خَليلَيَّ مُرّا بي عَلى الأَبرَقِ الفَردِ

وَعَهدي بِلَيلى حَبَّذا ذاكَ مِن عَهدِ

My friend pass by the lone house,

And remember my pact with Layla, excellent was that pact,

أَلا يا صَبا نَجدٍ مَتى هِجتِ مِن نَجدِ

فَقَد زادَني مَسراكِ وَجداً عَلى وَجدي

Oh morning breeze of Nejd, when will you blow from Nejd,

For your advent has increased my passion and agony,

أَإِن هَتَفَت وَرقاءُ في رَونَقِ الضُحى

عَلى فَنَنٍ غَضِّ النَباتِ مِنَ الرَندِ

Does Waraqa's foliage whisper in the charm of dawn,

Upon tender sprouting plants from green meadows,

بَكَيتُ كَما يَبكي الوَليدُ وَلَم أَزَل

جَليداً وَأَبدَيتُ الَّذي لَم أَكُن أُبدي

I wept as a child weeps and I disclosed what I never disclosed,

And I became stony while I recalled what I recall,

وَأَصبَحتُ قَد قَضَّيتُ كُلَّ لُبانَةٍ

تِهاميَّةٍ وَاِشتاقَ قَلبي إِلى نَجدِ

And I became free of all infatuation,

Yearning and my heart longed for Nejd,

إِذا وَعَدَت زادَ الهَوى لِاِنتِظارِها

وَإِن بَخِلَت بِالوَعدِ مِتُّ عَلى الوَعدِ

If she promises she increases the passion of waiting,

And if she is miserly with her promise, I die for the promise,

وَإِن قَرُبَت داراً بَكَيتُ وَإِن نَأَت

كَلِفتُ فَلا لِلقُربِ أَسلو وَلا البُعدِ

And if she comes near a house I weep, and if she goes far,

I struggle so neither nearness has comfort nor distance,

فَفي كُلِّ حُبٍّ لا مَحالَةَ فَرحَةٌ

وَحُبُّكِ ما فيهِ سِوى مُحكَمِ الجُهدِ

For in every love there is inevitably joy,

But your love in it is nothing but intense effort,

أَحِنُّ إِلى نَجدٍ فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّني

سُقيتُ عَلى سُلوانِهِ مِن هَوى نَجدِ

I yearn for Nejd, oh would that I were,

Watered over its acacias with the passion of Nejd,

أَلا حَبَّذا نَجدٌ وَطيبُ تُرابِهِ

وَأَرواحُهُ إِن كانَ نَجدٌ عَلى العَهدِ

Oh excellent is Nejd and the fragrance of its soil,

And its spirits if Nejd keeps to the pact,

وَقَد زَعَموا أَنَّ المُحِبَّ إِذا دَنا

يَمَلُّ وَأَنَّ النَأيَ يَشفي مِنَ الوَجدِ

And they claimed that the lover when he comes near,

Is wearied, and that distance heals the passion,

بِكُلٍّ تَداوَينا فَلَم يُشفَ ما بِنا

عَلى أَنَّ قُربَ الدارِ خَيرٌ مِنَ البُعدِ

With everything we tried to heal but we were not healed,

Since the nearness of the house is better than distance,

عَلى أَنَّ قُربَ الدارِ لَيسَ بِنافِعٍ

إِذا كانَ مَن تَهواهُ لَيسَ بِذي وُدِّ

Since the nearness of the house is no use,

If the one you love is not friendly,