تُكَلِّمُني بِالأَرمَنِيَّةِ جارَتي

تُكَلِّمُني بِالأَرمَنِيَّةِ جارَتي

أَيا جارَتي ما الأَرمَنِيَّةُ مِن طَبعي

أَيا جارَتي ما الأَرمَنِيَّةُ مِن طَبعي

My neighbor speaks to me in Armenian.

My neighbor speaks to me in Armenian,

O my neighbor, Armenian is not in my nature.

Oh neighbor, Armenian is not my nature,

وَيا جارَتي لَم آتِ بَيتِكِ رَغبَةً

وَيا جارَتي لَم آتِ بَيتِكِ رَغبَةً

وَلا أَنتَ مَن يُرجى لِضَرٍّ وَلا نَفعِ

وَلا أَنتَ مَن يُرجى لِضَرٍّ وَلا نَفعِ

And, my neighbor, I did not come to your house out of desire.

And neighbor, I did not come to your house out of desire,

Nor are you someone from whom harm or benefit is expected.

Nor are you one whose harm or benefit is hoped for.

دَعاني إِلَيكِ اللَيلُ وَالأَينُ وَالسُرى

دَعاني إِلَيكِ اللَيلُ وَالأَينُ وَالسُرى

فَصادَفتُ أَمراً ضاقَ عَن بَعضِهِ وُسعي

فَصادَفتُ أَمراً ضاقَ عَن بَعضِهِ وُسعي

Night, weariness, and night travel summoned me to you.

The night, the place, and the journey led me to you,

So I encountered something even part of which exceeded my endurance.

So I encountered a situation too narrow for my capacity.

كَلامُكِ وَالدولابُ وَالطَبلُ وَالرَحى

كَلامُكِ وَالدولابُ وَالطَبلُ وَالرَحى

فَلَم أَدرِ ما أَشكوهُ مِن ذَلِكَ الجَمعِ

فَلَم أَدرِ ما أَشكوهُ مِن ذَلِكَ الجَمعِ

Your speech, the waterwheel, the drum, and the millstone—

Your talking, the spinning wheel, the drum, and the mill,

So I did not know which of that company to complain of.

So I did not know which of that group to complain about.

كَلامُكِ فيهِ وَحدَهُ لي كِفايَةٌ

كَلامُكِ فيهِ وَحدَهُ لي كِفايَةٌ

كَأَنَّ صُخوراً مِنهُ تُقذَفُ في سَمعي

كَأَنَّ صُخوراً مِنهُ تُقذَفُ في سَمعي

Your speech alone, among them, is enough for me.

Your talking alone is enough for me,

As though rocks from it were being hurled into my ears.

As if rocks were being thrown at my hearing.

لَكِ اللَهُ ما لاقَيتِ ياعَرَبِيَّتي

لَكِ اللَهُ ما لاقَيتِ ياعَرَبِيَّتي

وَماذا الَّذي عُوِّضتِ بِالبانِ وَالجِزعِ

وَماذا الَّذي عُوِّضتِ بِالبانِ وَالجِزعِ

God be with you—what you have endured, O my Arabic tongue!

May God reward you, my Arab neighbor,

And what have you been given in exchange for the bān trees and the valley bend?

And what is it that you were compensated with yogurt and dried meat?

سَأَدعو عَلى الجُردِ الجِيادِ لِأَنَّها

سَأَدعو عَلى الجُردِ الجِيادِ لِأَنَّها

سَرَت فَأَتَت بي وادِياً غَيرَ ذي زَرعِ

سَرَت فَأَتَت بي وادِياً غَيرَ ذي زَرعِ

I shall call down curses on the sleek, noble steeds, for they

I will invoke curses upon the horses that led me,

traveled by night and brought me to a valley without crops.

And brought me to a valley without vegetation.