ليI have بكفّيin my palm أصابعfingers
لي بكفّي أصابع
بعضهاsome of them لبعضto others تابعfollowing
بعضها لبعض تابع
I have fingers on my hand;
some of them follow others.
بنصرa ring finger بعدafter خضرunclear; perhaps “little finger”
بنصر بعد خضر
وهوand it is ثانيsecond ورابعand fourth
وهو ثاني ورابع
A ring finger after the little finger [uncertain reading],
and it is second and fourth.
إنif بداappears قبضclenching شكلهاtheir shape
إن بدا قبض شكلها
لانبساطto spreading out تسارعthey hasten
لانبساط تسارع
If their shape appears clenched,
they hasten to spread out.
فيat طهوريmy circumcision ياماhow much! رأيتI saw
في طهوري ياما رأيت
زغرطواthey ululated ليfor me حتىuntil بكيتI wept
زغرطوا لي حتى بكيت
At my circumcision, how much I saw!
They ululated for me until I wept.
فرّحونيthey made me happy وماand not دريتI knew
فرّحوني وما دريت
ماwhat القضاfate فيّto me صانعwould do
ما القضا فيّ صانع
They made me happy, and I did not know
what fate would do to me.
قطعواthey cut off رأسthe head حمامتيmy dove
قطعوا رأس حمامتي
صحتI cried out أناI منfrom حرارتيmy burning pain
صحت أنا من حرارتي
They cut off my dove’s head;
I cried out from my burning pain.
ضحكواthey laughed أهلthe people حارتيmy neighborhood
ضحكوا أهل حارتي
ايشwhat يُبَالواdo they care الأشاكعthe rascals
ايش يُبَالوا الأشاكع
The people of my neighborhood laughed—
what did the rascals care?
حينwhen حوتheld أضلعيmy ribs ألمpain
حين حوت أضلعي ألم
منfrom طهوريmy circumcision أسالmade flow دمblood
من طهوري أسال دم
When my ribs harbored pain
from my circumcision, which made blood flow,
فضحexposed الدمعthe tears حينwhen نمbetrayed the secret
فضح الدمع حين نم
ماwhat حوتهthey held it الأضالعthe ribs
ما حوته الأضالع
the tears, when they told tales, exposed
what the ribs had held.
Sol 6.1