فتنتكbewitched you تذكاراتmemories ميهMayya
فتنتك تذكارات ميه
ورؤىand visions ملاعبهاher playgrounds الخليهdeserted
ورؤى ملاعبها الخليه
Memories of Mayya have bewitched you,
Your charm is memories of water,
And visions of her deserted playgrounds,
And visions of its secluded playgrounds.
ونشرتand unfolded شوقاًa longing كنتI was أحسI thought (split-word beginning)
ونشرت شوقاً كنت أحس
بنيmyself (split-word ending) لقدindeed أَحسنتI did well at طيهfolding it away
بني لقد أَحسنت طيه
And unfolded a longing I had thought
You ignited a yearning I felt,
I had indeed folded away so well.
My son, you have woven it well.
فمضيتso I went on أسألasking كلeveryone منwho
فمضيت أسأل كل من
لاقيتهI met him منamong عارفيهthose who knew me
لاقيته من عارفيه
So I went on, asking everyone
So I went asking all those,
I met among those who knew me:
Who I met, who knew you,
هذيthese القدودthe figures المأدبيةof Madaba
هذي القدود المأدبية
والعيونand the eyes العجرميةAjrami
والعيون العجرمية
These Madaba figures
About these gentle gazelles,
And the Ajrami eyes—
And the shy doe eyes,
للسلطto Salt تنسبare attributed أمor تراهاyou deem them
للسلط تنسب أم تراها
عندaccording to حزركyour reckoning إربديةof Irbid
عند حزرك إربدية
Are they from Salt, or do you think them
Are they from Salad or do you think,
From Irbid, by your reckoning?
They are from Irbid?
أظننتنيdid you think me منamong بعضsome of جندthe soldiers
أظننتني من بعض جند
أبيAbu (father of) حنيكHunayk ياO بنيهlittle girl
أبي حنيك يا بنيه
Did you think me one of the soldiers
I thought you were one of the soldiers,
Of Abu Hunayk, little girl?
Of Abu Hanik, oh my son!
فرمقتنيthen you eyed me شزراًaskance ولمand did not تدعيyou leave
فرمقتني شزراً ولم تدعي
مجالاًroom للتحيهfor a greeting
مجالاً للتحيه
Then you eyed me askance and left no
So you glanced at me angrily, and did not allow,
Room for a greeting.
A chance for greeting.
فمضيتso I went عنكaway from you لطيتيtoward my destination
فمضيت عنك لطيتي
واللّهand God أَعلمknows best بالطويةof the inner intention
واللّه أَعلم بالطوية
So I left you and went my way;
So I went away from you folding,
And God knows best what lies within,
What Allah knows best to fold,
وبأننيand that I am الباكيthe one weeping عليكfor you
وبأنني الباكي عليك
دماًblood بأدمعهwith his tears السخيةlavish
دماً بأدمعه السخية
And that I am the one who weeps for you
And that I who cries over you,
Blood, with his lavish tears.
With blood in my generous tears.
قسماًI swear بماحصby Mahis والفحيصand Fuheis
قسماً بماحص والفحيص
وبالطفيلةand by Tafilah والثنيةand Thaniyya
وبالطفيلة والثنية
I swear by Mahis and Fuheis,
I swear by Mahes, and Al-Fayhees,
And by Tafilah and Thaniyya,
And At-Tafeelah and Ath-Thania,
ودمand the blood of ابنIbn (son of) شهوانShahwan الزكيpure
ودم ابن شهوان الزكي
ومصرعand the death of النفسthe soul الأَبيةunbowed
ومصرع النفس الأَبية
And the pure blood of Ibn Shahwan,
And the blood of the virtuous Ibn Shahwan,
And the death of the unbowed soul:
And the death of the unwilling soul.
لسواكfor anyone but you ماnot خفقbeat الفؤادthe heart
لسواك ما خفق الفؤاد
ولاnor تململgrew restless ياO صبيهyoung girl
ولا تململ يا صبيه
For none but you has my heart beaten,
None but you made my heart flutter,
Nor grown restless, young girl.
And stir, oh youth!
كانmay be الإلهGod بعونin aid of قومكyour people
كان الإله بعون قومك
ياO فتاةgirl بنيBani (sons of) عطيةAtiyya
يا فتاة بني عطية
May God aid your people,
God was helping your people,
O girl of Bani Atiyya,
Oh girl of Bani Atiyyah,
المطعمينthose who feed الناسthe people والطاوينand those going hungry
المطعمين الناس والطاوين
فيin السنةthe year الرديةharsh
في السنة الردية
Who feed the people and go hungry
Who were feeding people, and folding them,
In the harsh year.
In the bad year,
إذfor رمهمtheir Rum هضباتهits hills شمlofty
إذ رمهم هضباته شم
وديرتهمand their homeland عذيةwholesome
وديرتهم عذية
For their Rum's hills are lofty,
When its plateaus poured on them winter,
And their homeland is wholesome;
And its monasteries affliction,
وسفوحand the slopes of شيحانShihan الأغنverdant
وسفوح شيحان الأغن
بكلin every مكرمةnoble virtue غنيةrich
بكل مكرمة غنية
And the slopes of verdant Shihan
And the slopes of abundant Sheehan,
Are rich in every noble virtue.
With all generous bounty.
ماnot للفرنجةfor the Franks أَوor لصاحبهمfor their companion
ما للفرنجة أَو لصاحبهم
بهاin it منany أَسبقيةprecedence
بها من أَسبقية
Neither the Franks nor their companion has
The Franks and their companions,
Any precedence there.
Have no precedence over it.
فوقفتso I stood فيهاin it اليومtoday أبذلI offer
فوقفت فيها اليوم أبذل
طاقتيmy capacity منof شاعريةpoetic inspiration
طاقتي من شاعرية
So today I stood there, offering
So today I stood dedicating,
What poetic power I have,
My energy of poetry,
وأريقand I pour out فيin عرصاتهاits open grounds
وأريق في عرصاتها
منof أدمعيmy tears هذيthis البقيةremnant
من أدمعي هذي البقية
And pouring out upon its open grounds
And shedding in its plains,
This remnant of my tears.
The remainder of my tears.