Young lady of noblesse,
With eyes of eminent almond-shape,
I love you from my heart, oh, my heart,
You have become my very eyes,
I love you from my heart, oh, my heart,
How so do you encapsulate my gaze?
Underneath the archway,
My lover is waiting for me,
Times I drew your ire, piercing my thoughts,
I’m flush with the anguish of your pain,
My mind’s eye blinks tears for you, my love,
Flushing with the anguish of your pain.
From a distance, you waved to me, smiling,
But your smile betrayed a wounded heart,
Of days together spent,
And of nights, come and gone,
Now do we find ourselves
Reminiscing in the autumn of our youth.
Beneath the pomegranate tree,
Did my heart speak love to me,
She sang with sweet voice,
and courted ‘til my eyes fell shut,
How delightful her song, oh my eyes,
She courted ‘til my eyes fell shut.
END
This was inspired by an old Levantine ode to Love, of the same title.
Here is the transliteration of the original Arabic. My rendition is merely inspired by the original, not a direct translation. It is meant to be sung.
| العربية | Transliteration | English Rendition |
|---|---|---|
| البنت الشلبية | Bint esh-shalabiya, | Young lady of noblesse, |
| عيونها لوزية | ‘Ayounha lowzayah, | With eyes of eminent almond-shape, |
| بحبك من قلبي | ‘Hibik min albi, ya albi, | I love you from my heart, oh, my heart, |
| ياقلبي انت عنيا | Inti ya ‘ayyna, | You have become my very eyes, |
| بحبك من قلبي | ‘Hibik min albi, ya albi, | I love you from my heart, oh, my heart, |
| ياقلبي انت عنيا | Inti ya ‘ayyna, | How so do you encapsulate my gaze? |
| حد القناطر | Tahtil ana-dhir, | Underneath the archway, |
| محبوبي ناطر | Mahboobe-na-thir | My lover is waiting for me, |
| كسر الخواطرياولفي | Kasaril khawa-thirya wal-fi | Times I drew your ire, piercing my thoughts, |
| ماهان عليا | Ma haan ‘alaya, | I’m flush with the anguish of your pain, |
| كسر الخواطرياولفي | Kasaril khawa-thirya wal-fi | My mind’s eye blinks tears for you, my love, |
| ماهان عليا | Ma haan ‘alaya, | Flushing with the anguish of your pain. |
| بتطل بتلوح | Bit-dhal, bitth-luh, | From a distance, you waved to me, smiling, |
| و القلب مجروح | Wil-al, maj-ruh, | But your smile betrayed a wounded heart, |
| و أيام عالبال | Ayaam, al-baal, | Of days together spent, |
| بتعن و تروح | Bit-tha-’in, witth-ruh, | And of nights, come and gone, |
| و أيام عالبال | Ayaam, al-bal, | Now do we find ourselves |
| بتعن و تروح | Bit-tha-’in, witth-ruh. | Reminiscing in the autumn of our youth. |
| تحت الرمانة | Tahthil rimmaani, | Beneath the pomegranate tree, |
| حبي حكاني | ‘Hibbi ‘hakaani, | Did my heart speak love to me, |
| وسمعني غناني ياعيوني | Samaanigh-naani, ya-youni, | She sang with sweet voice, |
| وتغزل فيا | Witha ghazzal fii-ya, | and courted ‘til my eyes fell shut, |
| وسمعني غناني ياعيوني | Samaanigh-naani, ya-youni, | How delightful her song, oh my eyes, |
| وتغزل فيا | Witha ghazzal fii-ya. | She courted ‘til my eyes fell shut. |
Shuaib Ghaffar 