أَحِنُّ إِلى نَجدٍِ وَإِن هَبَّتِ الصِبا

أَحِنُّ إِلى نَجدٍِ وَإِن هَبَّتِ الصِبا

وَأَصبَحوا إِلى شَرخِ الشَبيبَةِ وَالصِبا

وَأَصبَحوا إِلى شَرخِ الشَبيبَةِ وَالصِبا

I yearn for Najd, even if the east wind blows.

I yearn for Najd though the north winds blow,

And they awoke to the prime of youth and childhood.

And they have reached the prime of youth.

وَقَلبي إِلى الحَيِّ الجُلاحِيِّ لَم يَزَل

وَقَلبي إِلى الحَيِّ الجُلاحِيِّ لَم يَزَل

مَشوقاً عَلى ماءِ العُذيبُ مُعَذَّبا

مَشوقاً عَلى ماءِ العُذيبُ مُعَذَّبا

And for the Julahi encampment my heart has never ceased

My heart is ever drawn towards the tribe of Julah,

To yearn, tormented beside the waters of al-ʿUdhayb.

Thirsting for the water of Udhaib, suffering agony.

وَأَغيدُ بَرّاقُ الثَنِياتِ واضِحٌ

وَأَغيدُ بَرّاقُ الثَنِياتِ واضِحٌ

أَبى القَلبُ عَن حُبِّيهِ أَن يَتَقَلَّبا

أَبى القَلبُ عَن حُبِّيهِ أَن يَتَقَلَّبا

And a graceful youth, radiant, with gleaming front teeth—

Dazzling are the slopes of Thanayyat, bright,

The heart refused to turn away from its two loves.

But my heart refused to change its love.

لَهُ شَعَرٌ ما اِهتَزَّ إِلّا تَثَعبَنَت

لَهُ شَعَرٌ ما اِهتَزَّ إِلّا تَثَعبَنَت

ذَوائِبُهُ وَالصُدغُ إِلّا تَعَقرَبا

ذَوائِبُهُ وَالصُدغُ إِلّا تَعَقرَبا

He has hair that never sways without making serpents

He has hair that stirs not unless his tresses flutter,

Of his tresses, and a scorpion of his temple-lock.

And a cheek that reddens not save when it glows.

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد بِتُّ أُسقى بِكَفِّهِ

وَكَم لَيلَةٍ قَد بِتُّ أُسقى بِكَفِّهِ

عَلى وَجهِهِ نادَمتُ بَدراً وَكَوكَبا

عَلى وَجهِهِ نادَمتُ بَدراً وَكَوكَبا

And many a night I have spent being given drink by his hand;

Many a night have I spent, my hand his pillow,

With his face before me, I drank with a full moon and a star.

Gazing at his face and the moon and stars.

حَكَت فَمَهُ طَعماً وَريحاً وَخَدَّهُ

حَكَت فَمَهُ طَعماً وَريحاً وَخَدَّهُ

إِذا مَزَجوها رِقَّةً وَتلَهُّبا

إِذا مَزَجوها رِقَّةً وَتلَهُّبا

It resembled his mouth in taste and fragrance, and his cheek,

His mouth tasted sweetness and fragrance and his cheek,

When they mixed it, in delicacy and fiery glow.

When they merged, tenderness and ardour.

وَكُلُ لَيلَةٍ أَمسى لِميعادِ وَصلِهِ

وَكُلُ لَيلَةٍ أَمسى لِميعادِ وَصلِهِ

مُسَيلَمَةً إِلّا وَأَصبَحَت أَشعَبا

مُسَيلَمَةً إِلّا وَأَصبَحَت أَشعَبا

And every night, at the appointed tryst with him, turned by evening into

And every night I bid farewell for our tryst,

A Musaylima, only to become an Ashʿab by morning.

Only to spend it sleepless, till dawn breaks.

وَقائِلَةٍ لي حينَ أَصبَحتُ لاهِياً

وَقائِلَةٍ لي حينَ أَصبَحتُ لاهِياً

بِزُخرُفِ دُنيا كُلَّما رُمتُهُ أَبى

بِزُخرُفِ دُنيا كُلَّما رُمتُهُ أَبى

And a woman said to me, when I had become engrossed

And a voice says when I play at dawn, neglectful

In worldly glitter, which refused me whenever I sought it:

Of the world’s ornaments, spurning all I'm offered:

لَعَمرُكَ ما شَرَخَ الشَبيبَةِ راجِعٌ

لَعَمرُكَ ما شَرَخَ الشَبيبَةِ راجِعٌ

إِذا ما تَوَلّى العُمرُ عَنكَ وَجَنَّبا

إِذا ما تَوَلّى العُمرُ عَنكَ وَجَنَّبا

“By your life, the prime of youth does not return

By your life! The spring of youth comes not back

Once life has turned away from you and veered aside.

If time turns from you, heedless, aloof.

وَلِلشَيبِ شَعَراتٌ تَدُلُّ عَلى الفَنا

وَلِلشَيبِ شَعَراتٌ تَدُلُّ عَلى الفَنا

إِذا اِبتَسَمت في عارِضِ المَرءِ قَطَّبا

إِذا اِبتَسَمت في عارِضِ المَرءِ قَطَّبا

And grayness has hairs that point to death:

And age has hairs to show that death is near

When they smile along a man's cheek, he frowns.”

When they curl, mocking, on a person's temple.