حُييتَ مِن ربعٍ ومِنْ منزل

حُييتَ مِن ربعٍ ومِنْ منزل

كان محلّ الغَادة العيطل

كان محلّ الغَادة العيطل

Greetings to you, dwelling-place and abode,

I was greeted from a quarter and an abode

once the home of the tall, graceful maiden.

Where the resting place of the tender gazelle was

خدرٌ لليلى بينَ بانِ اللّوى

خدرٌ لليلى بينَ بانِ اللّوى

واللدن أهيف بان في أهيل

واللدن أهيف بان في أهيل

A bower for Layla among the bān trees of al-Liwā,

A cheek resting against the bending sand dunes

and the supple one, a slender bān amid loose sand.

And the smooth rock on the slope of the hill

كانت بها ضاربةً خدرَها

كانت بها ضاربةً خدرَها

أيامَ ذاك الزّمنِ الأول

أيامَ ذاك الزّمنِ الأول

She had pitched her bower there

She used to pitch her tent there

in the days of that earlier time.

In the days of that early time

وكنتُ قد أزْدَارها خُلسَةً

وكنتُ قد أزْدَارها خُلسَةً

بين أنابيب القنا الذَّيّل

بين أنابيب القنا الذَّيّل

And I would sometimes visit her in secret,

And I used to secretly visit her

amid the shafts of long spears.

Among the meandering pipes of the trailing canal

أنْساب لا خلّ ولا صَاحبٌ

أنْساب لا خلّ ولا صَاحبٌ

سِوى غِرارِ الصارم الفيصَل

سِوى غِرارِ الصارم الفيصَل

I slipped along, with neither friend nor companion,

Nobles with no defect or companion

save the edge of the keen, cleaving sword.

Except for the clanging of the decapitating sword

وقومَها يُعرفَ مَا قومُها

وقومَها يُعرفَ مَا قومُها

وأحدُهم يحملُ في الجحفلِ

وأحدُهم يحملُ في الجحفلِ

And her people—it is known what a people they are!

And her people, their people are known

And one of them charges into a mighty host.

And one of them carries on his shoulder

يحمون حتى الزرع عن أرضهم

يحمون حتى الزرع عن أرضهم

بالخيل بل بالزَّرَدِ المسبل

بالخيل بل بالزَّرَدِ المسبل

They keep even crops away from their land,

They protect even the crops from their land

with horses—rather, with trailing chain mail.

With horses and even armored horses

ويمنعون الشمسَ إن أشرقت

ويمنعون الشمسَ إن أشرقت

في خدر ذاتِ الكَفلِ المُثقَلِ

في خدر ذاتِ الكَفلِ المُثقَلِ

And they bar the sun, should it rise,

And they prevent the sun if it rises

from the bower of the woman with heavy hips.

Upon the resting place of the tender gazelle

بَلاَني اللهُ بليلاهم

بَلاَني اللهُ بليلاهم

وقد يُعَافِى ولقد يَبْتلِي

وقد يُعَافِى ولقد يَبْتلِي

God has tried me with their Layla;

God afflicted me with their nights

He may grant relief, and indeed He sends trials.

And He may grant well-being although He may try me

وهَدّدَوُني فتجنّبتُها

وهَدّدَوُني فتجنّبتُها

تجنّبَ العَطشان للمنهل

تجنّبَ العَطشان للمنهل

And they threatened me, so I avoided her,

They threatened me so I avoided her

as a thirsty man avoids a watering place.

As a thirsty man avoids the waterhole

وهددوها فأتتني لها

وهددوها فأتتني لها

رسالةٌ نفسي فِدى المُرْسِل

رسالةٌ نفسي فِدى المُرْسِل

And they threatened her; then there came to me from her

And they threatened her so she sent me

a message—may my soul be ransom for its sender.

A message, my soul her ransom

قالت جرى منهم جرى إنما

قالت جرى منهم جرى إنما

سَهلٌ عليَّ الموتُ مَا دمتَ لي

سَهلٌ عليَّ الموتُ مَا دمتَ لي

She said: What they have done is done; but

She said, “What happened is simple

death is easy for me as long as you are mine.

Death is easy for me as long as you are mine”

وكنتُ لو خيّرتُ منك اللّقاء

وكنتُ لو خيّرتُ منك اللّقاء

والخلدَ في الجنّة لم أقبل

والخلدَ في الجنّة لم أقبل

And were I given the choice between meeting you

And if I were given the choice of meeting you

and eternal life in Paradise, I would reject the latter.

And eternal life in Heaven, I would not accept

حُبُّك طبعٌ فيّ لا ينقضي

حُبُّك طبعٌ فيّ لا ينقضي

والجودُ طبعٌ في بنى المجدل

والجودُ طبعٌ في بنى المجدل

Love for you is inborn in me and never ends.

Your love is innate in me, never ending

And generosity is inborn in the sons of al-Majdal.

And generosity is innate in the people of Mudar

قريتُهم في الرمل لكنّها

قريتُهم في الرمل لكنّها

فوقَ السَّماك الطالع الأعزل

فوقَ السَّماك الطالع الأعزل

Their village lies in the sands, yet it is

I read their ruins in the sands but they

above the rising Simāk, the Unarmed.

Are above the towering, isolated cliff

ذا عُمَرُ الفاروقُ مِنْ حَولِه

ذا عُمَرُ الفاروقُ مِنْ حَولِه

محمدٌ كالمصطفى المَرْسَل

محمدٌ كالمصطفى المَرْسَل

Here is ʿUmar al-Fārūq; around him

The age of Al-Farooq is around it

is Muhammad, like the Chosen One sent as messenger.

Muhammad is like the Chosen Prophet

أهلُ المرؤاتِ وأهل الوفَا

أهلُ المرؤاتِ وأهل الوفَا

ولا يبالون عن العزّل

ولا يبالون عن العزّل

People of noble deeds and people of loyalty,

The people of glory and loyalty

and they pay no heed to the unarmed.

And they do not care about isolation

داموا دوامَ الدّهرِ في نعمة

داموا دوامَ الدّهرِ في نعمة

وفي سعودِ دائمٍ مقبلِ

وفي سعودِ دائمٍ مقبلِ

May they endure as long as time, in prosperity,

May they last the eternal days in bounty

and in lasting, ever-advancing good fortune.

And in continuous, approaching authority