يا حَبَّذا أَمينَةٌ وَكَلبُها

يا حَبَّذا أَمينَةٌ وَكَلبُها

تُحِبُّهُ جِدّاً كَما يُحِبُّها

تُحِبُّهُ جِدّاً كَما يُحِبُّها

How delightful are Amina and her dog!

Oh, how lovely Amina and her dog are!

She loves him dearly, just as he loves her.

She loves him dearly, just as he loves her.

أَمينَتي تَحبو إِلى الحَولَينِ

أَمينَتي تَحبو إِلى الحَولَينِ

وَكَلبُها يُناهِزُ الشَهرَينِ

وَكَلبُها يُناهِزُ الشَهرَينِ

My Amina is crawling toward the age of two,

My Amina is crawling toward the age of two,

while her dog is nearing two months.

and her dog is nearing two months.

لَكِنَّها بَيضاءُ مِثلُ العاجِ

لَكِنَّها بَيضاءُ مِثلُ العاجِ

وَعَبدُها أَسوَدُ كَالدَياجي

وَعَبدُها أَسوَدُ كَالدَياجي

But she is white as ivory,

But she is white as ivory,

and her servant black as the darkest nights.

and her slave is black as pitch-dark nights.

يَلزَمُها نَهارَها وَتَلزَمُه

يَلزَمُها نَهارَها وَتَلزَمُه

وَمِثلَما يُكرِمُها لا تُكرِمُهُ

وَمِثلَما يُكرِمُها لا تُكرِمُهُ

He stays by her all day, and she stays by him;

He stays by her all day, and she stays by him;

yet she does not honor him as he honors her.

yet she does not show him the kindness he shows her.

فَعِندَها مِن شِدَّةِ الإِشفاقِ

فَعِندَها مِن شِدَّةِ الإِشفاقِ

أَن تَأخُذَ الصَغيرَ بِالخِناقِ

أَن تَأخُذَ الصَغيرَ بِالخِناقِ

To her, the height of tenderness

For, to her, the height of tenderness is

is taking the little one by the throat.

to seize the little one by the throat.

في كُلِّ ساعَةٍ لَهُ صِياحُ

في كُلِّ ساعَةٍ لَهُ صِياحُ

وَقَلَّما يَنعَمُ أَو يَرتاحُ

وَقَلَّما يَنعَمُ أَو يَرتاحُ

Every hour he cries out,

Every hour he cries out,

and seldom knows comfort or rest.

and seldom finds comfort or rest.

وَهَذِهِ حادِثَةٌ لَها مَعَه

وَهَذِهِ حادِثَةٌ لَها مَعَه

تُنبيكَ كَيفَ اِستَأثَرَت بِالمَنفَعَه

تُنبيكَ كَيفَ اِستَأثَرَت بِالمَنفَعَه

Here is an incident between the two

And here is an incident between her and him,

that shows how she claimed the whole advantage for herself.

telling you how she kept the benefit all to herself.

جاءَت بِهِ إِلَيَّ ذاتَ مَرَّه

جاءَت بِهِ إِلَيَّ ذاتَ مَرَّه

تَحمِلُهُ وَهيَ بِهِ كَالبَرَّه

تَحمِلُهُ وَهيَ بِهِ كَالبَرَّه

One day she brought him to me,

Once she brought him to me,

carrying him and looking kindness itself toward him.

carrying him as though she were tenderly devoted to him.

فَقُلتُ أَهلا بِالعَروسِ وَاِبنِها

فَقُلتُ أَهلا بِالعَروسِ وَاِبنِها

ماذا يَكونُ يا تُرى مِن شَأنِها

ماذا يَكونُ يا تُرى مِن شَأنِها

I said, “Welcome to the bride and her son!

So I said, "Welcome to the bride and her son!"

What, I wonder, might her business be?”

What, I wonder, might her business be?

قالَت غُلامي يا أَبي جَوعانُ

قالَت غُلامي يا أَبي جَوعانُ

وَما لَهُ كَما لَنا لِسانُ

وَما لَهُ كَما لَنا لِسانُ

She said, “Father, my boy is hungry,

She said, "My boy is hungry, Father,

and he has no tongue, as we do.

and he has no tongue like ours.

فَمُرهُموا يَأتوا بِخُبزٍ وَلَبَن

فَمُرهُموا يَأتوا بِخُبزٍ وَلَبَن

وَيُحضِروا آنِيَةً ذاتَ ثَمَن

وَيُحضِروا آنِيَةً ذاتَ ثَمَن

So order them to bring him bread and milk,

So tell them to bring bread and milk,

and to fetch a costly bowl.”

and fetch some costly dishes."

فَقُمتُ كَالعادَةِ بِالمَطلوبِ

فَقُمتُ كَالعادَةِ بِالمَطلوبِ

وَجِئتُها أَنظُرُ مِن قَريبِ

وَجِئتُها أَنظُرُ مِن قَريبِ

As usual, the requested things were brought,

So, as usual, I did what she asked,

and I came close to watch her.

and came to her to watch from close by.

فَعَجَنَت في اللَبَنِ اللُبابا

فَعَجَنَت في اللَبَنِ اللُبابا

كَما تَرانا نُطعِمُ الكِلابا

كَما تَرانا نُطعِمُ الكِلابا

She kneaded the soft bread into the milk,

Then she kneaded the bread's soft crumb into the milk,

as you see us feed the dogs.

just as she sees us feeding the dogs.

ثُمَّ أَرادَت أَن تَذوقَ قَبلَهُ

ثُمَّ أَرادَت أَن تَذوقَ قَبلَهُ

فَاِستَطعَمَت بِنتُ الكِرامِ أَكلَهُ

فَاِستَطعَمَت بِنتُ الكِرامِ أَكلَهُ

Then she wanted to taste it before he did,

Then she wanted to taste it before him,

and the daughter of noble folk relished his food.

so the daughter of generous folk found his food delicious.

هُناكَ أَلقَت بِالصَغيرِ لِلوَرا

هُناكَ أَلقَت بِالصَغيرِ لِلوَرا

وَاِندَفَعَت تَبكي بُكاءً مُفتَرى

وَاِندَفَعَت تَبكي بُكاءً مُفتَرى

Thereupon she tossed the little one behind her

At that, she tossed the little one behind her,

and burst into fabricated tears.

and burst into feigned sobs,

تَقولُ بابا أَنا دَحّا وَهوَ كُخّ

تَقولُ بابا أَنا دَحّا وَهوَ كُخّ

مَعناهُ بابا لِيَ وَحدي ما طُبِخ

مَعناهُ بابا لِيَ وَحدي ما طُبِخ

She cried, “Bābā, anā daḥḥā, wa-huwa kukhh!”

saying, "Papa, I'm good, and he's yucky!"

Meaning: “Baba, what was cooked is mine alone.”

Meaning: "Papa, what's been cooked is mine alone!"

فَقُل لِمَن يَجهَل خَطبَ الآنِيَه

فَقُل لِمَن يَجهَل خَطبَ الآنِيَه

قَد فُطِرَ الطِفلُ عَلى الأَنانِيَه

قَد فُطِرَ الطِفلُ عَلى الأَنانِيَه

So tell whoever does not understand the matter of selfishness:

So tell whoever does not grasp the affair of the dishes:

the child is born with selfishness.

A child is indeed selfish by nature.