أَقولُ وَقَد رَأَت بِالوَجهِ مِنّي

أَقولُ وَقَد رَأَت بِالوَجهِ مِنّي

مُجاجاً يا مُحَسِّنَةَ المُجاجِ

مُجاجاً يا مُحَسِّنَةَ المُجاجِ

I say, when she has seen upon my face

I say, and she has seen from me

I speak, now that she has seen upon my face

Spittle: O you who make spittle beautiful,

Quarrels, O mender of quarrels!

A trace of spittle—O you who makes even spittle fair,

وَياءَحلى وَأَشهى الناسِ طُرّاً

وَياءَحلى وَأَشهى الناسِ طُرّاً

وَإِن شُبِّهتِ ظُلماً بِالسِماجِ

وَإِن شُبِّهتِ ظُلماً بِالسِماجِ

And O sweetest and most desirable of all people,

O most delicious, the people’s most delicious dish,

O sweetest and most desired of all mankind,

Even if you have been unjustly likened to the ugly,

Even if you were unjustly likened to coarse wool.

Even if you were unjustly likened to the plain,

صِليني يا فَدَتكِ النَفسُ مِنّي

صِليني يا فَدَتكِ النَفسُ مِنّي

وَخَلّي ذا التَعَمُّقَ في اللُجاجِ

وَخَلّي ذا التَعَمُّقَ في اللُجاجِ

Grant me union—oh, may my soul be your ransom—

Bring me close, your soul ransom me,

Grant me union—may my soul be your ransom—

And abandon this deep immersion in obstinacy.

And leave this plunging into the turbid waters.

And leave behind this depth of stubborn strife,

وَحِبّي يا فَدَيتُكِ مِن بَعيدٍ

وَحِبّي يا فَدَيتُكِ مِن بَعيدٍ

فَإِنّي لَستُ في دارِ الخَراجِ

فَإِنّي لَستُ في دارِ الخَراجِ

And love me—oh, may I be your ransom—from afar,

Love me from afar, your ransom from afar,

And love me—may I be your sacrifice—from afar,

For I am not in the tax office.

For I am not in the land of taxes.

For I do not dwell in the house of tax and tribute,

سَنَكلَفُ ما هَويتِ بِكُلِّ شَيءٍ

سَنَكلَفُ ما هَويتِ بِكُلِّ شَيءٍ

وَإِن أَكلَفتِنا لَبَنَ الدَجاجِ

وَإِن أَكلَفتِنا لَبَنَ الدَجاجِ

We shall strive for whatever you desire, by every means,

We will undertake whatever you love with everything,

We shall burden ourselves with whatever you desire,

Even if you demand hens’ milk of us.

Even if you burden us with curds from the udder.

Even if you charged us to find the milk of birds.