طالَ لَيلي بِجانِبِ البُستانِ

طالَ لَيلي بِجانِبِ البُستانِ

مَع جَواري المَهدِيِّ وَالخَيزُرانِ

مَع جَواري المَهدِيِّ وَالخَيزُرانِ

My night grew long beside the garden,

My night was long by the garden side

with the maidservants of al-Mahdi and al-Khayzuran.

With my beloved's maid and chrysanthemum beside

أَيُّها العاشِقونَ قوموا جَميعاً

أَيُّها العاشِقونَ قوموا جَميعاً

نَشتَكي ما بِنا إِلى الرَحمَنِ

نَشتَكي ما بِنا إِلى الرَحمَنِ

O lovers, rise all together;

O lovers, rise, let us together cry

let us complain of what ails us to the Most Merciful.

And to the Merciful our sorrows confide

إِنَّ فَوزاً لَمّا أَتاها الجَواري

إِنَّ فَوزاً لَمّا أَتاها الجَواري

يَتَباكَينَني لِمَا قَد شَجاني

يَتَباكَينَني لِمَا قَد شَجاني

Indeed, Fawz, when the maidservants came to her,

When her maid brought tidings of her boss

feigning tears for me over what had grieved me,

She wept for me, my suffering did embody

وَتَعَطَّفنَها عَلَيَّ وَيَحلِف

وَتَعَطَّفنَها عَلَيَّ وَيَحلِف

نَ عَلى ما ذَكَرنَ بِالأَيمانِ

نَ عَلى ما ذَكَرنَ بِالأَيمانِ

and stirred her compassion for me, and swore

She pleaded on my behalf and swore

oaths confirming what they had recounted,

Upon what she recalled solemnly

أَرسَلَت بِاللُبانِ قَد مَضَغَتهُ

أَرسَلَت بِاللُبانِ قَد مَضَغَتهُ

فَوقَ تُفّاحَةٍ عَلى رَيحانِ

فَوقَ تُفّاحَةٍ عَلى رَيحانِ

sent frankincense she had chewed,

She sent to me gum she had chewed

atop an apple resting on sweet basil,

Above an apple and basil beside

وَبِمِسواكِها الَّذي اِختارَهُ اللَ

وَبِمِسواكِها الَّذي اِختارَهُ اللَ

هُ لِفيها مِن أَطيَبِ الأَغصانِ

هُ لِفيها مِن أَطيَبِ الأَغصانِ

and her tooth-stick, which God had chosen

With her miswak that Allah did endow

for her mouth from the finest branches.

Upon her from the purest branches wide

فَكَأَنّي وَجَدتُ ريحاً مِن الفِر

فَكَأَنّي وَجَدتُ ريحاً مِن الفِر

دَوسِ فاحَت مِن ريح ذاكَ اللُبانِ

دَوسِ فاحَت مِن ريح ذاكَ اللُبانِ

So it was as though I caught a scent from Paradise,

I found a scent like that of paradise

wafting from the fragrance of that frankincense.

When I smelled that gum she sent to me

وَكَأَنَّ المِسواكَ مِسواكَ فَوزٍ

وَكَأَنَّ المِسواكَ مِسواكَ فَوزٍ

أَخلَصُ النَبتِ في رياضِ الجِنانِ

أَخلَصُ النَبتِ في رياضِ الجِنانِ

And the tooth-stick, Fawz's tooth-stick, seemed

As if the miswak was from Fawz herself

the purest plant in the gardens of Paradise.

The purest plant in the gardens heavenly

أَيُّ شَيءٍ يا قَومُ أَطيَبُ مِن شَي

أَيُّ شَيءٍ يا قَومُ أَطيَبُ مِن شَي

ءٍ سَقَتهُ مِن ريقِها فَسَقاني

ءٍ سَقَتهُ مِن ريقِها فَسَقاني

What, O people, is sweeter than something

My people what is sweeter than the draught

she moistened with her saliva, and which then gave me drink?

From her mouth that she let me drink bounteously

لَيتَ شِعري هَل لي إِلَيها سَبيلٌ

لَيتَ شِعري هَل لي إِلَيها سَبيلٌ

فَأَراها في خَلوَةٍ وَتَراني

فَأَراها في خَلوَةٍ وَتَراني

If only I knew: is there a way for me to reach her,

I wonder if to her I can find a way

so I might see her in private, and she might see me?

To see her in seclusion privately

يا جَواري فَاِشفَعنَ لي يا جَواري

يا جَواري فَاِشفَعنَ لي يا جَواري

كَلَّ عَن وَصفِ ما لَقيتُ لِساني

كَلَّ عَن وَصفِ ما لَقيتُ لِساني

O maidservants, then intercede for me, O maidservants!

O maids intercede for me, O maids

My tongue has fallen short of describing what I have endured.

Stop describing what has tied my tongue eternally