Poem LVII.
Hebrew Orthography
ראכב חביבי ** כאלף אצולטאן * / טאני // טנאן
סאעה וצולו אלאלאן
רמה גִוואדו פי וצט אלמידאן * / טאני טנאן
ווגִבולו אלאלאן **
מה נסמע אלה ואנה סוכראן ** / טאני / טנאן
מה קצר אליום פי אלמשלייא ** / אלאלאן
רפקא עלייא * צאחב אלגופארה ואלפכאגִייה ***
Arabic Orthography
راكب حبيبي * خالف اصولطان * / طاني // طنان
ساعه وصولو الالان
رمه جووادو في وصط الميدان * طاني طنان
ووجبولو الالان **
مه نسمع اله وانه سوكران ** / طاني / طنان
مه قصر اليوم في المشلييا ** / الالان
رفقا علييا * صاحب الغوفاره والفكاجييه ***
English Translation
My beloved rode behind the sultan, tani tanan, at the hour of his arrival, yalalan.
He put his horse in the middle of the square, tani tanan, and they answered him alalalan:
I do not listen except for when I am drunk, tani tanan.
Today don’t shorten the mshalya, alalan.
Be gentle with me, O keeper of forgiveness and redemption!
Standardized Version
ركب حبيبي خلف السُلطان طاني طنان ساعة وصوله الالان
رمى جوادُه في وسط الميدان طاني طنان وجبوا لُه الالان
ما نسمع الا وانا سُكران * طاني طنان
ما قصر اليوم في المشالية * الالان
رفقى عليَّ صاحب الغُفارة والفكاجية
Notes:
1. Many of the song-texts in this manuscript include the interjection of syllables like alālān, yā la lān, and ṭānī ṭāna. This is a common practice in sung muwashshaḥāt, including in the modern nūba practice in the Maghrib. Usually, however, such syllables are not included in written texts. We have kept such syllables in the standardized Arabic version and the English translation, even though they should be understood as sung interjections and not as parts of the poetic form as such.
2. In modern practice, mshalya is an unmetered collective instrumental introduction to the nūba.
3. We are interpreting the final word, which we are reading as الفكاجية, as a reference to those whose task was to redeem captives.