The Times We Live In
This recording was played for me on a cellphone in the possession of a Mahri speaker visiting al-Ghaydha from Shiḥn. I transferred the recording to my own digital audio recorder by placing the latter against the cellphone’s speaker while the clip played.
| Poem | Translation |
|---|---|
| 1) hayye bīš emdīt // rēhī men eġawṭ | Welcome to you, Mdīt // refreshing breeze from the middle of the sea! |
| 2) hāwēl ḏe-rbē // šīs ḥell mawʿūd | The first appearance of Rbē // has happened at its appointed time |
| 3) nekśōt hǧīs // ḏ-hēm šbawṭ | It aroused feelings // that were still under wraps |
| 4) hēm fōn yūḳayf // rīhōf ḏe-ǧmōd | They had stayed still // slender and unmoving [“frozen”] |
| 5) ḥōm lāmēr beh // lenṭeyren wrawd | I want to speak about // it in order to make the roses [feelings] blossom |
| 6) men ḏōbel nwōź // we-ṭrēf yehdawd | From the direction of the lightning // and the direction [where] it thunders |
| 7) w-ḥōm slōm // be-ḳlēm we-śhōd | I want peace // [as testified] by the pen and witnesses |
| 8) w-rēḳem ṣḥeyḥ // ḏel heh yhenġawṭ | A correct accounting // which will not cause [any one] anger |
| 9) le-twōlī le-sʿīd // ḥrō w-ʾāmawd | And after this, to Sʿīd // the head and the spinal column (i.e., an important, responsible man, Ar. al-marjaʿ) |
| 10) yśeyləsen kell // we-l heh yeśśədawd | He carries them all (virtues) // and is not incapable [of anything] |
| 11) w-ġawheh kell // ṭrūf yeśdawd | [For] all of his brothers // he represents [all] parties |
| 12) hābūn māyōn // wel fōn yeśṭawṭ | The people are flowing springs (some goods, some bad) // but Sʿīd has never “overflowed the limits” |
| 13) hṭeyr besṭōn // we-ḏbōr we-ḥdawd | [Standing watch] over the garden // [protecting] its soil and borders |
| 14) we-nḥā men khēn // bēnwēn tḳeyyōd | And we, since time immemorial // tribal rules [are followed] among us |
| 15) ṭeyr śēra w-ṭawl // w-ṭeyr mezhawd | [Remaining] atop the Sharia and its entire scope // and atop intelligent ideas |
| 16) men bād hawlōʾī // eə-ṣfēf we-ǧdawd | Ever since the very first ones // for generations and [since our] ancestors [we have preserved our laws] |
| 17) ʾār waḳten ḏēh // ġśōh l-mezhōd | But this time of ours // has overturned wisdom |
| 18) šenhawl eṭmā // rōyā l-meḳṣawd | Inconsistent ambition // has vanquished the [steadfast] intention |
| 19) w-kām men ṭnōḥ // le-bdēn yerźawd | How many people follow [the ambitious] // and hack [my] body to pieces (people who cause the poet problems) |
| 20) wśawr ḏ-lūḥeyn // wet tēhem nḳawd | In putting together the planks to make a boat // at that time, he chooses the best of them. |