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1
ana etkeren telhieko we't 'asmera I've performed in Keren
and in Asmara
wetbaSE telhieko we mendefera I've also played in Massawa
and Mendefera
wetseney telhieko we'abarara I've performed in Tesseney and Abarara
et aklogzay telhieko dib embasoyra And played in Aklogzay at
Ambasoyra
temsalki ir'iko faTma zahr But I've never seen
like you Fatma Zahra
temasla er'iku faTma zahra I have not seen the
like of Fatma Zahra
enjH mesl anjba endtkatra Snow white are her even
teeth
kebotaya QeTintu wala a'gara Narrow is her waist, and
legs
maHwatu mlu'tu lbie saTra That are full,
captivated my heart
faTma zahra Fatma Zahra
bAl shamki Hawanitki kara Your lover is defeated
HaQoK mote witQebera He is dead and burried
malet mset Aynet ashashara Since last night crazed
adamyie dib sheK aba sara My people consulted the shiek
weshKiye teshbaHtitu kera And my sheik put out his
beads
webiela amr ysetra And declared in the
open was my deeds
shamatu shamata AChmetu sabera Her love is taking a toll on
his bones
ftiha dib lbu sewera And her love is
engraved in his heart
biela sheKye ab jaEfera Thus said my sheik ab
jaEfera
samn yom teHaSeb mn degela Shower eight days using ointment
from her hair
Hams yom atnn mn Chegara And five days inhale the
incense of her hair
sels yom tehajek dib jefera And three days sit
closer and talk to her
elitu dewel eblu zekra This was the medicine
he prescribed
al'amin Haqu dibki kera Al'amin has now put
his fate in your hands
Haqo letoweba wostaQfera:: And he asks for
forgiveness and has repented
2
wlad Aje Hasbokum I beg you children of
my country,
r'iekuma mn geb'etgebeykum If you meet her in your
way
selam bola glye emanetkum Give her my greetings
wlad keren wo'asmera Children of keren and
asmera
r'iekuma mn geb' et mayzara If you meet her at mayzara
selam bola glye faTna zahra Greet her for me, Fatma
Zahra
selam bola glyie selam bola Greet her for me and
greet her again
teHasoba glyie wed kotola Beg her and plead with
her
mnde semaAkum asu'ula Tell her if she listens
to you
teAyene bola wolbu zola Tell her he lost his
heart and mind
dawa Ad wekden teHalela He even tried medicine
from home and beyond
srayie hta : ta wobaka hala She has my medicine and
she is my remedy
wobola eyie al'amin teAzara Tell her al'amin is
indisposed
Hmamyie weqebayie itamera And no one knows his
sickness and his secret
lbyie lshhad l'b sefelal Hara Witness to that is my
longing heart
WoEnche tshhed leanabAa Chera And witness are my wet eyes
elitu ftiki faTma zahra This is what your
love has done FaTma Zahra
Haziekum mn geb' Haberieta If you want to know her
looks,
beAl shamyie qeyHatat grm ta My love is beautiful, in
the skin light
fanus Hayie et lmojeta Her forehead glows
with light
fenajil kububat Entietata Big round and glowing
eyes
embel kHlet kHul Hawejbeta And no make up needs her
eye brows
Sgiedaye reym wo'afa bafta Her neck is long, and
white is her [teeth?]
shelil gaml Sgiedaya sabra The hefty hair is a burden
on her delicate neck
akUb ruman tekl dib naHra And round breasts sit on
her chest
kebotaye qeTin weteAtera A thin waist that fits
into a single hand-grip
meHawata mul' lbie seTra Her legs captivated my
heart
elat wewlad faTma zahra This is FaTma Zahra
Haberehie habkokum me 'amera This is how she looks like
r'iek uma mn geb' etgebeykum If you see her in your way
selam bola glyie emanetkum Give her my greetings
wlad keren wo'asmera Children of Keren and
Asmara
r'iekuma mn geb' et mayzara If you meet her at
Mayzara
selam bola glye faTma zahra Greet her, FaTma Zahra
wlad seraye mendefera Children of Seraye and
Mendefera
re'ikuma mn geb' etmayzara If you meet her at
Mayzara
selam bola glyie faTma zahra Greet her, FaTma Zahra
wlad akele ambasoyra Children of Akele and
Ambasoyera
r'iekuma mnmn geb' etmayzara If you meet her at Mayzara
selam bola glyie faTma zahra:: Greet her, FaTma Zahra
3
faTma zahra Fatma Zahra
smki Hlayta 'glake cra Your name is a song
for the poet
wesmki qur'anta 'glazakra And your name is prayer
for the pious
wesmki nabrata 'glasafra And your name is food
for the hungry
wesmki tesfata 'gle'asbera And your name is hope
for the patient
itsttora Do not keep it a
secret
itstora Do not keep it a
secret
lilit meSet bielew faTma zahra They said faTma zahra
came last night
lilit meSet bielew dib asmera Last night she came to
Asmera
Ada gl tganeH we'agwara To visit her people and
neighbours
noshima re'iekwo le'asura I saw the tracks she
left behind
wedela lamra Hd beshara And those who knew exchanged
the good news
ytstora Don't keep it a
secret
lilit meSet biel ew faTma zahra faTma zahra came last
night
lilit meSet Alet dib asmera Last night, she came
to Asmara
fetaya le'abala ferHa wo'asrara Whoever loves her was
joyful
wo'abaya legb'a dib mdr agbab Hafra But her enemies went down
hiding
wedela le'abeki gedm Emru HaChra And whoever hates you, his day
are numbered
faTma zahra faTma zahra
ela senet tHalf imesleni ela senet This year will not go by
tHalf imesleni embel bsharet Without hearing the good
news
rebi jemAni msl berhet And God will bring me
with Barehet
edagma ana kula leHalfet And may be I will talk
about the past
gahyie weHazenyie geb' ferHat And may be my agony and sorrow,
will change to joy
faTma zahra:: faTma zahra
4
faTma zahra FaTma zahra
HaQoki yttneber asmera Asmara can not be a home
in your absence
HaQoki yttneber asmera Asmara can not be a home
in your absence
EChet gamlet qrS SnuE Sewra Evergreen tree strongly
rooted
esit senet Haben bieta wodara An exemplary woman, the glory of
her house and home
metthagey tesemE agwara Whose word is valued by her
neighbors
abaye ltfenate mnzahra Alienation from Zahra is
only wished for the enemy
HaQoki ynebra asmera Asmera Can not be my home in your
absence
HaQoki ittneber asmera Asmera can not be a
home in your absence
biet Selmetet qesna mnla lenura The lights are off and the
house is dark
dmnet geb'et Afsht shehat sahbara It is bare and abandoned
Anekb Hablietu alrora And the spiders waved
their webs
woAneChit kmnnrabs sarera And the rats are jumping
in it
HaQoki yttneber asmera Asmera can not be a home
in your absence
HaQoki ynebra asmera Asmera can not be a home
in your absence
nabra beyn detey yQedra A lonely life is a burden
for me
begsko mekayje yt'amera I am going, where to? I
don't know
glHaziki Sm'k wosefra Looking for you in
thirsty and want
wo'akanki lbyie nsu l'amra To where you're, only
my heart knows
HaQoki yttneber asmera In your absence Asmera
is no more a home
wulajie wowladki wozahra Oh zahra! My children
and yours
absefelal anabOm Charara Are crying, and their
tears flowing
edhom medowm egl ksaw gwara Waiting for the charity of the
neighbours
mergemtu iyew ek fenTara It is a curse that
separated us
mdbiet Hfn serna edbn nabra Away from the warmth of
our houses ,
here we are
living in abandoned dwelling
welat keren SaEda Daughter of the wonderful Keren
sefalelkina we long so much for you
moday kofo hala aKbar hebina Come tell us the news of the times
ab zhale thaleki tbSHaki selamie Greetings to you wherever you are
selam msl sefelal ketebkwa ab'mbaye With tears of longing
edl wlawl ll'ka egl tshfeg eglyie I entrust my greeting to the wind so it reaches you rapidly
welwal amsuy wobrud akanatki yQewie Hoping the cold breeze of the evening might know where you are
rumana welat saHl SaEda Rumana,daughter
of the wonderful Sahil
sefelakina We long so
much for you
moday kofo hala aKbar hebina Come tell us the
news of the times
ente wlwal Hasabka fina biya abSHake Oh wind,I have a
message for you to take dinebatki k bdetka mdir
ytetteSbHa If it is heavy do not keep it
overnight
ethrr ebedol amsuy siefa tHze wosorHa For it will ask for
food and farewell ceremony dib bsota seAma we dib edha wemltHa
Kiss her forehead, hand and cheeks
rumana welat semhar SaEda Rumana, daughter of
the wonderful Semhar sefalelkina
We long so much or you
moday kofo hala aKbar hebina Come tell us the
news of the times
mn amara rumana sekb mnSenHka Who knows you may find
her sleeping
ytdengS kubuda harsa abmhlaka Wake her up carefully
webielaye fetayki ab sefelal tehantaka Tell her her lover
longs for her
belE yhala weseti amEytu tetbateka He is fasting of food
and drink
rumana welat barka SaEda Rumana, daughter
of wonderful Barka
sefalelkina we long so
much for you
moday kofo hala aKbar hebina:: Come and tell us
the news of the times
Elal wdeyi waldayit Ululate Oh mother !
weshadrki lweyi Put on your "chadir"
moday bedir aQbala Back are the old days
moday bedir aQbala Back are the old days
bakat wlad etaya Return with your sons and daughters
lama entit welido Those who came from
your womb
albab abay salaba Have defeated the enemy
lama ekit womerar Both the bitter and the
evil
abay Hdud teAdaba Met the enemy beyond the
border
gedm Hzey wetemneyi Now is the time to wish and
dream
Hasu HSuy te'akeba The bethroted are all
assembled
wo yom latu kefieki Enough for this day
onwards
frH geb'a Azaba Replace suffering by
joy
bakat wlad etaya Return with your sons
and daughters
lerefIet eba Ariba Be there at the
bride's ceremony e
gl tstey Haliba To drink from her
milk
waldet Hayut entitu Mother of braves
HaTer bakti trakeba Courage is thy nature
welad barka wosetit Children of barka and
setit
adal wotegorba Of Adal and Tegorba
welad gedm jngerien Children of Gedm and
Jengerien
kl'ot rorit maskeba The daughter of the two
highlands
may deArit staya Who drinks the water of
deArit
wereHib wada Ansaba And The wide valley of
Ansaba
welet semhar SaEdata Daughter of beautiful
Semhar
farHat hliet mnlba Joyful in her heart
shenen tibel kem fetiet She moves about as
gracefully as she wishes
ledowenk shamalke bba Let her leap forward as the
wind's wings
msl furas shebaba carries her together
with her brave youth
Elal waqlu wohoyra Ululate loud and sing
welat naQfa worara Daughter of Naqfa and the
Rora afAbotat Qorora Of Afabet and Qorora
Hge shebab entitu You are the shield for
the youth
Awete bake azahra Victory was ushered by you
welat awlet kebesa Daughter of the highland
kebesa
Adi qeyH menzala Whose home is in Adi
qeyeh mendefera
wo'asmera Mendefera and Asmara
moday bedir aQbala Back are the old days
TAgala maHbara Her council is
reconvened
welet bado denkalya Daughter of Dankalia
kemshwekm shemal staya Who feeds on the light breeze
gndl etu kem fetiet Gracefully strolling as
she wishes
jzayir wemersa Adhuya Islands and harbours are
her dwellings
Haben lfraH fetaya Proud is made whosoever
loves her.
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(Translation
by Omar Kekia) |
