أقول لركب يمّموا أرض يثرب

أقول لركب يمّموا أرض يثرب

قفوا العيس إن جئتم مغانى ربوعها

قفوا العيس إن جئتم مغانى ربوعها

I say to a caravan bound for the land of Yathrib:

I say to the caravan as they pass through the land of Yathrib

Halt the pale camels if you reach the sites of its dwellings,

Stop, my friends, if you have come to enjoy its meadows

ونادوا بهاتيك القباب وعرضوا

ونادوا بهاتيك القباب وعرضوا

بنفس براها طولُ فرط ولوعها

بنفس براها طولُ فرط ولوعها

And call out at those domes, and allude

And call out at these domes and display

To a soul worn away by her long, excessive passion.

With a soul that longs intensely and yearns painfully

تناءت بها الأيام عن أهل ودها

تناءت بها الأيام عن أهل ودها

فأهملت الأجفان وبل دموعها

فأهملت الأجفان وبل دموعها

The days have borne her far from those she loves,

The days have become too hard for its people to bear

So the eyelids have loosed a downpour of her tears.

So the eyelids neglected their duty and the tears flowed

إذا ما حدا حادى الرفاق مزمزماً

إذا ما حدا حادى الرفاق مزمزماً

تضرّم نار الشوق بين ضلوعها

تضرّم نار الشوق بين ضلوعها

Whenever the travelers' camel-driver sings in a low murmur,

Whenever the voice of the guide sounded from Mash'ar

The fire of longing blazes between her ribs.

The fire of yearning blazed between its ribs

فللّه ما أشجى أنينَ حنينها

فللّه ما أشجى أنينَ حنينها

ورقة بلواها وذل خضوعها

ورقة بلواها وذل خضوعها

So, by God, how heartrending is the moan of her yearning,

How painful is the moan of its yearning!

And the tenderness of her affliction, and the humility of her submission!

And the agony of its withering leaves and its humility

تحنّ إل نجد وتشتاق يثرباً

تحنّ إل نجد وتشتاق يثرباً

وما شوقُها إلا لترب شفيعها

وما شوقُها إلا لترب شفيعها

She yearns for Najd and longs for Yathrib,

It yearns for Najd and longs for Yathrib

And her longing is only for the dust of her intercessor.

And its yearning is only for the dust of its intercessor

فلو نزعت نحو الحبيب بقصدها

فلو نزعت نحو الحبيب بقصدها

وساعدها الإسعاف عند نزوعها

وساعدها الإسعاف عند نزوعها

So if she turned toward the beloved with purpose,

If it set out towards its beloved as it intended

And aid supported her in her striving,

And if help supported it when it set out

لأينع روض القرب بعد أنذباله

لأينع روض القرب بعد أنذباله

وأخضل بعد الجدب عشب ربيعها

وأخضل بعد الجدب عشب ربيعها

The garden of nearness would flourish after its withering,

The meadow of nearness would bloom after barrenness

And after drought the grass of her spring would grow lush.

And the grass of springtime would grow after drought

ولكنها الأيام دانت بينها

ولكنها الأيام دانت بينها

فتهمى دموع ضرجت بنجيعها

فتهمى دموع ضرجت بنجيعها

But it is the days that have governed her separation,

But the days have judged between them

So tears stream down, stained with her blood.

So its overflowing tears were wasted by its weeping