سَقى العَهدَ مِن نَجدٍ معاهدَه بِما

سَقى العَهدَ مِن نَجدٍ معاهدَه بِما

يغارُ عَلَيها الدَمعُ أَن تَشرَبَ القَطرا

يغارُ عَلَيها الدَمعُ أَن تَشرَبَ القَطرا

May the haunts of bygone days in Najd be watered, for

He made a pact from Najd with covenants that

Tears jealously begrudge them a drink of rain.

The tear is jealous for it to drink the drops.

فَيا غَينَةَ الجَرعاءِ ما حالَ بَينَنا

فَيا غَينَةَ الجَرعاءِ ما حالَ بَينَنا

سِوى الدَهرِ شَيءٌ فَاِرجِعي نَشتَكي الدَهرا

سِوى الدَهرِ شَيءٌ فَاِرجِعي نَشتَكي الدَهرا

So, O thicket of al-Jar‘a, nothing has come between us

So O fleeting life, what is between us

Except Time; return, and let us complain of Time.

Besides time something so return we complain of fate.

تَقَضَّت حَياةُ العَيشِ إِلا حُشاشَةً

تَقَضَّت حَياةُ العَيشِ إِلا حُشاشَةً

إِذا سَأَلَت لُقياكِ عَلَّلتُها ذِكرا

إِذا سَأَلَت لُقياكِ عَلَّلتُها ذِكرا

Life's vitality has ebbed away, save a last flicker;

The life of living has ended except for a brief revival

When it asks to meet you, I console it with remembrance.

When I asked for your meeting, I excused it with mention.

وَكَم بِالنَقا مِن رَوضَةٍ مُرجَحِنَّةٍ

وَكَم بِالنَقا مِن رَوضَةٍ مُرجَحِنَّةٍ

تَضَمَّخُ أَنفاسُ الرِياحِ بِها نَشرا

تَضَمَّخُ أَنفاسُ الرِياحِ بِها نَشرا

And how many a luxuriant meadow lies at al-Naqa,

And how many meadows waving with soft growth

Where the breaths of the winds are steeped in fragrance!

The breezes soak their breaths in spreading fragrance.

وَمِن نُطفَةٍ زَرقاءَ تَلعَبُ بِالصَدى

وَمِن نُطفَةٍ زَرقاءَ تَلعَبُ بِالصَدى

إِذا ما ثَنى ظلٌّ مُدارٌ بِها سُمرا

إِذا ما ثَنى ظلٌّ مُدارٌ بِها سُمرا

And many a small blue pool that toys with thirst,

And from a blue bud playing with the echo

When a shadow cast around it doubles the dusky trees.

When a bending shadow revolves around it reddish brown.

وَبَردُ نَسيمٍ أَنثَني عِندَ ذِكرِهِ

وَبَردُ نَسيمٍ أَنثَني عِندَ ذِكرِهِ

عَلى زَفَراتٍ تَصدَعُ الكَبدَ الحَرّى

عَلى زَفَراتٍ تَصدَعُ الكَبدَ الحَرّى

And a breeze's coolness—at its remembrance I turn

And the coolness of a breeze that leaned over at the mention

To sighs that cleave the burning liver.

On sighs that rupture the burning liver.

وَإِن لباناتٍ تَضَمَّنَها الحَشا

وَإِن لباناتٍ تَضَمَّنَها الحَشا

قَليلٌ لَدَيها أَن نَضيقَ بِها صَدرا

قَليلٌ لَدَيها أَن نَضيقَ بِها صَدرا

And indeed, the longings harbored in the breast—

And for yearnings that the night contained

Beside them, it is little enough that our breasts tighten with distress.

Little there is for it that we would narrow our chests.