ياO واصفdescriber of الأكلfood كُفيتmay you be spared الملامreproach
يا واصف الأكل كُفيت الملام
كرّرrepeat علىto سمعيmy hearing لذيذdelicious الكلامspeech
كرّر على سمعي لذيذ الكلام
O describer of food, may you be spared reproach.
O you who describe food, enough of blame
Repeat in my hearing the delicious words.
Repeat to my ears the sweetest words
وغنّand sing عنيon my behalf فيamong الورىhumankind مُعلناًproclaiming openly
وغنّ عني في الورى مُعلناً
ماnot طابwas pleasant وقتa time قدalready خلاwas devoid منof طعامfood
ما طاب وقت قد خلا من طعام
And sing on my behalf among humankind, proclaiming:
And sing about me in the world proclaiming
No time devoid of food has ever been pleasant.
How good is the time that's not without a meal
واجزمand resolve برفعon lifting الكسرbread pieces; breaking (wordplay) مهماwhenever بدتappears
واجزم برفع الكسر مهما بدت
مائدةa dining table قدalready نصبتهاhave set it كرامgenerous people
مائدة قد نصبتها كرام
And resolve to lift the bread pieces whenever there appears
Insist on raising the vowel no matter how
a table that generous folk have set.
A set table seems to lower it out of generosity
كمhow many a عابسfrowning person منfrom جوعهhis hunger إذاwhen رأىhe sees
كم عابس من جوعه إذا رأى
موائدtables الأكلfood غداbecame فيin ابتسامsmiling
موائد الأكل غدا في ابتسام
How many a man frowning from hunger, when he sees
How many a gloomy face smiles
tables of food, breaks into smiles!
When tables of food he sees the next day
أياO مزاجاًa mixture حلّsettled فيin الصحنthe dish لوif
أيا مزاجاً حلّ في الصحن لو
حلّيتyou sweetened قلبيmy heart لمnot يكنbe ذاthat حرامforbidden
حلّيت قلبي لم يكن ذا حرام
O mixture dwelling in the dish, if
What a mood that descends into a plate, if
you sweetened my heart, that would not be forbidden.
It descended into my heart it would not be forbidden
زُرنيvisit me بمامونيةwith ma'muniyya, a sweet dish قدalready بداappeared
زُرني بمامونية قد بدا
للسكرfor the sugar المنثورsprinkled فيهاin it انتظامan orderly arrangement
للسكر المنثور فيها انتظام
Visit me with ma'muniyya; there has appeared
Visit me with treats that seem
an orderly pattern in the sugar sprinkled within it.
To the sugar sprinkled on it, well-arranged
ماhow أحلاكsweet you are ياO قطرsyrup of النباتrock sugar الذيwhich
ما أحلاك يا قطر النبات الذي
قدalready خاضwaded فيهin it الموزthe bananas أخَيّmy little brother وعامand swam
قد خاض فيه الموز أخَيّ وعام
How sweet you are, O rock-sugar syrup, in which
How beautiful you are, oh juice of the plant in which
bananas have waded, my dear brother, and swum!
My brother banana swam around in it this year and last
لاdo not تقطعsever الوصلthe bond حبيبيmy beloved وقُمand rise
لا تقطع الوصل حبيبي وقُم
زُرنيvisit me ولوand even if بالطيفthrough a dream-vision عندduring المنامsleep
زُرني ولو بالطيف عند المنام
Do not sever the bond, my beloved; rise,
Do not cut off connection, my love, and get up
visit me, even in a dream-vision when I sleep.
Visit me even as a specter in my sleep
وأنتand you ياO ذاpossessor of الموزbananas ياO منyou who غداbecame
وأنت يا ذا الموز يا من غدا
مآلthe ultimate goal آماليmy hopes عليكupon you السلامpeace
مآل آمالي عليك السلام
And you, O possessor of bananas, O you who have become
And you, oh banana, you who has become
the goal of my hopes—peace be upon you!
The hope of my hopes, peace be upon you
ياO مَنone who تحاشىkept clear قلبهhis heart عنof نوىfruit stones; separation (wordplay)
يا مَن تحاشى قلبه عن نوى
قُمrise طيّبgladden العُشّاقthe lovers فيin ذاthis المقامplace
قُم طيّب العُشّاق في ذا المقام
O you whose heart has kept clear of fruit stones,
O you who avoided the pits, get up
rise and delight the lovers in this place.
And perfume the lovers in this standing place
ياO ناسpeople ياO ناسpeople اسمعواlisten ماwhat لكمwith you (plural)
يا ناس يا ناس اسمعوا ما لكم
هذاthis one حداurged on هذاthis one كذاthus فيin زحامa throng
هذا حدا هذا كذا في زحام
O people, O people, listen—what is the matter with you?
O people, O people, listen to me, what is with you?
This one urged that one on, thus, amid the throng.
This is a limit, this is like that in crowds
قومواget up (plural) العبواplay (plural) فليقيسFaliqis (unclear game name) أوor حبلمةHabalama (unclear game name)
قوموا العبوا فليقيس أو حبلمة
ولاor (colloquial); literally 'and not' أمUmm: mother of (game-name element) غماياGhamaya (unclear game-name element) وطارand flew الحمامthe pigeons
ولا أم غمايا وطار الحمام
Get up and play Faliqis or Habalama,
Get up and play, so the surveyor or dreamer may measure
or Umm Ghamaya and "The Pigeons Flew."
Not my worries, and the pigeons have flown away
أوفيor in (word division uncertain) الطعاماتthe foods أيhey (uncertain) وناand I (apparently dialectal) أمكمyour mother (plural 'your')
أوفي الطعامات أي ونا أمكم
ولاor (colloquial); literally 'and not' سويهاmake it القفقشاal-Qafqasha (unclear term) فيin الظلامthe darkness
ولا سويها القفقشا في الظلام
Or among the foods—hey, and I am your mother—
Is it not the foods, oh where are you my mother?
or make it al-Qafqasha in the dark.
Nothing equals it, the couscous in the dark
Sol 6.1