Her Looks and Figure Are Beautiful
Recited by Ḥājj Dākōn and recorded by Sam Liebhaber at home, al-Ghaydha, January 27, 2004.
| Poem | Translation |
|---|---|
| 1) śēnī we-ḳders ǧīd // men eḫaf atē ǧbīn | Her looks and stature are beautiful // from foot to forehead, |
| 2) w-reḥmōn ḏ-śemrīs [ṯibtīs] // ʾāḳel we-ttəḳā w-dīn | God the Merciful completed her // with reason, reverence and religion. |
| 3) [naḳš we-msīres ġeyr // we-tʾawmer ḏ-ferhīn] | Her form and stride are unlike the others // you’d say it’s that of a mare. |
| 4) šettemmūt rḥōmet tem // źōher we-ḫfē yḳīn | Beauty brought to perfection, // the obvious and the hidden made true. |
| 5) bēl ewaṣf yeḥyūr // be-ḥwōǧeb w-śefrīn | The master of description is at a loss // when describing her eyebrows and eyelashes: |
| 6) ʾān ʾamerk enḫəlīt // ḏe-dġawt brek eṭīn | If I say “date palm” // then she is a date palm sapling [planted] in rich soil, |
| 7) w-ān ʾamerk seh āsēl // be-fnōǧən men eṣṣīn | If I say “honey” // she is honey in a teacup from China. |
| 8) ǧēma ḏe-šfōlet kel // men aǧēbes ḏ-īwənīn | All of the unmarried men // sigh from love for her |
| 9) w-ġarhūten ser ewaṣf // yerbūbem w-yeḥnīn | And others, after a description of her // moan like a camel for its young and murmur. |
| 10) lēken yeźhīrem lā // we-śśəwēḳhem dfīn | But they never declare it // and keep their desire buried |
| 11) sōber hem ḥṯ̣ār ḫaṭ // dōyem waḳt we-snīn | They are always on the path [to her] // all the time throughout the year. |
| 12) ber ḫlōṭem hāyerēm // kam men ḫaf w-heh lġīn | Their tracks are all mixed together // so many footprints are soft and tender! |
| 13) ḥeyser bīhem eźźəmōr // men ḳwōm ḏ-heh ṯmīn | [Their] innermost hearts are aggrieved // from the cost of this dear prize. |
| 14) we-ḫḫəbēr men bēl eweǧd // meyten addeh lebyīn | The love-stricken ask // “When will he appear, |
| 15) leḳfēd brek essūḳ // hel wzūnet yawzīn | One who will come down to the market // and weigh out the price?” |