أَيُّهاO you المالِحانِthe two boatmen بِاللَهِby God جِدّاmake haste, you two
أَيُّها المالِحانِ بِاللَهِ جِدّا
أَصلِحاset right, you two ليfor me الشِراعَthe sail وَالسُكّاناand the rudder
أَصلِحا لي الشِراعَ وَالسُكّانا
O you two boatmen, by God, make haste!
O sailors, for God's sake steer carefully,
Set the sail and rudder right for me.
Repair my sail and rudder properly.
بَلِّغانيbring me, you two هُديتُماmay you both be guided البَرداناal-Bardan
بَلِّغاني هُديتُما البَردانا
وَاِنزِلاand bring down, you two ليfor me مِنَfrom among الدِنانِthe wine-jars دِناناwine-jars
وَاِنزِلا لي مِنَ الدِنانِ دِنانا
Bring me—may you both be guided—to al-Bardan,
Deliver your gift that cheers me hourly,
and bring down some of the wine-jars for me.
And pour me cups of wine continually.
وَاِعدِلاand turn aside, you two بيwith me إِلىto القَبيصَةِal-Qabisa فَالزَهthen al-Zahra (first part)
وَاِعدِلا بي إِلى القَبيصَةِ فَالزَه
راءِal-Zahra (completion) عَلّيperhaps I أُفَرِّجُI dispel الأَحزاناthe sorrows
راءِ عَلّي أُفَرِّجُ الأَحزانا
And turn with me toward al-Qabisa, then al-Zahra,
Set sail for Qabīşah, where in the villa,
that I may perhaps dispel my sorrows.
My sorrow's cured by joy most willingly.
وَإِذاand when ماemphatic particle أَقَمتُI have stayed حَولاًa year تَماماًcomplete
وَإِذا ما أَقَمتُ حَولاً تَماماً
فَاِقصِداthen head, you two بيwith me إِلىto كرومٍvineyards أَواناAwana
فَاِقصِدا بي إِلى كرومٍ أَوانا
And when I have stayed a full year,
And when we've finished up our travels fully,
then take me to the vineyards of Awana.
Make way to vineyards ripe and ready hourly.
وَاِنزِلاand go down, you two بيwith me إِلىto شَرابٍwine عَتيقٍaged
وَاِنزِلا بي إِلى شَرابٍ عَتيقٍ
عَتَّقَتهُaged it يَهودُهُits Jews أَزماناfor ages
عَتَّقَتهُ يَهودُهُ أَزمانا
And take me down to an aged wine,
And land me at old wine preserved entirely,
which its Jews have aged for ages.
Made pure by years, not Jewish ritually.
وَاِحطُطاand lower, you two ليfor me الشِراعِthe sail بِالدَيرِat the monastery بِالعَلin al-ʿAlth (first part)
وَاِحطُطا لي الشِراعِ بِالدَيرِ بِالعَل
ثِal-ʿAlth (completion) لَعَلّيperhaps I أُعاشِرُI keep company with الرُهباناthe monks
ثِ لَعَلّي أُعاشِرُ الرُهبانا
And lower the sail for me at the monastery in al-ʿAlth,
Then drop anchor by the monastery,
that I may perhaps keep company with the monks,
That I may join in talk with monks so holy.
وَظَباءٍand gazelles يَتلونَthey recite سِفراًa book مِنَfrom الإِنthe Gospel (first part)
وَظَباءٍ يَتلونَ سِفراً مِنَ الإِن
جيلِGospel (completion) باكَرنَthey came early سُحرَةًbefore dawn قُرباناCommunion
جيلِ باكَرنَ سُحرَةً قُربانا
and gazelles reciting a book of the Gospel,
With gazelles whose scripture we read yearly
who came early, before dawn, for Communion,
At dawn they're sacrificed most willingly.
لاwearing (first part) بِساتٍwearing (completion) مِنَof المُسوحِsackcloth ثِياباًgarments
لا بِساتٍ مِنَ المُسوحِ ثِياباً
جَعَلَplaced اللَهُGod تَحتَهاbeneath them أَغصاناboughs
جَعَلَ اللَهُ تَحتَها أَغصانا
wearing garments of sackcloth,
In modest robes that under them hide merely
beneath which God had placed boughs,
Branches God made into limbs so comely.
خَفِراتٍmodest حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen أَدارَتshe passed around الكَأthe cup (first part)
خَفِراتٍ حَتّى إِذا أَدارَت الكَأ
سَcup (completion) كَشَفنَthey bared النُحورَthe throats وَالصُلباناand the crosses
سَ كَشَفنَ النُحورَ وَالصُلبانا
modest—until, when she passed the cup around,
They circle till, when they face us directly,
they bared their throats and crosses.
They bare their breasts and crosses, kneeling lowly.
رَقَّit grew delicate حَتّىuntil حَسِبتُهُI took it for خَدَّthe cheek of مَنone who أَبhe exchanged (first part)
رَقَّ حَتّى حَسِبتُهُ خَدَّ مَن أَب
دَلَنيexchanged for me (completion) وِصالَهُhis intimacy هِجراناestrangement
دَلَني وِصالَهُ هِجرانا
It was so delicate I took it for the cheek of one who had exchanged
So soft their skin, that one might think nearly,
his intimacy with me for estrangement.
An absent love returned quite willingly.
Sol 6.1