النّاسُ بِالعيدِ مَسْرورونَ غَيْرَ فَتىً

النّاسُ بِالعيدِ مَسْرورونَ غَيْرَ فَتىً

يَشُفُّهُ في إِسارِ الغُرْبَةِ الحَزَنُ

يَشُفُّهُ في إِسارِ الغُرْبَةِ الحَزَنُ

People are joyful at Eid, except a young man,

People rejoice on Eid, except a youth

Whom sorrow wears away in the bonds of exile.

Whose melancholy sorrows in the folds of exile,

وَبَيْنَ جَنْبَيْهِ هَمٌّ لا يَبُوحُ بِهِ

وَبَيْنَ جَنْبَيْهِ هَمٌّ لا يَبُوحُ بِهِ

فَفَرْحَةُ المَرْءِ حيْثُ الأَهْلُ وَالوَطَنُ

فَفَرْحَةُ المَرْءِ حيْثُ الأَهْلُ وَالوَطَنُ

And between his sides lies a grief he does not disclose,

With concerns between his sides, he does not disclose them,

For a man's joy is where his family and homeland are.

For one’s joy is where his family and homeland are.

وَلا اغْتِرابَ عَلينا فَالبِلادُ لَنا

وَلا اغْتِرابَ عَلينا فَالبِلادُ لَنا

فُتوحُها وَبِنا يُسْتَرْحَبُ العَطَنُ

فُتوحُها وَبِنا يُسْتَرْحَبُ العَطَنُ

And we know no exile, for the lands are ours—

We have no estrangement, for the countries are ours,

Ours their conquests; through us the camel watering-place is made spacious.

Their conquests and with us the clan is welcomed.

إِذْ لَمْ تَكُنْ قَبْلَنا بِالمَجْدِ حاليَةً

إِذْ لَمْ تَكُنْ قَبْلَنا بِالمَجْدِ حاليَةً

وَلا لَها مَنظَرٌ مِنْ بَعْدِنا حَسَن

وَلا لَها مَنظَرٌ مِنْ بَعْدِنا حَسَن

For before us they were not adorned with glory,

Before us they were not glorious,

Nor do they have a fair appearance after us.

Nor will they have a good view after us.

وَالأرضُ تُزْهَى بِنا أَطْرافُها فَمتى

وَالأرضُ تُزْهَى بِنا أَطْرافُها فَمتى

نَمِلْ إِلى الشَّامِ يَحْسُدْها بِنا اليَمَنُ

نَمِلْ إِلى الشَّامِ يَحْسُدْها بِنا اليَمَنُ

And the earth's far reaches glory in us; so whenever

The land is adorned with us, its edges, so when

We turn toward al-Sham, Yemen envies it on our account.

We incline towards Damascus, Yemen envies it for us.

وَتِلْكَ دارٌ وَرِثْناها مُعاوِيَةً

وَتِلْكَ دارٌ وَرِثْناها مُعاوِيَةً

لكِنَّ كُوفَنَ أَلْقانا بِها الزَّمَنُ

لكِنَّ كُوفَنَ أَلْقانا بِها الزَّمَنُ

And that is an abode we inherited from Mu'awiya,

That abode we inherited from Muawiyah

But time has cast us into Kufan.

Though time made us settle in Kufa.

أَصْبو إِليها وَأَشْواقي تُبَرِّحُ بِي

أَصْبو إِليها وَأَشْواقي تُبَرِّحُ بِي

وَتَمْنَعُ العَيْنَ أَنْ يَعْتادَها الوَسَنُ

وَتَمْنَعُ العَيْنَ أَنْ يَعْتادَها الوَسَنُ

I yearn for it, and my longings torment me,

My yearnings roam towards it

And keep drowsiness from visiting my eye.

And prevent the eye from getting accustomed to forgetfulness.

فَلَيْتَ شِعْرِي وَلَيْتٌ غَيْرُ نافِعَةٍ

فَلَيْتَ شِعْرِي وَلَيْتٌ غَيْرُ نافِعَةٍ

هَلْ يَبْدُوَنَّ لِعَيْنيْ مُنْجِدٍ حَضَنُ

هَلْ يَبْدُوَنَّ لِعَيْنيْ مُنْجِدٍ حَضَنُ

So, would that I knew—though 'would that' is of no avail—

If only I knew - though useless -

Will Ḥaḍan ever appear to the eyes of one entering Najd?

Would the bosoms of Munjid appear to my eyes?

وَهَلْ أُنِيخُ بِبابِ القَصْرِ ناجِيَةً

وَهَلْ أُنِيخُ بِبابِ القَصْرِ ناجِيَةً

مُناخُها فيهِ مِنْ صَوْبِ الحَيا قَمِنُ

مُناخُها فيهِ مِنْ صَوْبِ الحَيا قَمِنُ

And shall I make a swift she-camel kneel at the palace gate,

Shall I moan at the door of the palace,

Her resting-place there deserving the downpour of life-giving rain?

Its anchorage, from the direction of life, arid?

هُنالِكَ الهَضَباتُ الحُمْرُ لَو هَتَفَتْ

هُنالِكَ الهَضَباتُ الحُمْرُ لَو هَتَفَتْ

بِالمَيْتِ راجَعَ فيها رُوحَهُ البدَنُ

بِالمَيْتِ راجَعَ فيها رُوحَهُ البدَنُ

There are the red hills: if they were to call

Thereupon are the red plateaus, if they called out

To a dead man, his body would regain its soul among them.

To the dead, his soul would return to the body.