غَرَّ المُنى أُمَماً

مِن فَرعِ عَدنانَ والأَذواءَ مِن يَمَنِ

مِن فَرعِ عَدنانَ والأَذواءَ مِن يَمَنِ

If only I knew—and how many peoples hopes have deceived,

I wonder, how much did fate delude nations

of ʿAdnan's lineage, and the Dhu-titled lords of Yemen—

From the line of Adnan and misfortunes from Yemen?

هَل أَهبِطَنَّ بِلاداً أَهلُها عَرَبٌ

هَل أَهبِطَنَّ بِلاداً أَهلُها عَرَبٌ

لَم يَشرَبوا غَيرَ صَوبِ العارِضِ الهَتِنِ

لَم يَشرَبوا غَيرَ صَوبِ العارِضِ الهَتِنِ

shall I indeed alight in lands whose people are Arabs,

Did it bring me down to lands whose people are Arabs

who have drunk only the downpour of a steadily pouring cloud,

Who drank nothing but from the brimming rain-pouring cloud,

عَلى مُطَهَّمَةٍ جُردٍ جَحافِلُها

عَلى مُطَهَّمَةٍ جُردٍ جَحافِلُها

بيضٌ تَلوحُ عَلَيها رَغوَةُ اللَبَنِ

بيضٌ تَلوحُ عَلَيها رَغوَةُ اللَبَنِ

on well-built, sleek-coated steeds, whose lips

Upon a trained, short-haired army, its regiments

are white, with the froth of milk gleaming upon them?

White, with the foam of milk gleaming over them,

إِذا رَموا مَن يُعاديهِم بِها رَجَعَتْ

إِذا رَموا مَن يُعاديهِم بِها رَجَعَتْ

بِالنَّهبِ داميَةَ اللَّباتِ وَالثُنَنِ

بِالنَّهبِ داميَةَ اللَّباتِ وَالثُنَنِ

When they assail their foes with them, the steeds return

When they shoot those who oppose them, the arrows return

with plunder, their lower throats and fetlock tufts bloodied.

Bloodied through the sides and ribs?

فَلا دُروعَ لَهُم إِلّا جُلودَهُمُ

فَلا دُروعَ لَهُم إِلّا جُلودَهُمُ

وَلا عَلَيهِم سِوى الأَحسابِ مِن جُنَنِ

وَلا عَلَيهِم سِوى الأَحسابِ مِن جُنَنِ

So they have no coats of mail but their own skins,

They have no shields but their hides

and no shields cover them but their ancestral honor.

And nothing over them but recklessness in their madness.

إِن يَجمَعِ اللَهَ شَملي يا هُذَيمُ بِهِم

إِن يَجمَعِ اللَهَ شَملي يا هُذَيمُ بِهِم

فَلَستُ ما عِشتُ بِالزَّاري عَلى الزَمَنِ

فَلَستُ ما عِشتُ بِالزَّاري عَلى الزَمَنِ

If God reunites me with them, O Hudhaym,

If God unites me, O Hudhaym, with them

then, as long as I live, I shall not find fault with Time.

Then I will not live the rest of my life in grief over time.