أوَميضُ بَرْقٍ بالأُبَيْرِقِ لاَحا

أوَميضُ بَرْقٍ بالأُبَيْرِقِ لاَحا

أم في رُبَى نجد أرى مِصباحا

أم في رُبَى نجد أرى مِصباحا

Did a flash of lightning gleam at al-Ubayriq,

A flash of lightning in the dark skies shone,

or do I see a lamp on the hills of Najd?

Or in the pastures of Najd, I saw a lamp aglow.

أم تلكَ ليلى العامريّةُ أَسْفَرَتْ

أم تلكَ ليلى العامريّةُ أَسْفَرَتْ

ليْلاً فصيّرَتِ المساءَ صباحا

ليْلاً فصيّرَتِ المساءَ صباحا

Or has that Layla al-Amiriyya unveiled her face

Or was it Layla of Al-Aamiriyyah who shone

at night, turning evening into morning?

And turned the eve to morn with her bright glow?

يا راكِبَ الوجْناء وُقّيتَ الرّدى

يا راكِبَ الوجْناء وُقّيتَ الرّدى

إن جُبتَ حَزْناً أو طوَيتَ بِطاحا

إن جُبتَ حَزْناً أو طوَيتَ بِطاحا

O rider of the stout-cheeked she-camel, may you be spared death—

O rider of the she-camel, you were saved from harm

if you cross rugged ground or traverse open plains,

Whether you left in sorrow or fell down below.

وسَلَكْتَ نُعمانَ الأراكِ فعُجْ إلى

وسَلَكْتَ نُعمانَ الأراكِ فعُجْ إلى

وادٍ هُناكَ عَهدْتهُ فَيّاحا

وادٍ هُناكَ عَهدْتهُ فَيّاحا

and pass through Nu'man of the arak trees, turn aside toward

You took the road through Nu‘man Al-Arak, so head

a valley there I once knew to be spacious.

To a valley over there which I used to know.

فبأيْمَنِ العلمَيْنِ مِن شرقيّه

فبأيْمَنِ العلمَيْنِ مِن شرقيّه

عَرّجْ وأُمَّ أرينَهُ الفوّاحا

عَرّجْ وأُمَّ أرينَهُ الفوّاحا

Then, by the right-hand one of the two landmarks on its eastern side,

By the two signs east of Sharqi turn aside,

turn aside and make for its fragrant abode.

And O mother of meadows, your scents sweetly blow!

وإذا وصلْتَ إلى ثَنِيّاتِ اللّوَى

وإذا وصلْتَ إلى ثَنِيّاتِ اللّوَى

فانْشُدْ فؤاداً بالأُبَيْطح طاحا

فانْشُدْ فؤاداً بالأُبَيْطح طاحا

And when you reach the passes of al-Liwa,

When you reach the bends of the pasture’s hems,

then seek a heart that fell at al-Ubaytih.

Recite there a heartfelt poem of woe.

واقْرِ السّلامَ أُهَلْيَهُ عَنّي وقُل

واقْرِ السّلامَ أُهَلْيَهُ عَنّي وقُل

غادرْتُهُ لِجَنابِكُمْ مُلْتاحا

غادرْتُهُ لِجَنابِكُمْ مُلْتاحا

And convey my greetings to its dear folk, and say:

Convey my greetings to its people and say:

"I left him parched with longing for your abode."

“I left it behind me, your neighbor, in sorrow.”

يا ساكني نَجدٍ أما مِنْ رحمَةٍ

يا ساكني نَجدٍ أما مِنْ رحمَةٍ

لأسيرِ إلْفٍ لا يُريدُ سَراحا

لأسيرِ إلْفٍ لا يُريدُ سَراحا

O dwellers of Najd, is there no mercy

O people of Najd, is there no mercy at all

for a beloved's captive who desires no release?

For a captive of love who longs to break free?

هَلّا بَعَثْتُمْ لِلمَشُوقِ تحيّةً

هَلّا بَعَثْتُمْ لِلمَشُوقِ تحيّةً

في طَيّ صافِيَةِ الرّيَاحِ رَواحا

في طَيّ صافِيَةِ الرّيَاحِ رَواحا

Why have you not sent the longing lover a greeting

Why not send to the longing one a pure breath

in the folds of a pure breeze at evening?

Of zephyr, his spirit thereby to bestow?

يحْيا بها مَن كانَ يحسَب هَجرَكُمْ

يحْيا بها مَن كانَ يحسَب هَجرَكُمْ

مَزْحاً ويعتقِدُ المِزَاحَ مِزاحا

مَزْحاً ويعتقِدُ المِزَاحَ مِزاحا

It would revive one who used to think your abandonment

Bringing life to one who thought your estrangement

a jest, and took your joking for a joke.

Was jest and believed all in playfulness to flow.

يا عاذِلَ المُشْتَاقِ جَهْلاً بالَّذي

يا عاذِلَ المُشْتَاقِ جَهْلاً بالَّذي

يَلْقَى مَلِيّاً لا بَلَغتَ نجاحا

يَلْقَى مَلِيّاً لا بَلَغتَ نجاحا

O you who reproach the yearning lover, ignorant of what

O you who blame the ardent lover in his ignorance,

he suffers for so long—may you never succeed!

Have you attained any success, have you e’er sown?

أتْعَبتَ نفسَكَ في نصيحَة مَن يَرى

أتْعَبتَ نفسَكَ في نصيحَة مَن يَرى

أنْ لا يرى الإِقبالَ والإِفلاحا

أنْ لا يرى الإِقبالَ والإِفلاحا

You have wearied yourself advising one who thinks

You’ve wearied yourself advising one who sees

he should see neither good fortune nor success.

No fortune’s arrival, no success to be shown.

أقْصِر عدِمْتُك واطّرح من أثخنتْ

أقْصِر عدِمْتُك واطّرح من أثخنتْ

أحشاءَهُ النُّجلُ العُيونُ جِراحا

أحشاءَهُ النُّجلُ العُيونُ جِراحا

Desist—may I be rid of you!—and abandon one whose

Desist! You’ve been shortcoming while heavily wounding

heart wide eyes have riddled with wounds.

One whose heart the blades of light already mow.

كنتَ الصديقَ قبيلَ نُصْحِكَ مُغْرَماً

كنتَ الصديقَ قبيلَ نُصْحِكَ مُغْرَماً

أرأيتَ صَبّاً يألَفُ النُّصّاحا

أرأيتَ صَبّاً يألَفُ النُّصّاحا

You were my friend before you counseled a lovesick man;

Before your advice you were a loyal friend of mine,

have you seen a passionate lover befriend advisers?

Did you ever see a young man good counsel take?

إنْ رُمْتَ إصْلاَحِي فإنّي لم أُرِدْ

إنْ رُمْتَ إصْلاَحِي فإنّي لم أُرِدْ

لفَسَادِ قَلبي في الهوَى إصلاحا

لفَسَادِ قَلبي في الهوَى إصلاحا

If you seek to reform me, I have not desired

If you wish me to reform, I never desired

a remedy for my heart's ruin in love.

To correct my love-sick heart which was bent so.

ماذا يُريدُ العاذلونَ بعَذْلِ مَنْ

ماذا يُريدُ العاذلونَ بعَذْلِ مَنْ

لَبِسَ الخَلاعَة واستراحَ وراحا

لَبِسَ الخَلاعَة واستراحَ وراحا

What do reproachers seek by reproaching one

What do critiques want with blaming those who don

who has clothed himself in abandon, found rest, and gone his way?

Fine garb? Leave them be to roam free and go!

يا أهلَ وِدّي هل لراجي وَصْلِكُمْ

يا أهلَ وِدّي هل لراجي وَصْلِكُمْ

طَمَعٌ فيَنعَمَ بالُهُ استِرْوَاحا

طَمَعٌ فيَنعَمَ بالُهُ استِرْوَاحا

O those I love, is there, for one who hopes for union with you,

O people of my love, is there any hope

any hope, so that his mind might find relief?

That I'll obtain your company and comfort know?

مُذْ غِبْتُمُ عن ناظِري ليَ أنّةٌ

مُذْ غِبْتُمُ عن ناظِري ليَ أنّةٌ

ملأتْ نواحي أرضِ مِصْرَ نُواحا

ملأتْ نواحي أرضِ مِصْرَ نُواحا

Since you vanished from my sight, my groan

Since you left me I have sighs

has filled the reaches of Egypt with lamentation.

That resound all over Egypt’s plateau.

وإذا ذكَرْتُكُمُ أميلُ كأنّني

وإذا ذكَرْتُكُمُ أميلُ كأنّني

مِن طيبِ ذِكْرِكُمُ سقيتُ الرّاحا

مِن طيبِ ذِكْرِكُمُ سقيتُ الرّاحا

And when I remember you, I sway as though

When I think of you, I lean as though I've sipped

from the sweetness of remembering you, I had been given wine.

The soft blowing wind, thoughts of you its flow.

وإذا دُعيت إلى تناسي عهدِكُمْ

وإذا دُعيت إلى تناسي عهدِكُمْ

ألْفَيتُ أحشائي بذاكَ شِحاحا

ألْفَيتُ أحشائي بذاكَ شِحاحا

And when I am urged to feign forgetting your covenant,

If called to forget the days we shared,

I find my heart too grudging to consent.

I find my soul shrinking from it, hard and slow.

سَقياً لأيّامٍ مَضَتْ مع جيرَةٍ

سَقياً لأيّامٍ مَضَتْ مع جيرَةٍ

كانتْ لَيالينا بهِمْ أفراحا

كانتْ لَيالينا بهِمْ أفراحا

May rain bless the days that passed with neighbors

They were days of joy with a neighbor whose nights

with whom our nights were joyous.

With them were spent in joys abundantly stowed.

حيثُ الحِمى وطَني وسُكّانُ الغَضا

حيثُ الحِمى وطَني وسُكّانُ الغَضا

سَكَنِي ووِردي الماء فيه مُباحا

سَكَنِي ووِردي الماء فيه مُباحا

Where the sanctuary was my home, and the dwellers among the ghada trees

My tribe, my homeland, my dwelling place

my solace, and I could freely drink the water there;

Where roaming was free and water flowing bestowed.

وأُهَيْلُهُ أَرَبي وظِلُّ نَخيلِهِ

وأُهَيْلُهُ أَرَبي وظِلُّ نَخيلِهِ

طَرَبي ورَمْلَةُ وادِيَيْهِ مَراحا

طَرَبي ورَمْلَةُ وادِيَيْهِ مَراحا

and its dear people were my desire, and the shade of its palms

Its sands and palms were my dwelling and delight,

my delight, and the sand of its two valleys my roaming-ground.

Ramlat Wadi, my ease, my comfort, my road.

وَاهاً على ذاكَ الزَّمانِ وطيبِهِ

وَاهاً على ذاكَ الزَّمانِ وطيبِهِ

أيّامَ كُنتُ من اللُّغوبِ مُراحا

أيّامَ كُنتُ من اللُّغوبِ مُراحا

Ah, for that time and its sweetness,

Alas for that time and its goodness when I

the days when I was free of weariness!

Roamed freely without any woes to corrode!

قَسماً بمكَّةَ والمقامِ ومَن أتَى ال

قَسماً بمكَّةَ والمقامِ ومَن أتَى ال

بيتَ الحرامَ مُلَبّياً سَيّاحا

بيتَ الحرامَ مُلَبّياً سَيّاحا

I swear by Mecca, the Station, and whoever came to the

I swear by Mecca, the Station, and those who came

Sacred House, chanting "At Your service" as a pilgrim:

As holy pilgrims circling 'round the grand abode.

ما رنَّحَتْ ريحُ الصَّبا شِيحَ الرُّبى

ما رنَّحَتْ ريحُ الصَّبا شِيحَ الرُّبى

إلّا وأهْدَتْ منكُمُ أرواحا

إلّا وأهْدَتْ منكُمُ أرواحا

never has the east wind swayed the wormwood of the hills

No zephyr blew o'er the hillsides but sent

without bringing breaths from you as gifts.

From you a refreshing of spirits that flowed.