يا لَيلَة بِتنا بِبَرزَةَ نَشتَكي

يا لَيلَة بِتنا بِبَرزَةَ نَشتَكي

عَدَمَ القِرا بِمَقامِ مَن سَنَّ القِرا

عَدَمَ القِرا بِمَقامِ مَن سَنَّ القِرا

O night we spent at Barza, complaining

O night when we complained at the hillside

of the lack of hospitality at the shrine of him who instituted hospitality.

Of the lack of hospitality from the generous host

بِتنا وَباتَ البَردُ يَنفُضُنا إِلى

بِتنا وَباتَ البَردُ يَنفُضُنا إِلى

أَن كادَ يَفصِمُ مِن مَفاصِلِنا العُرى

أَن كادَ يَفصِمُ مِن مَفاصِلِنا العُرى

We spent the night with the cold shaking us, until

We spent the night while the cold shook us

it nearly snapped the bonds of our joints.

Until it almost snapped our joints apart

لا حَبَّذا هِيَ لَيلَةٌ بِتنا بِها

لا حَبَّذا هِيَ لَيلَةٌ بِتنا بِها

حَتّىالصَباح وَنَحنُ نَجتَرُّ الخَرا

حَتّىالصَباح وَنَحنُ نَجتَرُّ الخَرا

How unwelcome it was—that night we spent there,

If only it were a night we spent in it

until morning, while we chewed the cud of shit.

Until the morning while we dragged along misfortune

قُلنا لِقَيِّمِها وَقَد وافى بِشَم

قُلنا لِقَيِّمِها وَقَد وافى بِشَم

عَتِهِ فَصارَ العرفُ مِنّا مُنكرا

عَتِهِ فَصارَ العرفُ مِنّا مُنكرا

We said to its caretaker, when he arrived with

We said to its caretaker when he came at evening

his candle, so kindness met with our disapproval:

With his characteristic scent, so customs became denied

قَدِّم إِلَينا شَبعَةً لا شَمعَةً

قَدِّم إِلَينا شَبعَةً لا شَمعَةً

فَالجوعُ عَن أَجفانِنا طَرَدَ الكَرى

فَالجوعُ عَن أَجفانِنا طَرَدَ الكَرى

Bring us a filling meal, not a candle;

Present us with a meal, not a candle

for hunger drove slumber from our eyelids.

For hunger has driven sleep away from our eyes

وَدَعِ الظَلامَ يَلُفُّنا في مِثلِ ما اخ

وَدَعِ الظَلامَ يَلُفُّنا في مِثلِ ما اخ

تارَت بَنو العَبّاسِ لِبساً في الوَرى

تارَت بَنو العَبّاسِ لِبساً في الوَرى

And let darkness wrap us in the like of what

And let the darkness wrap around us like what

the sons of al-ʿAbbās chose as clothing among mankind.

The Abbasids chose as attire in the land