ما بالُ عَينَيهِ قد التقيَتا

ما بالُ عَينَيهِ قد التقيَتا

بوَجههِ كَمَن له الموتُ أتَى

بوَجههِ كَمَن له الموتُ أتَى

What is wrong with his eyes, that they have met

Why have his eyes met

On his face, like someone to whom death has come?

With his face like one who death has come upon

فقلتُ مَن هَذا ولا تَشتاطُ

فقلتُ مَن هَذا ولا تَشتاطُ

فقيل لي قَرَّانُنَا كُوليَاطٌ

فقيل لي قَرَّانُنَا كُوليَاطٌ

So I said, “Who is this? And do not fly into a rage.”

So I said who is this, do not get carried away

I was told, “Our horn-player, Kulyat.”

And I was told our Kulyat the Quran reciter

فقلتُ ما بالَه عندَما يرَى

فقلتُ ما بالَه عندَما يرَى

هذا تظُنُّه لِذاك أبصَرَا

هذا تظُنُّه لِذاك أبصَرَا

I said, “What is wrong with him? When he sees

So I said why when he sees

This, you think he has seen that,

This you think it makes him see better

كأنَّ عينيه لها ارتبَاطُ

كأنَّ عينيه لها ارتبَاطُ

فقِيلَ لي كذا يُرَى كُوليَاط

فقِيلَ لي كذا يُرَى كُوليَاط

As though his eyes were bound together.”

As if his eyes are tied together

I was told, “That is how Kulyat looks.”

And I was told this is how Kulyat is seen

فقلتُ مَا بالُه بعدَ أكلِه

فقلتُ مَا بالُه بعدَ أكلِه

يُسرِعُ في الحينِ لأخذِ حُكِّهِ

يُسرِعُ في الحينِ لأخذِ حُكِّهِ

I said, “Why, after eating,

So I said why after his eating

Does he hurry straightaway to fetch his snuffbox?”

Does he quickly take his ruling

فقيل لي مِن أنفِه المُخَاط

فقيل لي مِن أنفِه المُخَاط

يسيلُ إن لم يَنتَشِق كُوليَاط

يسيلُ إن لم يَنتَشِق كُوليَاط

I was told, “The mucus from his nose

And I was told from his running nose

Runs if Kulyat does not take snuff.”

Mucus drips if Kulyat does not sniff

تَدلَّتِ العِمَّة فوقَ عينِه

تَدلَّتِ العِمَّة فوقَ عينِه

وهَبطت مِن رَأسِه لأًذنِه

وهَبطت مِن رَأسِه لأًذنِه

The turban drooped over his eye,

The turban drooped over his eye

And slipped from his head down to his ear;

And slid from his head to his ear

واختَبلَت ومآلها انبِسَاطُ

واختَبلَت ومآلها انبِسَاطُ

فالكَرنَفَل قَرَّانُنا كُولياط

فالكَرنَفَل قَرَّانُنا كُولياط

And it became tangled, destined to unfurl.

And got mixed up, its fate being unraveling

So our horn-player Kulyat is a carnival clown.

So our Quran reciter is the clown Kulyat

ما بالُ كُولياط إذا ناديتَهُ

ما بالُ كُولياط إذا ناديتَهُ

يُجيب لكِن مُنكِراً كُنيَتَهُ

يُجيب لكِن مُنكِراً كُنيَتَهُ

Why, when you call Kulyat,

Why when you call Kulyat

Does he answer while denying his nickname?

Does he respond yet denying his nickname

ورُبَّما منه علا العِيَاطُ

ورُبَّما منه علا العِيَاطُ

كأنما ليسَ اسمَهُ كُوليَاطُ

كأنما ليسَ اسمَهُ كُوليَاطُ

And sometimes loud cries rise from him,

And sometimes from him comes wailing

As though his name were not Kulyat.

As if his name is not Kulyat

قلتُ لهُ يوماً بِحقِّ اللهِ

قلتُ لهُ يوماً بِحقِّ اللهِ

هل لكَ إخوةٌ ذوو اشتِبَاهِ

هل لكَ إخوةٌ ذوو اشتِبَاهِ

I said to him one day, “By God,

I said to him one day by God's right

Do you have brothers who resemble you?”

Do you have any similar looking brothers

قال ثلاثَةٌ ولا شَطَاطُ

قال ثلاثَةٌ ولا شَطَاطُ

رَابعُهُم هُو أنا كُوليَاط

رَابعُهُم هُو أنا كُوليَاط

He said, “Three, without exaggeration.

He said three and no kidding around

Their fourth is me, Kulyat.

The fourth is me, Kulyat

إثنانِ في سِركهِمَا وثَالثٌ

إثنانِ في سِركهِمَا وثَالثٌ

أهلُ الجديدَةِ لَه تعابثُ

أهلُ الجديدَةِ لَه تعابثُ

Two are in their circus, and a third

Two are unknown and a third

Is teased by the people of El Jadida.

Of the new city, he is mischievous

وشكلُهم طُرا به انحِطاطُ

وشكلُهم طُرا به انحِطاطُ

أحسَنُهم هُو أنا كُوليَاطُ

أحسَنُهم هُو أنا كُوليَاطُ

And their looks, one and all, are debased;

And their appearance with it is declining

The best-looking of them is me, Kulyat.”

The best of them is me, Kulyat

كُولياطُ ياكُوليَاط يا كُوليَاطُ

كُولياطُ ياكُوليَاط يا كُوليَاطُ

ما بالُ عَينيكَ بهَا اختِلاطُ

ما بالُ عَينيكَ بهَا اختِلاطُ

Kulyat, O Kulyat, O Kulyat!

Kulyat, oh Kulyat, oh Kulyat

What is wrong with your eyes, so crossed?

Why are your eyes confused

كُولياطُ ياكُوليَاط يا كُوليَاطُ

كُولياطُ ياكُوليَاط يا كُوليَاطُ

ما بَالُ وجهِك به انحِطَاطُ

ما بَالُ وجهِك به انحِطَاطُ

Kulyat, O Kulyat, O Kulyat!

Kulyat, oh Kulyat, oh Kulyat

What is wrong with your face, so debased?

Why has your face declined

كُولياطُ ياكُوليَاط يا كُوليَاطُ

كُولياطُ ياكُوليَاط يا كُوليَاطُ

ما بالُ أنفكَ به المُخَاطُ

ما بالُ أنفكَ به المُخَاطُ

Kulyat, O Kulyat, O Kulyat!

Kulyat, oh Kulyat, oh Kulyat

What is wrong with your nose, full of mucus?

Why does your nose run with mucus

نَفِّح أيَا قَرَّانَنَا كُوليَاطُ

نَفِّح أيَا قَرَّانَنَا كُوليَاطُ

Take snuff, O our horn-player Kulyat!

Blow, oh our Quran reciter Kulyat