أَمينَتيmy Amina فيin عامِهاher year
أَمينَتي في عامِها
الأَوَّلِthe first مِثلُlike المَلَكِthe angel
الأَوَّلِ مِثلُ المَلَكِ
My Amina, in her year—
My little one in her first year
her first—is like an angel.
Is like an angel, good and dear
صالِحَةٌworthy لِلحُبِّof love مِنfrom
صالِحَةٌ لِلحُبِّ مِن
كُلٍّeveryone وَلِلتَبَرُّكِand for seeking blessings
كُلٍّ وَلِلتَبَرُّكِ
Worthy of love from
For love and blessing, it is clear
everyone, and of being a source of blessings.
How my heart flutters without fear
كَمhow often خَفَقَfluttered القَلبُthe heart لَهاfor her
كَم خَفَقَ القَلبُ لَها
عِندَat البُكاweeping وَالضَحِكِand laughter
عِندَ البُكا وَالضَحِكِ
How often the heart has fluttered for her
When she laughs and sheds a tear
at her weeping and laughter!
How my eyes always hold her near
وَكَمand how often رَعَتهاwatched over her العَينُthe eye فيin
وَكَم رَعَتها العَينُ في
السُكونِstillness وَالتَحَرُّكِand movement
السُكونِ وَالتَحَرُّكِ
And how often the eye has watched over her in
In stillness and in motion, she is ever so dear
stillness and movement!
When she walks, my spirit stays near
فَإِنso if مَشَتshe walks فَخاطِريthen my mind
فَإِن مَشَت فَخاطِري
يَسبِقُهاruns ahead of her كَالمُمسِكِlike one who catches
يَسبِقُها كَالمُمسِكِ
So if she walks, my mind
I watch her as if she were
runs ahead of her like one ready to catch her.
A part of my vision, ever so clear
أَلحَظُهاI watch her كَأَنَّهاas though she were
أَلحَظُها كَأَنَّها
مِنfrom بَصَريmy sight فيin شَرَكِa snare
مِن بَصَري في شَرَكِ
I watch her as though she were
Oh brow of blessing for me
in a snare of my gaze.
Oh eyes of heaven for me to see
فَياso O جَبينَbrow السَعدِgood fortune ليfor me
فَيا جَبينَ السَعدِ لي
وَياand O عُيونَeyes الفَلَكِthe firmament
وَيا عُيونَ الفَلَكِ
So, O brow of good fortune for me,
Oh light of life in days that flee
and O eyes of the firmament,
The nights attack relentlessly
وَياand O بَياضَwhiteness العَيشِlife فيin الthe
وَيا بَياضَ العَيشِ في ال
أَيّامِdays ذاتِhaving الحَلَكِdeep darkness
أَيّامِ ذاتِ الحَلَكِ
and O whiteness of life in the
If judged fairly, you would surely be
days of deep darkness!
A princess, little one for me
إِنَّindeed اللَياليthe nights وَهيَwhile they لاnot
إِنَّ اللَيالي وَهيَ لا
تَنفَكُّcease to be حَربَat war with أَهلِكِyour family
تَنفَكُّ حَربَ أَهلِكِ
Indeed, though the nights never
cease to be at war with your family,
لَوif أَنصَفَتكِtreated you fairly طِفلَةًas a little girl
لَو أَنصَفَتكِ طِفلَةً
لَكُنتِthen you would have been بِنتَdaughter المَلِكِthe king
لَكُنتِ بِنتَ المَلِكِ
had they treated you fairly as a little girl,
you would have been the king's daughter.
Partial English translation: 16 of 20 Arabic lines translated.