ليسthere is no كالسُّكرlike drunkenness دواءٌa remedy
ليس كالسُّكر دواءٌ
لغناءٍfor singing كالدواءِlike a disease
لغناءٍ كالدواءِ
There is no remedy like drunkenness
Sugar is no cure
for singing like a disease.
For singing like medicine
فاسْقِنيso give me to drink عشرينtwenty رطلاًratls (units of weight)
فاسْقِني عشرين رطلاً
لاdo not تَشبهُنَّmix them بماءِwith water
لا تَشبهُنَّ بماءِ
So give me twenty ratls to drink;
So give me twenty pounds
do not mix them with water.
Don't compare it to water
فلعلso perhaps السكرَdrunkenness يكفيـwill spare
فلعل السكرَ يكفيـ
ـنيme أذىdistress هذاthis العُواءِthe howling
ـني أذى هذا العُواءِ
So perhaps drunkenness will spare
Maybe sugar will protect me
me the distress of this howling.
From the harm of this affliction
منwho رأىhas seen منتحِباًsobbing غيـother than (continued)
من رأى منتحِباً غيـ
ـريme (completing 'other than me') علىover سوءbadness الغناءِthe singing
ـري على سوء الغناءِ
Who has seen anyone sobbing other than
Whoever saw me devastated
me over the awfulness of the singing?
Not because of bad singing
Sol 6.1