إِذَاif النُّوارَal-Nuwār أعيَتنَاeluded us وعَزَّتand became scarce
إِذَا النُّوارَ أعيَتنَا وعَزَّت
وأعيَاand eluded الدِّيكُthe Rooster طَالِبَهits seeker وعَزَّاand became scarce
وأعيَا الدِّيكُ طَالِبَه وعَزَّا
If al-Nuwār eludes us and becomes scarce,
And the Rooster eludes its seeker and becomes scarce,
تَنَسكنَاwe took snuff (a pun on becoming devout) ونَعنَعنَاand we murmured وقُلنَاand we said
تَنَسكنَا ونَعنَعنَا وقُلنَا
ألاَwell! إلاَّif not تَكُنthere be إِبلٌcamels فَمِعزَىthen goats
ألاَ إلاَّ تَكُن إِبلٌ فَمِعزَى
We take to snuff, murmur, and say:
“Well, if there are no camels, then goats will do!”