أوَميضُ بَرْقٍ بالأُبَيْرِقِ لاَحا

أم في رُبَى نجد أرى مِصباحا

A flash of lightning in the dark skies shone,

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

أم تلكَ ليلى العامريّةُ أَسْفَرَتْ

ليْلاً فصيّرَتِ المساءَ صباحا

Or was it Layla of Al-Aamiriyyah who shone

And turned the eve to morn with her bright glow?

يا راكِبَ الوجْناء وُقّيتَ الرّدى

إن جُبتَ حَزْناً أو طوَيتَ بِطاحا

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

Whether you left in sorrow or fell down below.

وسَلَكْتَ نُعمانَ الأراكِ فعُجْ إلى

وادٍ هُناكَ عَهدْتهُ فَيّاحا

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

To a valley over there which I used to know.

فبأيْمَنِ العلمَيْنِ مِن شرقيّه

عَرّجْ وأُمَّ أرينَهُ الفوّاحا

By the two signs east of Sharqi turn aside,

And O mother of meadows, your scents sweetly blow!

وإذا وصلْتَ إلى ثَنِيّاتِ اللّوَى

فانْشُدْ فؤاداً بالأُبَيْطح طاحا

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

Recite there a heartfelt poem of woe.

واقْرِ السّلامَ أُهَلْيَهُ عَنّي وقُل

غادرْتُهُ لِجَنابِكُمْ مُلْتاحا

Convey my greetings to its people and say:

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

يا ساكني نَجدٍ أما مِنْ رحمَةٍ

لأسيرِ إلْفٍ لا يُريدُ سَراحا

O people of Najd, is there no mercy at all

For a captive of love who longs to break free?

هَلّا بَعَثْتُمْ لِلمَشُوقِ تحيّةً

في طَيّ صافِيَةِ الرّيَاحِ رَواحا

Why not send to the longing one a pure breath

Of zephyr, his spirit thereby to bestow?

يحْيا بها مَن كانَ يحسَب هَجرَكُمْ

مَزْحاً ويعتقِدُ المِزَاحَ مِزاحا

Bringing life to one who thought your estrangement

Was jest and believed all in playfulness to flow.

يا عاذِلَ المُشْتَاقِ جَهْلاً بالَّذي

يَلْقَى مَلِيّاً لا بَلَغتَ نجاحا

O you who blame the ardent lover in his ignorance,

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

أتْعَبتَ نفسَكَ في نصيحَة مَن يَرى

أنْ لا يرى الإِقبالَ والإِفلاحا

You’ve wearied yourself advising one who sees

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

أقْصِر عدِمْتُك واطّرح من أثخنتْ

أحشاءَهُ النُّجلُ العُيونُ جِراحا

Desist! You’ve been shortcoming while heavily wounding

One whose heart the blades of light already mow.

كنتَ الصديقَ قبيلَ نُصْحِكَ مُغْرَماً

أرأيتَ صَبّاً يألَفُ النُّصّاحا

Before your advice you were a loyal friend of mine,

Did you ever see a young man good counsel take?

إنْ رُمْتَ إصْلاَحِي فإنّي لم أُرِدْ

لفَسَادِ قَلبي في الهوَى إصلاحا

If you wish me to reform, I never desired

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

ماذا يُريدُ العاذلونَ بعَذْلِ مَنْ

لَبِسَ الخَلاعَة واستراحَ وراحا

What do critiques want with blaming those who don

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

يا أهلَ وِدّي هل لراجي وَصْلِكُمْ

طَمَعٌ فيَنعَمَ بالُهُ استِرْوَاحا

O people of my love, is there any hope

That I'll obtain your company and comfort know?

مُذْ غِبْتُمُ عن ناظِري ليَ أنّةٌ

ملأتْ نواحي أرضِ مِصْرَ نُواحا

Since you left me I have sighs

That resound all over Egypt’s plateau.

وإذا ذكَرْتُكُمُ أميلُ كأنّني

مِن طيبِ ذِكْرِكُمُ سقيتُ الرّاحا

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

The soft blowing wind, thoughts of you its flow.

وإذا دُعيت إلى تناسي عهدِكُمْ

ألْفَيتُ أحشائي بذاكَ شِحاحا

If called to forget the days we shared,

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

سَقياً لأيّامٍ مَضَتْ مع جيرَةٍ

كانتْ لَيالينا بهِمْ أفراحا

They were days of joy with a neighbor whose nights

With them were spent in joys abundantly stowed.

حيثُ الحِمى وطَني وسُكّانُ الغَضا

سَكَنِي ووِردي الماء فيه مُباحا

My tribe, my homeland, my dwelling place

Where roaming was free and water flowing bestowed.

وأُهَيْلُهُ أَرَبي وظِلُّ نَخيلِهِ

طَرَبي ورَمْلَةُ وادِيَيْهِ مَراحا

Its sands and palms were my dwelling and delight,

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

وَاهاً على ذاكَ الزَّمانِ وطيبِهِ

أيّامَ كُنتُ من اللُّغوبِ مُراحا

Alas for that time and its goodness when I

Roamed freely without any woes to corrode!

قَسماً بمكَّةَ والمقامِ ومَن أتَى ال

بيتَ الحرامَ مُلَبّياً سَيّاحا

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

As holy pilgrims circling 'round the grand abode.

ما رنَّحَتْ ريحُ الصَّبا شِيحَ الرُّبى

إلّا وأهْدَتْ منكُمُ أرواحا

No zephyr blew o'er the hillsides but sent

From you a refreshing of spirits that flowed.