• خلي شعراتك لراسي مخدة

khalli ša‘rātič, la-rāsi mkhadda

Leave your hair for my head as a pillow.

 

• ردي شعراتك شعرك المنثر

Ruddi ša‘rātič, ša‘rič il-mnaθθir.

Push your hair back, your wild hair.

– منثر = dispersed (from نثّر ينثّر  “to scatter, disperse”)

 

• نظره من عيونك ترفع السكر

Naẓra min ‘uyūnič tirfa‘ is-sukkar.

The look of your eyes rises (my) sugar levels.

 

• ردي شعراتك شعرك المنثر

Ruddi ša‘rātič, ša‘rič il-mnaθθir.

Push your hair back, your wild hair.

 

• نظره من عيونك ترفع السكر

Naẓra min ‘uyūnič tirfa‘ is-sukkar.

The look of your eyes rises (my) sugar levels.

 

• عالبيدر يللي عالبيدر يللي

‘al-baydir yalli, ‘al-baydir yalli

To the field that… to the field that…

– بيدر  = a place where grains were collected – possibly the place this guy met his lover

– يللي  = Fuṣḥā الذي

 

• وانت نعنوعة و بيك متغلي

u anti na‘nū‘a w bayyič mitghalli.

You are a little mint plant and your father will be rich (because of your high dowry)

– نعنوعة = diminuitive of نعناعة

– بي = father (not really used in Jordan, more in Syria and Lebanon – from Turkish “bey” = “mister”)

 

• عالبيدر يللي عالبيدر يللي

‘al-baydir yalli, ‘al-baydir yalli

To the field that… to the field that…

 

• وانت نعنوعة و بيك متغلي

u anti na‘nū‘a w bayyič mitghalli.

You are a little mint plant and your father will be rich (because of your high dowry)

 

• لادفع صياغك ذهب عصملي

L’adfa‘ ṣyāghič dahab ‘usmalli

(Sounds to me like “L’adfa‘ aṣyāghič” ?)

Let me pay you a dowry of ottoman gold.

– صياغة / صياغ  = forming, molding; goldsmithery

– عصملي = from عصمانلي (Ottoman)

 

• كله عشانك يا ام العيون

Kullu ‘ašānič, ya umm il-‘uyūn

(Sounds to me like “ya maa l-uyūna” ?)

All of it for you, oh thou mother of the eyes.

– عشان  = for (from Fuṣḥā على شأن )

 

• لادفع صياغك ذهب عصملي

L’adfa‘ ṣyāghič dahab ‘usmalli

(Sounds to me like “L’adfa‘ aṣyāghič” ?)

Let me pay you a dowry of ottoman gold.

 

• كله عشانك يا ام العيون

Kullu ‘ašānič, ya umm il-‘uyūn

(Sounds to me like “ya maa l-uyūna” ?)

All of it for you, oh thou mother of the eyes.

 

• ردي شعراتك ردة ع ردة

Ruddi ša‘rātič, radda ‘a radda

Push your hair back, bit by bit.