أُلامُ عَلى نَجدٍ وَأَبكي صَبابَةً

أُلامُ عَلى نَجدٍ وَأَبكي صَبابَةً

رُوَيدَكَ يا دَمعي وَيا عاذِلي رِفقا

رُوَيدَكَ يا دَمعي وَيا عاذِلي رِفقا

I am reproached for Najd, and I weep with yearning.

I am reproached for loving Najd, and I weep with longing.

Gently, my tears—and you, my reproacher, show mercy.

Gently, my tears! And you, my reproacher, be gentle.

فَلي بِالحِمَى مَن لا أُطيقُ فِراقَهُ

فَلي بِالحِمَى مَن لا أُطيقُ فِراقَهُ

بِهِ يَسعَدُ الواشي وَلكنَّني أَشقَى

بِهِ يَسعَدُ الواشي وَلكنَّني أَشقَى

For there in the protected pasture dwells one whose parting I cannot bear.

For in the protected pasture I have one whose parting I cannot bear.

That separation delights the talebearer, while I am left wretched.

At that the talebearer rejoices, but I am wretched.

وَأُكرِمُ مِن جيرانِهِ كُلَّ طارِئٍ

وَأُكرِمُ مِن جيرانِهِ كُلَّ طارِئٍ

يَوَدُّ وَداداً أَنَّهُ مِن دَمي يُسقَى

يَوَدُّ وَداداً أَنَّهُ مِن دَمي يُسقَى

And among his neighbors I honor every passing visitor,

And I honor every newcomer from among his neighbors

though he would dearly love to be given my blood to drink.

who dearly wishes to be given my blood to drink.

إِذا لَم يَدَعْ مِنّي نَواهُ وَحُبُّهُ

إِذا لَم يَدَعْ مِنّي نَواهُ وَحُبُّهُ

سِوى رَمَقٍ يا أَهلَ نَجدٍ فَكَم أَبْقى

سِوى رَمَقٍ يا أَهلَ نَجدٍ فَكَم أَبْقى

When his distance and his love have left of me

If his absence and love for him have left nothing of me

only a last flicker of life—people of Najd, how long can I survive?

but a flicker of life—O people of Najd, how long can I survive?

وَلَولا الهَوى ما رَقَّ لِلدَّهرِ جانِبي

وَلَولا الهَوى ما رَقَّ لِلدَّهرِ جانِبي

وَلا رَضيَتْ مِنكُم قُرَيشٌ بِما أَلقَى

وَلا رَضيَتْ مِنكُم قُرَيشٌ بِما أَلقَى

Were it not for love, my side would never have yielded to Time,

But for love, my side would not have softened before fate,

nor would Quraysh have accepted what I suffer at your hands.

nor would Quraysh have accepted from you what I endure.