أَراكَ سَتُحدِثُ لِلقَلبِ وَجدا

إِذا ما الظَعائِنُ وَدَّعنَ نَجدا

I see you will cause longing in the heart

When the does bid farewell to Najd

بَواكِرُ يَطلُعنَ نُقبَ الغُوَيرِ

شَأونَ النَواظِرَ نَأياً وَبُعدا

The early dawn appears from the peaks of Ghuwair

Captivating the gazes from afar

تُتَبُّعُهُم نَظَراتِ الصُقورِ

آنَسنَ هَفهَفَةَ الطَيرِ جَدا

Their eyes follow the hawks

Hearing the twittering of birds closely

عَلى قَنَوَينِ أَلا مَن رَأى

ظَعائِنَ بِالطَعنِ وَالضَربِ نَجدا

On the valleys, oh! Who has seen

Does wounded and struck in Najd

نُخالِسُها مِن خِلالِ القَنا

سَلاماً وَنَعلَمُ أَن لا تَرُدّا

We bid them farewell through the valleys

Wishing safety while knowing no response

كَأَنَّ هَوادِجَها وَالقِبابِ

يَثنينَ مِنهُنَّ باناً وَزَندا

As if their tents and domes

Were waving goodbye in arrays

فَما شِئتَ تَنسِمُ بِالقَلبِ نَشراً

وَما شِئتَ تَقطِفُ بِالعَينِ وَردا

So you may inhale with your heart diffusion

And pluck with your eyes, roses

كَأَنَّ قَواني أَنماطِها

قُطوعُ رِياضٍ مِنَ الطَلِّ تَنَدى

As if their valleys were but

Meadows of dew that glistened

يَصُدّونَ عَنّا بِلَمعِ الحُدودِ

وَيَمنَعُنا وَجدُنا أَن نَصُدّا

They block us with the sheen of frontiers

And prevent us, though we long to be close

كَأَنّا بِنَجدٍ غَداةَ الوَداعِ

نُصادي عُيوناً مِنَ الدَمعِ رُمدا

As if we bid farewell to Najd one morn

Bidding teary eyes blinded farewell

وَأَيسَرُ ما نالَ مِنّا الغَليلُ

أَن لا نُحِسُّ مِنَ الماءِ بَردا

And the easiest loss we sustained

Was to not feel the coolness of water

أَثاروا زَفيراً يُلُفُّ الضُلوعَ

لَفَّ الرِياحِ أَنابيبَ مُلدا

They sighed, wrapping the ribs

Like the winding trails in valleys

فَكُلٌّ حَرارَةُ أَنفاسِهِ

تَدُلُّ عَلى أَنَّ في القَلبِ وَقدا

So the warmth of each one’s breath

Suggests an inner flame and fervor

وَإِنّي لِلشَوقِ مِن بَعدِهِم

أُراعي الجَنوبَ رَواحاً وَمَغدى

And in yearning after their leave

I await the south winds and nightfall

وَأَفرَحُ مِن نَحوِ أَوطانِهِم

بِغَيثٍ يُجَلجِلُ بَرقاً وَرَعدا

And rejoice at rains toward their lands

With thunder and lightning and storm

إِذا طَلَعَ الرَكبُ يَمَّمتُهُ

أُحَيّي الوُجوهَ كُهولاً وَمُردا

When the caravan appears I hail

The worn faces, young and old

وَأَسآلُهُم عَن جَنوبِ الحِمى

وَعَن أَرضِ نَجدٍ وَمَن حَلَّ نَجدا

And ask of the southern sanctuary

And the land of Najd and who roams Najd

نَشَدتُكُمُ اللَهَ فَليُخبِرَنَّ

مَن كانَ أَقرَبَ بِالرَملِ عَهدا

I implore you, let he who is most familiar inform

Who has most recently been on the sands

هَلِ الدارُ بِالجِزعِ مَأهولَةٌ

أَنارَ الرَبيعُ عَليها وَأَسدى

Is the house grieved and populated

Did spring shine its light and cluster fruit

وَهَل حَلَبَ الغَيثُ أَخلافَهُ

عَلى مَحضَرٍ مِن زُرودَ وَمَبدا

Did the rain milk its offspring

Onto a settlement of palms and plane trees

وَهَل أَهلُهُ عَن تَنائي الدِيارِ

يُراعونَ عَهداً وَيَرعَونَ وُدّا

Do its people heed the distant homelands

And safeguard past accord affectionately

لَئِن أَقرَضَ اللَهُ ذاكَ النَعيمَ

فيهِم لَقَد كانَ فَرضاً مُؤَدّى

If God has loaned them that bounty

He had indeed fulfilled an owed duty

أَعارَ الزَمانُ وَلَكِنَّهُ

تَعَقَّبَ إِعطاءَهُ فَاِستَرَدّا

Time borrows, though it still

Repossesses its gifts and seizes

أَنا اِبنُ العَرانينِ مِن هاشِمٍ

أَرَقِّ القَبائِلِ راحاً وَأَندى

I am the son of 'Uranin of Hashim

The gentlest of tribes in comfort and poise

أَكَنِّهِمُ لِلمَراميلِ ظِلّاً

وَأَثقَبِهِم لِلمَطاريقِ زَندا

I house them from missiles in shade

And burden them against cudgels in arms

سِراعٍ إِلى نَزَواتِ الخُطوبِ

يَهُزّونَ سُمراً وَيَمُرّونَ جُردا

Hastening to the special occasions of war

Shaking blade and traversing rugged terrain

كَأَنَّ الصَريخَ يُهاهي بِهِم

أُسوداً تَهُبُّ مِنَ الغيلِ رُبدا

As if the screams revel over them

Lionesses blowing from the burrows violently

إِذا أَغرَقوا بيضَهُم في الطُلى

وَساموا القَنا مِن دَمِ الطَعنِ وِردا

When they dye their blades in blood

And the valleys flow with the blood of stabbing, roses

عَلى القُبِّ تَشغَلُهُنَّ السِياطُ

أَمامَ الرَعيلِ عُنفاً وَشَدّا

Against the armours the whips keep them busy

In the lead of the convoy forcefully and strictly

رَمَينَ السَخالَ وَقَينَ النُفوسَ

حَتّى بَلَغنَ لُغوباً وَجُهدا

They threw spears and slew souls

Until exhaustion and limits were reached

فَما أَومَأوا بِصُدورِ الرِماحِ

يَوماً إِلى القِرنِ إِلّا تَردى

And when they gestured with the chests of spears

A day toward the battalion, it crumbled

سُيوفٌ تُطيلُ قِراعاً وَقَرعاً

وَخَيلٌ تُعيدُ طِراداً وَطَردا

Swords exchanging extended combat

Horses repeating chase and retreat

وَتَغلَقُ فيهِم رُهونَ المُلوكِ

قَتلاً بِيَومِ طِعانٍ وَصَفدا

In them rest the pledges of kings

With killing, one day of thrusting and execution

وَكَم صافَ مِن دارِهِم سَيِّدٌ

وَقاظَ يُعالِجُ في الجيدِ قِدّا

And how many a lord traveled purely

To dress the wound on his neck

كَأَنَّ الفَتى مِنهُمُ في النِزالِ

يَرى أَكبَرَ الغُنمِ إِن قيلَ أَودى

As if the youth among them in battle

Sees the greatest prize if it is proclaimed he shall perish

وَلا يَحمَدُ العَيشَ في يَومِهِ

إِذا لَم يُلاقِ مِنَ السَيفِ هَدّا

He won’t be pleased with life on his day

Unless he tastes from the swords an offering

يَبيتُ عَلى ظُبَتَي هِمَّةٍ

يُجاثي خُصوماً مِنَ النَومِ لُدّا

He spends the night on two anxiety filled eyelids

Keeping adversaries awake from slumber entirely

إِذا غَلَّ أَيدي الرِجالِ النِعاسُ

شَدَّ عَلى العَضبِ باعاً أَشَدّا

When the hands of men are seized by sleep

He grips his wrists more forcefully

وَأَصبَحَ تَزفيهِ ريحُ العَجا

جِ غَضبانَ أَعجَلَ أَن يَستَعِدّا

Waking abrasively, quick to prepare

Alike is one who drags his will

وَسَيّانِ مَن جَرَّ عَزماتِهِ

وَحيداً إِلى الرَوعِ أَو جَرَّ جُندا

Alone to fright or an army to drag

He sees escape so meets his demise

يَرى مَهرَباً فَيُلاقي الرَدى

لِقاءَ اِمرِئٍ لا يَرى مِنهُ بُدا

The encounter of one who he cannot avoid

Bright of smile, as if the cheek

مُضيءُ المُحَيّا كَأَنَّ الجَمالَ

إِذا هَبَّ مِنهُ جَبيناً وَخَدّا

Sparkled with pearl drops when it appeared

You see his face in the company of dew

تَرى وَجهَهُ في حُضورِ النَدى

كَالعَضبِ رَقرَقتَ فيهِ الفِرِندا

Like flashing sparks amidst his youth

He plots silently until he knits

يُنيرُ وَيُلحِمُ في خِفيَةٍ

إِلى أَن يَحوكَ مِنَ الرَأيِ بُردا

From opinions, a coat of mail

O kinsman, where are your Qahtan

بَني عَمِّنا أَينَ قَحطانُكُم

إِذا عَبَّ بَحرٌ نِزارٍ وَمَدّا

When the sea of Nizar roiled and stretched

We sucked your blood when counting Quraysh

مَضَغناكُمُ إِذ عَدَدنا قُرَيشاً

وَنَلهَمُكُم إِذ بَلَغنا مَعَدّا

And ripped open your flanks reaching Ma‘add

They bit you, protectors of spears

هُمُ أَلدَغوكُم حُماةَ الرِماحِ

وَلَدّوكُمُ بِظُبى البيضِ لَدّا

And whipped you with the blades of swords

They erased you from the lands’ growth

حَمَوكُم مَنابِتَ عُشبِ البِلادِ

تَحَلّوا مِنَ النورِ سَبطاً وَجَعدا

Turning intensely, immaculate and curly haired

And loaded your steeds when Najd

وَساموا بِنَجدٍ مَطاياكُمُ

لِما نَشَطَت مِنهُ بِالغَورِ رَدّا

Was roused against you with war repetitively

We have one whom the lands shudder by his name

لَنا مَن تَعُجُّ الوَرى بِاِسمِهِ

إِلى اللَهِ نَدعوهُ في المَجدِ جَدّا

To God we pray may he gain more glory

A house which mounts lean toward

وَبَيتٌ تَهاوى إِلَيهِ المَطِيُّ

تَهُزُّ الدِلاءَ ذَميلاً وَوَخدا

Shaking the water skins, dangling

Through us God saved this Arab

بِنا أَنقَذَ اللَهُ هَذا العُرَيبَ

حَتّى اِستَقامَ إِلى الدينِ قَصدا

Until he straightened to the path precisely

And diminished the loud clamor of pagans

وَذَلَّ غَواشيهِ مِن بَعدِ ما

سَعى في الضَلالَةِ سَعياً مُجِدّا

Cleaving skulls, raw and fiery

So repeat by what that blood is owed

وَأَخفَتَ زَمجَرَةَ المُشرِكينَ

يَفري الجَماجِمَ قَطّاً وَقَدّا

And go beyond what Badr and Uhud drew

Those veins still have our innate disposition

فَأَكثِر بِما طَلَّ تِلكَ الدِماءَ

وَأَعظِم بِما جَرَّ بَدراً وَأُحدا

If returned, they pound robustly again

So do not be arrogantly self-assured, son of misguidance’ mother

وَإِنَّ لَنا بَضَّ تِلكَ العُروقِ

إِذا عُدنَ يَنبِضنَ كَيّاً مُعِدّا

For through my ancestor you found coolness from the heat

He sheltered your heel from stumbling over error

فَلا تَشمَخَن يا اِبنَ أُمِّ الضَلالِ

بِجَدّي وَجَدتَ مِنَ النارِ بَردا

When you nearly fell into demise

And liberated your neck from his sword

أَجارَ عَلى عَجَلٍ أَخمَصيكَ

مِن زَلَقِ الغَيِّ إِذ كِدتَ تَردى

Thus your head became free, and a slave

Exceeding the limits of generosity and munificence

وَأَعتَقَ عُنقَكَ مِن سَيفِهِ

فَأَصبَحَ رَأسُكَ حُرّاً وَعَبدا

And building upon the summit of glory, more glory

We gentle our manners to the near

يَزيدُ عَلى مُشتَهى الجودِ جوداً

وَيَبني عَلى غايَةِ المَجدِ مَجدا

And draw the stranger nearer warmly

It is not for us to be proudly inactive

نُلينُ عَطائِفَنا لِلقَريبِ

وَنولي المُجانِبَ قُرباً أَجَدّا

If one gives, preferring little to much

Indeed glory forced itself

وَلَيسَ لَنا شَبخُ الراحَتَينِ

إِذا جادَ أَعطى قَليلاً وَأَكدى

Until it attained for us the star’s rising—nay, exceeded

Thus are our merits, so observe

لَقَد زَجَرَ المَجدَ حَتّى أَصابَ

بِنا مَطلَعَ النَجمِ لا بَل تَعَدّى

Can you tally the sands of Yabrin in count?

Those before us reached glory first

كَذاكَ مَناقِبُنا فَاِنظُروا

أَأَحصَيتُمُ رَملَ يَبرينَ عَدّا

Then how can we be compared to those who came later

سَبَقَنا إِلى المجدِ مَن كانَ قَبلاً

فَكَيفَ نُقاسُ بِمَن جاءَ بَعدا