أَلا يا حَبَّذا نَجدٌ

أَلا يا حَبَّذا نَجدٌ

وَمَن أُسكِنها أَرضا

وَمَن أُسكِنها أَرضا

Ah, how lovely Najd is,

Oh how excellent is Najd!

and those settled upon its land!

And who lives on its land,

وَحَيّا حَبَّذا ما هُم

وَحَيّا حَبَّذا ما هُم

وَلو لي حَقِدوا البُغضا

وَلو لي حَقِدوا البُغضا

And a clan—how lovely they are,

How lively are its lovable people,

even if they harbored hatred for me.

Even if they bore me hatred,

وَمِن أَجلِ الهَوى أُدنى

وَمِن أَجلِ الهَوى أُدنى

لِمَن لَم أَرضَهُ مَعضا

لِمَن لَم أَرضَهُ مَعضا

And for love's sake I am drawn near

And because of passion I approach,

to one I disliked out of resentment.

Those who did not please me when angry,

عَلِقتُكِ ناشِئاً حَتّى

عَلِقتُكِ ناشِئاً حَتّى

رَأَيتُ الرَأسَ مُبيَضّا

رَأَيتُ الرَأسَ مُبيَضّا

I loved you while still a youth, until

I clung to you as a youth,

I saw my head turn white.

Until I saw your head turning white,

فَإِن تَتَعاهَدي وُدّي

فَإِن تَتَعاهَدي وُدّي

إِذاً تَجِدينَهُ غَضّا

إِذاً تَجِدينَهُ غَضّا

So if you tend my love,

So if you tend to my love,

then you will find it fresh,

You will find it ever fresh,

عَلى بُخلٍ وَتَصريدٍ

عَلى بُخلٍ وَتَصريدٍ

وَقَبضِ نَوالِكُم قَبضا

وَقَبضِ نَوالِكُم قَبضا

despite stinginess and scant giving,

Despite stinginess, coldness,

and your withholding your bounty altogether.

And your withdrawal of favors,

أَهيمُ بِذِكرِكُم لَو أَن

أَهيمُ بِذِكرِكُم لَو أَن

نَ خَيراً مِنكُمُ بَضّا

نَ خَيراً مِنكُمُ بَضّا

I pine at the thought of you—if only

I crave your memory, even if

some kindness would trickle from you.

I found in you something displeasing,

فَيا عَجَباً لِمَوقِفِنا

فَيا عَجَباً لِمَوقِفِنا

يُعاتِبُ بَعضُنا بَعضا

يُعاتِبُ بَعضُنا بَعضا

And oh, how strange our meeting is:

Oh, how strange is our stance!

each of us reproaches the other.

One of us reproaches the other!