ياO موزbananas ياO قطرsyrup زُوراvisit, you two منزليmy home زُوراvisit, you two
يا موز يا قطر زُورا منزلي زُورا
قلبيmy heart يُحبّكماloves you both ماnot قلتI said ذاthis زوراfalsely
قلبي يُحبّكما ما قلت ذا زورا
O bananas, O syrup, visit my home—visit!
O banana, O berries, visit my home, pay a visit
My heart loves you both; I did not say this falsely.
My heart loves you both, I did not say this falsely
ياO صحنdish بالقشطةwith clotted cream الحِقنيjoin me وخذand take عسلاhoney
يا صحن بالقشطة الحِقني وخذ عسلا
ولاand do not تدعleave قلبheart خبزيmy bread السُّخنhot مكسوراbroken
ولا تدع قلب خبزي السُّخن مكسورا
O dish of clotted cream, join me and take some honey,
O yogurt bowl with cream, come to me and take some honey
and do not leave the heart of my hot bread broken.
And do not let my hot bread be broken
والستand Lady بقلاوةbaklava الجلاّبal-Jallab إنif حضرتshe arrives
والست بقلاوة الجلاّب إن حضرت
فكبّرthen proclaim the greatness of اللَهGod ياO مشكاحMishkah تكبيراa proclamation of greatness
فكبّر اللَه يا مشكاح تكبيرا
And if Lady Baklava of al-Jallab arrives,
And if the woman with carob comes around
then proclaim God's greatness, O Mishkah—proclaim it!
Then glorify Allah, O strainer, with glorification
ياO جبنcheese حالومhalloumi رُحgo عنيaway from me وغبand vanish أبداًforever
يا جبن حالوم رُح عني وغب أبداً
لاnot كنتmay you be فيin سائرall الآفاقthe horizons مذكوراmentioned
لا كنت في سائر الآفاق مذكورا
O halloumi cheese, go away from me and vanish forever!
O Halloumi cheese, go away from me and disappear forever
May you never be mentioned across all horizons!
So you would no longer be mentioned in all horizons
استحbe ashamed وانحشand flee ففيfor in المقليfried fare عنكwithout you غنىsufficiency
استح وانحش ففي المقلي عنك غنى
مدوّدworm-ridden القعرthe bottom رُحgo ياسوسO weevil مدحوراbanished
مدوّد القعر رُح ياسوس مدحورا
Have some shame and flee: fried fare is enough without you.
Be ashamed and hide away, for in the frying pan, I can do without you
Worm-ridden at the bottom—begone, O weevil, banished!
O wrinkly bottomed one, go away defeated
حلاوةsweetmeat ابنson of عبيدUbayd منamong فضائلهاits virtues
حلاوة ابن عبيد من فضائلها
ماwhatever قدhas تكسّرbroken apart منهاof it عادreturned مجبوراmended
ما قد تكسّر منها عاد مجبورا
Among the virtues of Ibn Ubayd's sweetmeat is this:
The sweetness of Ibn Ubeid, among his virtues
whatever has broken off it becomes whole again.
That which breaks from it gets fixed again
بالمسكwith musk والعودand aloeswood كمhow often باتتit spent the night مُخمّرةsteeped
بالمسك والعود كم باتت مُخمّرة
بهاon it سكرتI grew drunk وماand not شاهدتI saw خمروراa wine-drinker
بها سكرت وما شاهدت خمرورا
How often it has lain overnight, steeped in musk and aloeswood;
With musk and oud, how soaked it has become
I grew drunk on it, though I had seen no wine-drinker.
I got drunk from it yet I did not see a hangover
أماas for الكنافةkunafa فيin قطرsyrup النباتrock sugar فكمthen how often
أما الكنافة في قطر النبات فكم
منهbecause of it تقطّرdripped دمعtears العينthe eye قطروراdrop after drop
منه تقطّر دمع العين قطرورا
As for kunafa in rock-sugar syrup, how often
As for knafeh in the syrup of nibat
tears have dripped from the eye because of it, drop after drop!
From it the tears of the eyes drip drop by drop
وإنand if تكنit is منfrom قوامQiwam فالقوامthen proper consistency لهاbelongs to it
وإن تكن من قوام فالقوام لها
إذsince صارbecame صاحبهاits maker فيamong الناسthe people مشهوراfamous
إذ صار صاحبها في الناس مشهورا
And if it comes from Qiwam, it has proper consistency,
And if it becomes solid, yet for it is solidity
for its maker has become famous among the people.
Since its maker among the people became famous
دهريmy lifetime الفداthe ransom الوقتtime مرّpassed حينwhen حلاgrew sweet
دهري الفدا الوقت مرّ حين حلا
فيin منزلa house لمdid not يزلcease بالأكلwith food معموراfilled
في منزل لم يزل بالأكل معمورا
My lifetime as ransom! Time passed just when it grew sweet,
My lifetime, time passed when it dissolved
in a house that was always filled with food.
In a house that was always filled with food
مُدّwas spread out السّماطthe feast وماand not قصّرتI held back فيهat it فكمfor how often
مُدّ السّماط وما قصّرت فيه فكم
حاولتI tried أنto أدعleave الممدودthe long spread مقصوراshortened
حاولت أن أدع الممدود مقصورا
The feast was spread, and I did not hold back at it; how often
I extended the smat and did not fall short in it, so how
I tried to leave the long spread shortened!
I tried to let the extended become limited
وكمand how often جزمتI resolved برفعon lifting الصحنthe dish مُذsince عطفواthey added
وكم جزمت برفع الصحن مُذ عطفوا
فيهin it المشورthe mashur منصوباًset up ومجروراand drawn along
فيه المشور منصوباً ومجرورا
And how often I resolved to lift the dish, once they had added
And how I was certain to lift up the dish, since they inclined
the mashur to it, set up and drawn along—
In it the mashwara declined and defined
لولاwere it not for العصيّthe sticks غدتbecame بالضربwith blows فاصلةdecisive
لولا العصيّ غدت بالضرب فاصلة
ولمand not أجدI found سبباًa means للزحفfor crawling forward ميسوراeasy
ولم أجد سبباً للزحف ميسورا
but for the sticks, which settled matters with their blows!
If not for the stick, it would have ended with a beating
And I found no easy means to crawl forward,
And I did not find an easy reason for crawling
فقلتso I said منfrom خوفهاfear of them ياO قلبheart دعهleave it عيسىIsa
فقلت من خوفها يا قلب دعه عيسى
تلقىyou will find نصيبكyour share فيin الفردوسParadise موفوراabundant
تلقى نصيبك في الفردوس موفورا
so, fearing them, I said: 'O heart, leave it, Isa;
So I said, out of fear of it, O heart leave it be
you will find your share in Paradise in abundance.'
You will find your share in Paradise plentiful
Sol 6.1