أقول لصاحبي والعيس تهوى

أقول لصاحبي والعيس تهوى

بنا بين المنيفة فالضمار

بنا بين المنيفة فالضمار

I say to my companion, as the pale camels hasten

I say to my companion while the night birds cry,

With us between al-Munifah and al-Dimar:

Between us is the meadow, so the refuge,

تمتع من شميم عرار نجدٍ

تمتع من شميم عرار نجدٍ

فما بعد العشية من عرار

فما بعد العشية من عرار

Enjoy the fragrance of Najd’s ʿarār flowers;

Savor the fragrance of the plains of Najd,

For after this evening there will be no ʿarār.

For after evening no plains remain,

ألا يا حبذا نفحات نجدٍ

ألا يا حبذا نفحات نجدٍ

وريا روضه بعد القطار

وريا روضه بعد القطار

Ah, how lovely are Najd’s breezes,

Oh, the blessed scent of Najd,

And its meadows’ fragrance after the rains,

And the meadow’s expanse after departure,

وأهلك إذ يحل الحي نجدا

وأهلك إذ يحل الحي نجدا

وأنت على زمانك غير زار

وأنت على زمانك غير زار

And your people, when the tribe settles in Najd,

And your family when the quarter settles,

While you find no fault with your times.

While you in your time have no visitor,

شهور ينقضين وما شعرنا

شهور ينقضين وما شعرنا

بأنصافٍ لهن ولاسرار

بأنصافٍ لهن ولاسرار

Months pass, and we never notice

Months pass and we are not aware,

Their midpoints or their moonless final nights.

Of their halves or secrets,

فأما ليلهن فخير ليلٍ

فأما ليلهن فخير ليلٍ

وأقصر ما يكون من النهار

وأقصر ما يكون من النهار

As for their nights, they are the finest nights,

As for their nights, the best of nights,

And as brief as the briefest span of day.

And shortest the days can be.