غدا عامرُ الأوطان في مقلتِي قَفْراً

غدا عامرُ الأوطان في مقلتِي قَفْراً

لِبَيْنك عنها واغتدى سهلُها وَعْرا

لِبَيْنك عنها واغتدى سهلُها وَعْرا

The flourishing homeland has become, in my eyes, a wasteland,

The inhabited lands have become a wilderness to my eye,

because you parted from it, and its plains turned rugged.

Because of your departure from them, and their plain has grown rugged.

وأظلمت الآفاقُ منها توحُّشاً

وأظلمت الآفاقُ منها توحُّشاً

كأنك كنتَ الصبح والشمس والبدرا

كأنك كنتَ الصبح والشمس والبدرا

Its horizons darkened, stricken with desolation,

And their horizons have darkened in desolation,

as though you had been the dawn, the sun, and the full moon.

As though you had been the dawn, the sun, and the full moon.

ومالي أرى هذي القصورَ كأَنها

ومالي أرى هذي القصورَ كأَنها

قد امتلأَت مذ غِبت عن أرضها ذُعْرا

قد امتلأَت مذ غِبت عن أرضها ذُعْرا

Why do I see these palaces as though

And why do I see these palaces as though they

since you left their land, they had filled with dread?

Have been filled with terror since you left their soil?

ولم أتخلَّف أَنني عنك صابِر

ولم أتخلَّف أَنني عنك صابِر

فكيف تُطِيقُ العين عن نورها صبرا

فكيف تُطِيقُ العين عن نورها صبرا

I did not stay behind because I could bear your absence—

And it was not because I could bear your absence that I stayed behind;

how can the eye patiently endure, deprived of its light?

How, then, can the eye bear separation from its light?

ولكنَّ دهراً عاقني واستهاضني

ولكنَّ دهراً عاقني واستهاضني

فخلَّفَني رَغْماً وأوجعني ضُرّا

فخلَّفَني رَغْماً وأوجعني ضُرّا

But fate obstructed me and broke my strength;

But time held me back and broke me anew,

against my will it left me behind and wounded me grievously.

So it left me behind against my will and afflicted me with pain.

ولو طار مِن قبلي مَشُوقٌ لشائقٍ

ولو طار مِن قبلي مَشُوقٌ لشائقٍ

لِطرتُ بشوق يقطع القلب والصدرا

لِطرتُ بشوق يقطع القلب والصدرا

Had any yearning lover before me flown to one who yearns,

Had a yearning soul before me flown to one who stirred his longing,

I would have flown with longing that cleaves the heart and breast.

I would have flown with longing that rends the heart and breast.

وعلمك بي يكفينَي العذَر كُلَّه

وعلمك بي يكفينَي العذَر كُلَّه

لأنك تدري صفو سِرِّيَ والجهرا

لأنك تدري صفو سِرِّيَ والجهرا

Your knowledge of me suffices as my every excuse,

And your knowledge of me is all the excuse I need,

for you know the purity of my secret and my open word.

For you know my sincerity, both in secret and in the open.

فيا ليتني أَفدِيك من كل حادثٍ

فيا ليتني أَفدِيك من كل حادثٍ

وألقَي خطوب الدهر دونك والدهرا

وألقَي خطوب الدهر دونك والدهرا

If only I could ransom you from every calamity

Oh, would that I could ransom you from every calamity,

and face the blows of fate before you—fate itself.

And face time's calamities—and time itself—in your stead.

ولو أنّ عمري كنتُ أدري أتنهاءَه

ولو أنّ عمري كنتُ أدري أتنهاءَه

أحطتُ به علماً وأعطتك الشطرا

أحطتُ به علماً وأعطتك الشطرا

And if I could know where my life would end,

And if I knew when my life would end,

I would encompass it in knowledge and give you half.

I would comprehend it fully and give you half.

سَقَى سَردوسَ الغيثُ ما دمتَ ثاوياً

سَقَى سَردوسَ الغيثُ ما دمتَ ثاوياً

بها وكساها صوبُه الورقَ الخُضْرا

بها وكساها صوبُه الورقَ الخُضْرا

May the rain water Sardūs for as long as you dwell

May rain water Sardus as long as you dwell

there, and may its downpour clothe it in green foliage.

There, and may its showers clothe her in green leaves.

ولا برحتْ تختال في حَليْ روضها

ولا برحتْ تختال في حَليْ روضها

كم اختالت العذراءُ في حَليْها كِبرا

كم اختالت العذراءُ في حَليْها كِبرا

May it never cease strutting in the jewels of its meadows,

And may she never cease to strut in her garden's jewels,

as a virgin struts proudly in her jewels.

How often the maiden has strutted proudly in her jewels!

رُبوعُ ديارٍ بالعزيز عزيزةٌ

رُبوعُ ديارٍ بالعزيز عزيزةٌ

يطاول فيها مجدُه الأَنجمَ الزُهْرا

يطاول فيها مجدُه الأَنجمَ الزُهْرا

The dwellings of a land are mighty through the mighty one;

Abodes of lands made mighty by al-Aziz,

there his glory rivals the radiant stars.

Where his glory vies in height with the radiant stars.

عليك صلاة الله من مَلِك به

عليك صلاة الله من مَلِك به

نفى الله عنا الجور والظلم والفَقْرا

نفى الله عنا الجور والظلم والفَقْرا

May God’s blessing rest upon you—a king through whom

God's blessing be upon you, a king through whom

God drove from us injustice, oppression, and poverty.

God has banished from us injustice, oppression, and poverty.