مَتَىwhen زُرْتُمُyou visited نَجْداًNajd فَإِنِّيfor indeed I أَرَاكُمُI see you
مَتَى زُرْتُمُ نَجْداً فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمُ
تَضُوعُwafts عَلَيْكُمْabout you نَفْحَةٌa breath مِنْfrom شَذىfragrance of نَجْدِNajd
تَضُوعُ عَلَيْكُمْ نَفْحَةٌ مِنْ شَذى نَجْدِ
When did you visit Najd? For I see you—
When did you visit Najd? For I see you
a fragrant breath of Najd is wafting over you.
With a breath of Najd’s fragrance wafting about you.
أَظُنُّI think حِمَىthe sanctuary of لَيْلَىLayla حَلَلْتُمْyou lodged بِرَبْعِهِin its dwelling-place
أَظُنُّ حِمَى لَيْلَى حَلَلْتُمْ بِرَبْعِهِ
فَضَاعَso wafted لَكُمْto you مِنْهُfrom it شَذَىfragrance of مَسْحَبِthe trail of البُرْدِthe mantle
فَضَاعَ لَكُمْ مِنْهُ شَذَى مَسْحَبِ البُرْدِ
I think you alighted in Layla’s preserve, at its encampment,
I think you lodged in the grounds of Layla’s sanctuary,
and the perfume of a mantle’s trailing hem wafted from it to you.
So from it the scent of her trailing mantle wafted to you.
أَلاَAh! يَاO بِرُوحِيwith my soul أَنْتَyou هَلْis there? لَكَfor you عَوْدَةٌa return
أَلاَ يَا بِرُوحِي أَنْتَ هَلْ لَكَ عَوْدَةٌ
فَتُقْرِيso you may convey سَلاَمِيmy greeting جِيرَةَthe neighbors of العَلَمِthe mountain الفَرْدِsolitary
فَتُقْرِي سَلاَمِي جِيرَةَ العَلَمِ الفَرْدِ
Ah, you for whom I would give my soul—will you return
Ah, you whom I would ransom with my soul—will you return
and carry my greetings to the dwellers by the solitary landmark?
And convey my greeting to the neighbors of the solitary mountain?
عُرَيْبٌa little band of Arabs لَهُمْfor them عِنْدِيwith me رِعَايَةُkeeping of عَهْدِهِمْtheir pledge
عُرَيْبٌ لَهُمْ عِنْدِي رِعَايَةُ عَهْدِهِمْ
وَمَاand no عِنْدَهُمْwith them لِيfor me نَقْضُbreaking of عَهْدٍa pledge وَلاَnor عَقْدِa bond
وَمَا عِنْدَهُمْ لِي نَقْضُ عَهْدٍ وَلاَ عَقْدِ
A dear little Arab band—I remain the keeper of their pledge,
A little band of Arabs, whose pledge I faithfully keep,
and on their part no pledge or bond with me is broken.
And they break neither pledge nor bond with me.
إِذَاwhen زَمْزَمَhummed الحَادِيthe camel-driver بِأَلْحَانِwith melodies of حُبِّهِمْlove for them
إِذَا زَمْزَمَ الحَادِي بِأَلْحَانِ حُبِّهِمْ
يُسَابِقُهُraces him رَكْبٌa caravan مِنَof الدَّمْعِtears فيon خَدِّيmy cheek
يُسَابِقُهُ رَكْبٌ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ في خَدِّي
Whenever the camel-driver hums melodies of love for them,
When the camel-driver hums melodies of love for them,
my caravan of tears races him down my cheek.
A caravan of tears races him along my cheek.
صًَبَغْتُI stained بِمُحْمَرٍwith crimson مِنَof الدَّمْعِtears بَعْدَهُمْafter their departure
صًَبَغْتُ بِمُحْمَرٍ مِنَ الدَّمْعِ بَعْدَهُمْ
مِنَof الرَّمْلِthe sand مُبْيَضاًwhite لأَرْعَىso that I may keep لَهْمْfor them عَهْدِيmy pledge
مِنَ الرَّمْلِ مُبْيَضاً لأَرْعَى لَهْمْ عَهْدِي
After they left, with tears turned crimson I dyed
After their departure, I stained with crimson tears
a white expanse of sand, to keep my covenant with them.
The white sand, to keep my pledge to them.
