قِفا بنجدٍ نسلِّمْ

قِفا بنجدٍ نسلِّمْ

على ديارِ سعادِ

على ديارِ سعادِ

Halt, you two, in Najd; let us send greetings

Stop at Najd, let us bid farewell

to the dwellings of Suʿad.

To the abodes of joy;

فَلي دموعٌ تروَّي

فَلي دموعٌ تروَّي

بها الطُّلولُ الصَّوادي

بها الطُّلولُ الصَّوادي

For I have tears that water

For I have tears that I shed

the thirsty ruins.

To water its towering heights.

والنَّاجياتُ إِليها

والنَّاجياتُ إِليها

يخِدْنَ مِيلَ الهوادي

يخِدْنَ مِيلَ الهوادي

And the fleet she-camels, heading toward them,

The yearning ones sigh for it still,

stride swiftly, their necks inclined.

Inclining the valleys' slopes.

لَها من الشَّوقِ هادٍ

لَها من الشَّوقِ هادٍ

ومِن زَفيرِيَ حادِ

ومِن زَفيرِيَ حادِ

Longing serves them as a guide,

It has a longing that smolders,

and my sighing as a camel-driver.

A sigh from me ever abides,

وكَم بها مِن ظِباءٍ

وكَم بها مِن ظِباءٍ

حلَّتْ سرارةَ وادي

حلَّتْ سرارةَ وادي

And many a gazelle there

And many a gazelle grazed there,

has settled in a valley’s heart,

That dwelt in valley seclusion,

تَسبي الأُسودَ بنُجْلٍ

تَسبي الأُسودَ بنُجْلٍ

كالباتراتِ الحدادِ

كالباتراتِ الحدادِ

taking lions captive with wide eyes

Hunting lionesses in packs,

like sharp, cleaving swords,

Like ascetics dressed in scrubs,

كأَنَّها مِن فتورٍ

كأَنَّها مِن فتورٍ

مملوءَةٌ مِن رُقادِ

مملوءَةٌ مِن رُقادِ

as though, in their languor,

As if out of enfeeblement

they were filled with slumber.

Filled with dormancy.

عارَضتُها إِذ توَلَّتْ

عارَضتُها إِذ توَلَّتْ

بها الحدوجُ الغوادي

بها الحدوجُ الغوادي

I met her as she was borne away

When it was time for them to leave,

in the camel-litters departing at dawn,

The valley ravines cried out.

أَبغي الفؤادَ لديها

أَبغي الفؤادَ لديها

فما وجدتُ فؤادي

فما وجدتُ فؤادي

seeking my heart with her,

I wanted my heart close by,

but I did not find my heart.

But I could not find my heart.