يَجُرُّdraws الصِّباyouth قلبىmy heart اذاwhen جَرَتِblew الصَّباthe east wind
يَجُرُّ الصِّبا قلبى اذا جَرَتِ الصَّبا
ويأبىand refuses اليهاtoward it القلبُthe heart الاَّexcept تقلَباturning
ويأبى اليها القلبُ الاَّ تقلَبا
Youth draws my heart whenever the east wind blows,
The breeze draws my heart when the breeze blows,
and the heart will do nothing but turn toward it.
And my heart refuses it, except to waver.
أياO ليلَnight of نجدٍNajd انَّindeed ليلَthe night of تِهامةٍTihamah
أيا ليلَ نجدٍ انَّ ليلَ تِهامةٍ
تنسَّمْbreathed in نسيماًa breeze منكfrom you حتىuntil تَحببَاgrew dear
تنسَّمْ نسيماً منك حتى تَحببَا
O night of Najd, indeed the night of Tihamah
Oh night of Najd, the night of Tihama is like you,
has breathed in a breeze from you until it grew dear.
Breathe a breeze from you until you bring us closer.
وياand O ليلَnight of نجدٍNajd زُرْvisit تِهامةَTihamah علنىperhaps I
ويا ليلَ نجدٍ زُرْ تِهامةَ علنى
تضيفُكَhost you قلباًa heart منfrom هواكَlove for you معذَّبَاtormented
تضيفُكَ قلباً من هواكَ معذَّبَا
And O night of Najd, visit Tihamah, that perhaps I
Oh night of Najd, visit Tihama because of me,
may host you with a heart tormented by love for you.
And bring a heart tortured by love for you as a guest.
أَمنis it from بعدafter ماthat كنتُI had been الغزالةَthe sun طالعاًrising
أَمن بعد ما كنتُ الغزالةَ طالعاً
علىabove الناسِpeople أغشىI traverse الأَرضَthe earth شَرقاًeastward ومَغربَاand westward
على الناسِ أغشى الأَرضَ شَرقاً ومَغربَا
Is it after I had been the sun, rising
After I used to rise like a gazelle,
above people, traversing the earth eastward and westward,
Walking east and west across people.
يرانىsees me القَطاthe sandgrouse أَهدىa surer guide لهfor it منthan رياحهِits winds
يرانى القَطا أَهدى له من رياحهِ
وأَخرقand better at crossing للخَرقِthrough the wilderness البعيدِdistant وأَقربَاand nearer
وأَخرق للخَرقِ البعيدِ وأَقربَا
the sandgrouse finding me a surer guide than its winds,
The wild cats see me more guided than their winds,
and better at crossing the distant wilderness and drawing near—
And more penetrating into the far and near crags.
أَحنI yearn الىfor نجدٍNajd ونجدٌand Najd قريبةٌnear
أَحن الى نجدٍ ونجدٌ قريبةٌ
أَبىrefused اللهُGod الاexcept أنْthat اذِلَّI be humbled وأَنْصبَاand I grow weary
أَبى اللهُ الا أنْ اذِلَّ وأَنْصبَا
that I yearn for Najd, though Najd is near?
I yearn for Najd, and Najd is near,
God wills only that I be humbled and weary.
But God decreed that I be humbled and struggle.