سقى الله [Sega Allah] [English translation]

All my best wishes1 to an era2 bygone, I suspect, never to return

The era of a loved one, who absconded with my heart, and left me a wretch

A loved one², I wish could always² be present with me

You see, I see nobody else3—you'd think they robbed me of my vision!

He who fashioned them bestowed upon them a boundless beauty²

They walk amongst the people of the world, unparalleled in their beauty

When they smiled at me, I caught one glimpse of their raven eyelashes

And the words slipped away from me and I found myself tongue-tied

God be my ally4 against them who placed that rift between us

I hope to God they never have to endure the tribulation I've been made to endure5

I say, what an age of scourges; I say, what an age of ingrates

[What an age] that tears apart dear companions; I hand the perpetrators over to God6

1. When people in the Gulf are fondly reminiscing about something, they pray 'May God sate it with rain!'2. While many vestigial expressions in Arabic vernaculars maintain the 'tanween' (that final '-n' sound that isn't written), like شكرا 'shukran' for example, Najdi Arabic (Central Saudi Arabic) is the only dialect I know of that uses it regularly. In Najdi, though, it's always 'tanween bil-kasr' (always '-in,' never '-un' or '-an' except in those vestigial expressions). I'll mark the words with tanween with an itsy-bitsy two so you can follow along with the lyrics without second-guessing your ears.3. Another use of disjunctive pronouns is to justify why somebody is doing something, often with a slightly annoyed tone, like you expected your interlocutor to already know this. "I can't come tomorrow. I'm busy, me!" means "I can't come tomorrow. I'm busy dammit!"4. A verse from the Quran that Muslims quote when they feel they are being treated unjustly is حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل "We seek sufficiency in God, and what a fine deputy He is," basically threatening the person who wronged them with God's retribution. It is a trademark statement used by the Karens of the Middle East when they talk to service industry workers. "What, I'm not allowed to return a candy bar wrapper for a full refund after I eat it all?! I seek sufficiency in God, and what a fine deputy He is!!!!"5. Islam teaches that you're supposed to respond to those who wrong you by asking God to forgive them, and many mild-mannered Muslims use expressions like this one passive-aggressively for the exact opposite effect of their apparent meaning. Like when the mafia says "Sure would be a shame if something bad were to happen to your shop."6. Yet a third expression that mild-mannered Muslims use to express their vindictive desires.

• Artist:Rabeh Saqer