الشوقْthe longing إلىto نظمِcomposing الأزجالِzajals (colloquial poems)
الشوقْ إلى نظمِ الأزجالِ
غلبْprevailed علىover أمرِthe will of القاضيthe judge
غلبْ على أمرِ القاضي
The longing to compose zajals
Longing for composing folk poems
Has got the better of the judge.
Has overcome the judge’s discipline
والقصدْand the aim أشرحI recount واقعةan incident حالِactual circumstances
والقصدْ أشرح واقعة حالِ
ماas long as دمتI remain فاضيat leisure أعملI act as قاضيa judge
ما دمت فاضي أعمل قاضي
And my aim is to recount an actual incident:
And my intent is to explain the situation
Since I’m at leisure, I’ll play judge.
As long as I'm free, I'll work as a judge
جرنالْa newspaper نشرْpublished ضمنamong الأخبارthe news
جرنالْ نشرْ ضمن الأخبار
نادرهan anecdote لقاضيabout a judge منfrom قِبْليUpper Egypt
نادره لقاضي من قِبْلي
A newspaper published among the news
A newspaper spread the rare news
An anecdote about a judge from Upper Egypt:
Of a judge before me
أخدhe took أجازهleave ودارand made the rounds منشارa saw
أخد أجازه ودار منشار
فيin مصرِCairo ياكلhe eats ويوَلَيand moves on
في مصرِ ياكل ويوَلَي
He took leave and made the rounds like a saw,
Who took a vacation and went partying
In Cairo, eating and moving on.
In Egypt, eating and gallivanting
Sol 6.1