Fāten/Hayfa and the Moon
Recited by Ḥājj Dākōn and recorded by Sam Liebhaber at the Khalīj Hotel, al-Ghaydha, October 14, 2003.
Sung by Ḥājj Dākōn and recorded by Sam Liebhaber at the Khalīj Hotel, al-Ghaydha, October 14, 2003.
| Poem | Translation |
|---|---|
| 1) ḳawlī bə-wrīt w-fāten // ġawten w-meśtibhūten | I say: Fāten and the moon // are sisters, the one like the other, |
| 2) tneṣṣeyfen hazweymet // w-āṣūr mehtīdyūten | They split the night watches equally // and share the night. |
| 3) we-ḏ-ber ḥaźrūt mdōret // tehǧōś eḫḫarǧūten | Whichever one appears on the dancing ground // she outshines the rest even if they are just married |
| 4) [we-tźōṭ] eṣṣīyet kemlet // līsen we-l-neḥǧūten | And snatches away all the talk, // from them and from those who are dancing. |
| 5) bālī hes ehhōdī zeyna // w-hōmūr mehhīdyūten | When God divided beauty amongst women // and commanded his distributing [angels], |
| 6) wezmīsen ḳasm zōyed // l-effəwōrā ḏ-ġaǧnūten | He gave [Fāten and the Moon] the greater share, // [even more] than [all] the supple, graceful women. |
| 7) mōken ḏe-wrīt nġarbes // wel nheh [sic: nḥā] meffīsərūten | Concerning the moon, we know much about it // and we are not going to describe it |
| 8) w-fāten źaḥkets bōreḳ // w-ayenten dehśūten | But Fāten, her smile is like a flash of lightning // and her eyes dazzle |
| 9) we-ḏ-ber šeḥyeth fāten // yehneh eġarhūten | Whoever has passed a greeting with Fāten // forgets all the others. |