خَليلَيَّ مُرّا بي عَلى الأَبرَقِ الفَردِ

خَليلَيَّ مُرّا بي عَلى الأَبرَقِ الفَردِ

وَعَهدي بِلَيلى حَبَّذا ذاكَ مِن عَهدِ

وَعَهدي بِلَيلى حَبَّذا ذاكَ مِن عَهدِ

My two friends, take me past al-Abraq al-Fard,

My friend pass by the lone house,

And my time with Layla—how lovely that time was!

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

أَلا يا صَبا نَجدٍ مَتى هِجتِ مِن نَجدِ

أَلا يا صَبا نَجدٍ مَتى هِجتِ مِن نَجدِ

فَقَد زادَني مَسراكِ وَجداً عَلى وَجدي

فَقَد زادَني مَسراكِ وَجداً عَلى وَجدي

Ah, east wind of Najd, when did you rise from Najd?

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

For your passage by night has added longing to my longing.

For your advent has increased my passion and agony,

أَإِن هَتَفَت وَرقاءُ في رَونَقِ الضُحى

أَإِن هَتَفَت وَرقاءُ في رَونَقِ الضُحى

عَلى فَنَنٍ غَضِّ النَباتِ مِنَ الرَندِ

عَلى فَنَنٍ غَضِّ النَباتِ مِنَ الرَندِ

Was it because a gray dove called in midmorning's glow,

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

On a laurel bough, tender with fresh growth,

Upon tender sprouting plants from green meadows,

بَكَيتُ كَما يَبكي الوَليدُ وَلَم أَزَل

بَكَيتُ كَما يَبكي الوَليدُ وَلَم أَزَل

جَليداً وَأَبدَيتُ الَّذي لَم أَكُن أُبدي

جَليداً وَأَبدَيتُ الَّذي لَم أَكُن أُبدي

That I wept as a baby weeps, though I had always been

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

Steadfast, and revealed what I had not revealed?

And I became stony while I recalled what I recall,

وَأَصبَحتُ قَد قَضَّيتُ كُلَّ لُبانَةٍ

وَأَصبَحتُ قَد قَضَّيتُ كُلَّ لُبانَةٍ

تِهاميَّةٍ وَاِشتاقَ قَلبي إِلى نَجدِ

تِهاميَّةٍ وَاِشتاقَ قَلبي إِلى نَجدِ

And now I have fulfilled every desire

And I became free of all infatuation,

In Tihama, and my heart yearns for Najd.

Yearning and my heart longed for Nejd,

إِذا وَعَدَت زادَ الهَوى لِاِنتِظارِها

إِذا وَعَدَت زادَ الهَوى لِاِنتِظارِها

وَإِن بَخِلَت بِالوَعدِ مِتُّ عَلى الوَعدِ

وَإِن بَخِلَت بِالوَعدِ مِتُّ عَلى الوَعدِ

When she promises, love grows as I await her;

If she promises she increases the passion of waiting,

And if she withholds a promise, I die waiting for the promise.

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

وَإِن قَرُبَت داراً بَكَيتُ وَإِن نَأَت

وَإِن قَرُبَت داراً بَكَيتُ وَإِن نَأَت

كَلِفتُ فَلا لِلقُربِ أَسلو وَلا البُعدِ

كَلِفتُ فَلا لِلقُربِ أَسلو وَلا البُعدِ

And if she lives nearby, I weep; and if she goes far away,

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

I pine; neither nearness nor distance brings me solace.

I struggle so neither nearness has comfort nor distance,

فَفي كُلِّ حُبٍّ لا مَحالَةَ فَرحَةٌ

فَفي كُلِّ حُبٍّ لا مَحالَةَ فَرحَةٌ

وَحُبُّكِ ما فيهِ سِوى مُحكَمِ الجُهدِ

وَحُبُّكِ ما فيهِ سِوى مُحكَمِ الجُهدِ

For every love inevitably holds some joy,

For in every love there is inevitably joy,

But loving you holds nothing but relentless hardship.

But your love in it is nothing but intense effort,

أَحِنُّ إِلى نَجدٍ فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّني

أَحِنُّ إِلى نَجدٍ فَيا لَيتَ أَنَّني

سُقيتُ عَلى سُلوانِهِ مِن هَوى نَجدِ

سُقيتُ عَلى سُلوانِهِ مِن هَوى نَجدِ

I yearn for Najd—oh, if only I

I yearn for Nejd, oh would that I were,

Were given a draught to make me forget my love for Najd.

Watered over its acacias with the passion of Nejd,

أَلا حَبَّذا نَجدٌ وَطيبُ تُرابِهِ

أَلا حَبَّذا نَجدٌ وَطيبُ تُرابِهِ

وَأَرواحُهُ إِن كانَ نَجدٌ عَلى العَهدِ

وَأَرواحُهُ إِن كانَ نَجدٌ عَلى العَهدِ

Ah, how lovely are Najd and the fragrance of its soil,

Oh excellent is Nejd and the fragrance of its soil,

And its breezes—if Najd is still as it once was!

And its spirits if Nejd keeps to the pact,

وَقَد زَعَموا أَنَّ المُحِبَّ إِذا دَنا

وَقَد زَعَموا أَنَّ المُحِبَّ إِذا دَنا

يَمَلُّ وَأَنَّ النَأيَ يَشفي مِنَ الوَجدِ

يَمَلُّ وَأَنَّ النَأيَ يَشفي مِنَ الوَجدِ

And they have claimed that a lover, when he draws near,

And they claimed that the lover when he comes near,

Grows weary, and that distance cures longing.

Is wearied, and that distance heals the passion,

بِكُلٍّ تَداوَينا فَلَم يُشفَ ما بِنا

بِكُلٍّ تَداوَينا فَلَم يُشفَ ما بِنا

عَلى أَنَّ قُربَ الدارِ خَيرٌ مِنَ البُعدِ

عَلى أَنَّ قُربَ الدارِ خَيرٌ مِنَ البُعدِ

We tried both as remedies, but what ails us was not cured,

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

Though nearness of the dwelling is better than distance.

Since the nearness of the house is better than distance,

عَلى أَنَّ قُربَ الدارِ لَيسَ بِنافِعٍ

عَلى أَنَّ قُربَ الدارِ لَيسَ بِنافِعٍ

إِذا كانَ مَن تَهواهُ لَيسَ بِذي وُدِّ

إِذا كانَ مَن تَهواهُ لَيسَ بِذي وُدِّ

Yet nearness of the dwelling is of no use

Since the nearness of the house is no use,

If the one you love feels no affection.

If the one you love is not friendly,