1) šēhī ḥlīb // šēhī ḥlīb | Tea with milk, // tea with milk |
2) men heyd ḏe-rḥōm // w-mōṭī lbīb | From the hand of the beauty // whose build is slender |
3) ān neśfek tēh // eḫeyr men eṭbīb | If you sipped it, // it’s better than the doctor |
4) ywūkeb ǧsēd // we-yṭeyf lhīb | It enters the body // and extinguishes the burning. |
5) kleṯk eṣidḳ // ṭawb men l-yekḏīb | I spoke the truth, // my nature is not that of one who lies |
6) ḥōm ledfa beh // eġōlī nsīb | I want to pay out her price, // [she of] precious pedigree. |
7) w-felġem med // ʾatē teġyīb | And Wādī Falġam // that stretches up to where it disappears |
8) meźmers b-ǧeśf // meǧrē ḏe-ḏhīb | The riverbed in its breadth // is the channel for the flood |
9) hel ǧīd yeḥlūl // leḥrēṯ zbīb | Where beauty lives, // I might cultivate grapes |
10) w-lebnē kūt // bēl bēnī zhīb | And build up a tower // with many storeys all furnished for her |
11) meḳbōl ḏe-mdīt // w-heh mehdərīb | That faces the sea breeze // and has a wall around it |
12) teḫdemmes kell // w-seh teṣyīb | With servants to serve her // so she might rest at ease. |
13) ḫīh ḳalbī ḫīh // ḳtīleb ʾādīb | Give up, my heart, let it go! // Be more reasonable |
14) śī bebtek lā // wel šūk yeṭrīb | It’s not appropriate for your age // and they don’t desire you |
15) b-ṭeyṭ het śōḫ // we-mġōren ġrīb | For one, you’re old // and further, you are not from around here. |
16) ḏ–ar hoh mhanṭeyb // yḫā messəbīb | I’m just talking nonsense // like a bona fide prattler |
17) ber bī śewġāb // w-heh mekkəlīb | There’s still passion in me // and it is deeply woven |
18) āǧōb be-rḥōm // ʾatē tśīb | I love the beauties // even though I’m grey. |