أَلاَ هَل مِن البَينِ المُفَرِّقِ مِن بُدِّ

وَهَل لِلَيَالٍ قَد تَسَلَّفنَ مِن رَدِّ

Is there any clarity to distinguish the separated ones?

Is there any turning back for nights that have passed?

وَهل مِثلُ أََيّامٍ بِنَعَفِ سَوِيقَةٍ

رَوَاجِعُ أيّامٍ كما كُنَّ بالسَّعدِ

Are there any days like the prime days of youth?

Are there days that return as they were with happiness?

وَهل أَخَوَاكَ اليَومَ إِن قُلتَ عَرِّجا

عَلَى الأَثلِ مِن وَدّانَ وَالمَشرَبِ البَردِ

If you told your brothers today, stop by

For some food and cool water

مُقِيمانِ حتّى يَقضيا مِن لُبَانَةٍ

فَيَستَوجِبَا أَجرى وَيَستَكمِلاَ حَمدِى

Would they stay until they finish the curds

And deserve their reward and complete my praise?

وإلاّ فَسِيرَا فالسَّلاَمُ عَلَيكُما

فمالَكما غَيِّ وَمالَكُما رُشدِى

If not, then go - peace be upon you

You are misguided and lack my integrity

وَلاَ بِيَدَىِّ اليَومَ مِن حَبلِىَ الَّذِى

أُنَازَعُ مِن إِرخَائِهِ لاَ وَلاَ شَدِّى

Today my rope that I contend with

Its slackening cannot be pulled tight

وَلكِن بِكَّقى أُمِّ عَمرٍو فَليتَهَا

إِذا وَلِيَت رَهناً تَلِى الرَّهنَ بِالقَصدِ

Rather, by Umm Amr let her ransom herself

When pawned, she follows the pawn with determination

أَلاَ لَيتَ شِعرِى مالَّذِى تُحدِثَنَّ لي

نَوَى غَربَةِ الدّارِ المُشِتَّةِ وَالبُعدِ

Oh how I wish I knew what makes them promise me

The intention of an estranged house and distance

نَوَى أُمِّ عَمرٍو حَيثُ تَغتَرِبُ النَّوَى

بها ثُمَّ يَخلو الكاشِحُونَ بها بَعدِى

The intention of Umm Amr where intentions wander

Then the slanderers are left with her after me

أَتَصرِمُ لِلاّئى الّذينَ هُمُ العِدَى

وَتُشمِتُهُم بى اُمُّ عَمرِو عَلَى وُدِّى

Do I have spite for those who are my enemies

As Umm Amr gloats over them against my affection?

وَظَنِّى بِها مِن كُلِّ ظَنٍّ بِغَائِبٍ

وَفِىٍّ بِنُصحٍ أَو يَدُومُ عَلَى العَهدِ

And my thoughts about her are every thought about an absent one

Loyal in advice or lasting in the covenant

وَظَنِّى بها وَاللهِ أَن لَن تَضِيرَنِى

وُشَاةٌ لَدَيها لاَ يَضِيرُونَهَا عِندِى

And my thoughts of her, by God, are that she will not harm me

As long as she has sheep that will not harm her with me

وَقَد زَعَمُوا أَنَّ المُحِبَّ إِذَا دَنَا

يَمَلُّ وَاَنَّ النَّأى يَشفِى مِنَ الوَجدِ

And they claimed that the lover, when he comes near

Is wearied, and distance cures passion

بِكُلٍّ تَدَاوَينَا فَلَم يُشفَ مَا بِنَا

عَلَى أَنَّ قُربَ الدَّارِ خَيرٌ مِنَ البُعدِ

With everything we tried to cure yet nothing cured what was between us

Though being near the house is better than distance

هَوَاىَ بِهذَا الغَورِ غَورِ تِهَامَةٍ

وَلَيسَ بِهَذا الحَيِّ مِن مُستوَى نَجدِ

My love in this land, the land of Tihama

Is not level, and not from the plateau of Najd

فَوَاللهِ رَبِّ البَيتِ لاَ تَجِدِينَنِى

تَطَلَّبتُ قَطعَ الحَبلٍ مِنكُم عَلَى عَمدِ

By God, Lord of the House, you will not find me

Ever trying to cut the rope deliberately between us

وَلا أَشتَرِى أَمراً يَكُونُ قَطِيعَةً

لِمَا بَينَنَا حَتّى اُغَيِّبَ فِى اللَّحدِ

Nor do I buy something that would sever

What is between us until I am laid in the grave

فَمِن حُبِّهَا اَحبَبتُ مَن لاَ يُحِبُّنِى

وَصَانَعتُ مِن قَد كنتُ أُبعِدُهُ جَهدِى

Out of love for her I have loved those who do not love me

And treated kindly those I used to shun

أَلاّ رُبَّمَا أَهدَى لِيَ الشَّوقَ وَالجَوَى

عَلى النَّأىِ مِنهَا ذُكرَةٌ قَلَّمَا تُجدِى

Oh sometimes longing and affection

Lead me in my distance from her to a rarely found remembrance

أَلا يا صَبا نَجدٍ مَتَى هِجتَ مِن نَجدِ

لَقَد زَادَنِى مَسرَاكَ وَجداً عَلَى وَجدِى

Oh light breeze of Najd, when you stir from Najd

You have increased my delight and passion over my passion

أَأَن هَتَفَت وَرقَاءُ فِى رَونَقِ الضُّحَى

عَلَى فَنَنِ غَضِّ النَّباتِ مِنَ الرَّندِ

Did the slopes gleam in the splendor of dawn

Over the prime of soft green vegetation?

بَكيتَ كَما يَبكِى الوَليدُ وَلَم تَكُن

جَلِيداً وَاَبدَيتَ الَّذِى لَم تَكُن تُبدِى

You cried as a infant cries though you were not

Frigid, and showed what you did not used to show

وَحَنَّت قَلُوصِى مِن عَدَانَ إِلى نَجدِ

وَلَم يُنسِهَا أَوطَانَهَا قِدَمُ العَهدِ

My camel yearns from Adan to Najd

And the passage of time does not make it forget its homeland

إِذا شِئتُ لاَقَيتُ القِلاَصَ وَلا أَرَى

لِقَومِىَ أَشبَاهاً فَيَألَفَهُم وُدِّى

If I wanted, I would meet the warriors and I do not see

Anyone like my people so my affection befriends them

وَأَرمِى الَّذِى يَرمُون عَن قَوسِ بِغضَةٍ

وَلَيسَ عَلى مَولاَىَ حَدِّى وَلاَ جِدِّى

And I cast off those who cast off from a bow of hatred

And for my Master I have no boundary or limit