يَا لَيلَةً بِتُّهَا فِي شَهرِ أيَّارِ

يَا لَيلَةً بِتُّهَا فِي شَهرِ أيَّارِ

بِحمةِ الأنفِ أرعَى نَجسَهُ السَّاري

بِحمةِ الأنفِ أرعَى نَجسَهُ السَّاري

O night I spent in the month of May,

O night that lingers in the month of May

at Hammat al-Anf, watching over its spreading impurity [wording unclear],

I tend my nasal droppings with care

والجِسمُ إذ ذَاكَ في ضُعفٍ أعَالِجُهُ

والجِسمُ إذ ذَاكَ في ضُعفٍ أعَالِجُهُ

إذَا طَغَى بَردُهُ منْ سُجنِهَا الجّاري

إذَا طَغَى بَردُهُ منْ سُجنِهَا الجّاري

and my body then was weak; I was treating it,

As the body grows weak, I nurse its pains

when its chill surged from its flowing prison [wording unclear].

When its cold surges from its prison unbound

وَاقْطَعُ الوَقتَ فِي أنْسٍ بِطَا ئِفَةٍ

وَاقْطَعُ الوَقتَ فِي أنْسٍ بِطَا ئِفَةٍ

عَزيزَةٍ مِنْ خِيارِ النَّاس اخْيَارِ

عَزيزَةٍ مِنْ خِيارِ النَّاس اخْيَارِ

And I pass the time in pleasant company with a group,

I while away time with dear friends

esteemed, among the finest and most virtuous people.

A precious few of the best people around

يَنْسَى بِهِمْ نَازِحُ الأوطَانِ مَوطِنَهُ

يَنْسَى بِهِمْ نَازِحُ الأوطَانِ مَوطِنَهُ

وَيَعْرَفُونَ بِحَقّ الضّيفِ وَالجَارِ

وَيَعْرَفُونَ بِحَقّ الضّيفِ وَالجَارِ

In their company, one far from home forgets his homeland,

With them the exile forgets his homeland

and they recognize the rights of guest and neighbor.

They know well the rights of guest and neighbor

وَإنْ دَعَتهُمْ دَوَاعِي النَّوم حَرَّكَهُمْ

وَإنْ دَعَتهُمْ دَوَاعِي النَّوم حَرَّكَهُمْ

جسُّ الحبيبِ في تحرِيكِ أوتْارِ

جسُّ الحبيبِ في تحرِيكِ أوتْارِ

And if the summons of sleep beckoned them, they were stirred

And if sleep’s calling stirs them awake

by the beloved's touch as he set the strings vibrating.

The lover’s touch sets their strings aquiver

كُنَّا اجْتَمَعْنَا بِهِمِ مِنْ غَيرِ مَوعِدَةٍ

كُنَّا اجْتَمَعْنَا بِهِمِ مِنْ غَيرِ مَوعِدَةٍ

لَكِنْ جَرَتْ سَهْلَة في صَرفِ الأقْدارِ

لَكِنْ جَرَتْ سَهْلَة في صَرفِ الأقْدارِ

We had gathered with them without an appointment,

We met them unplanned by pure chance

but it came about easily amid the turns of fate,

Destiny’s hands dealt smooth from the deck

كَيْمَا نَرَى زَائِرَ المُخْتَارِ سَيِّدنا

كَيْمَا نَرَى زَائِرَ المُخْتَارِ سَيِّدنا

نَجْلِ ابنِ عَبدِ العزِيزِ الخازِنِ الدَّارِ

نَجْلِ ابنِ عَبدِ العزِيزِ الخازِنِ الدَّارِ

so that we might see our master, the visitor to al-Mukhtar,

Just to see the Chosen’s visitor, our lord

the son of Ibn Abd al-Aziz, the household treasurer,

Grandson of Abdelaziz, keeper of the abode

حَامي الحَقيقة في يوم الهِياجِ وَفِي

حَامي الحَقيقة في يوم الهِياجِ وَفِي

يَومِ السِّهامِ لِنَقْصِ الخَلقِِ صَبَّارِ

يَومِ السِّهامِ لِنَقْصِ الخَلقِِ صَبَّارِ

defender of honor on the day of tumult, and on

Defender of truth in days of discord and

the day of arrows, ever patient with people's shortcomings,

In days of arrows for the people’s defects, patient

فِي دَولَةِ المَلِكِ البَاشَا الذي سَلِمَتْ

فِي دَولَةِ المَلِكِ البَاشَا الذي سَلِمَتْ

أيَّامُهُ الخُضرُ مِنْ هَمِّ وَأكْدارِ

أيَّامُهُ الخُضرُ مِنْ هَمِّ وَأكْدارِ

under the reign of the king, the pasha, whose

In the reign of the King Pasha whose

verdant days were free from worry and troubles—

Green days were safe from care and gloom

ابنِ الحُسَينِ عَلِيّ زِيدَ مَنصِبُهُ

ابنِ الحُسَينِ عَلِيّ زِيدَ مَنصِبُهُ

أمْناً وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ هَمَ وأغيارِ

أمْناً وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ هَمَ وأغيارِ

Ali, son of al-Husayn—may his station grow

Son of Hussein Ali, his post

more secure, and may he be kept safe from worry and reversals.

Secured safety from worry and foes

يَسِّرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ مَا نَرتَجِي كَرَما

يَسِّرْ لَنَا وَلَهُ مَا نَرتَجِي كَرَما

وَاغْفِرْ لِجُمْلَتِنَا يَا خَيرَ غَفَّارِ

وَاغْفِرْ لِجُمْلَتِنَا يَا خَيرَ غَفَّارِ

In your generosity, make easy for us and for him what we hope for,

Make easy for us and him what we hope for in grace

and forgive us all, O best of forgivers.

And forgive all of us, O Greatest Forgiver