كَمhow many مِنof قَطائِفَqatayef pastries كَالأَماlike wishes (continued next line)
كَم مِن قَطائِفَ كَالأَما
نِيcompletion of “wishes” فيin دِمَشقَDamascus قَطَفتُهاI plucked them
نِي في دِمَشقَ قَطَفتُها
How many qatayef, like wishes,
I plucked in Damascus!
كانَتthey were كَأَلسِنَةِlike the tongues of الأَحِبthe beloved ones (continued next line)
كانَت كَأَلسِنَةِ الأَحِب
بَةِcompletion of “beloved ones” فيat الشِفاهِthe lips رَشَفتُهاI sipped them
بَةِ في الشِفاهِ رَشَفتُها
They were like the tongues of beloved ones;
at the lips I sipped them.
وَبِبَعلَبَكَّand in Baalbek كَأَنَّنيas though I
وَبِبَعلَبَكَّ كَأَنَّني
ماnot كُنتُI had قَطُّever عَرَفتُهاI knew them
ما كُنتُ قَطُّ عَرَفتُها
And in Baalbek, it was as though I
had never known them at all.
Translation model: Sol 6.1