When will I see you?

I am in a Yemen mood. It has to do with what I am writing in French these days. I had forgotten that Yemen feeling, after I had lived it so fully, after this country became the most formative experience of my life. I have left Yemen in 1991, and I have been back several times, sometimes for two weeks or more, but it was never the same as when I was living there. There is nothing like Yemen, it is everything, country, culture, nation, identity, love. I will be back I know. لا بد من صنعاء و ان طال السفر

I happened to be listening to Yemeni music today, for inspiration, when dear Laila reminded me of this song, which was originally one of the great successes of the sultan of Yemeni tarab, Abu Bakr Salem Ba Al Faqih:قلي متى اشوفك

Which translates generally as "When will I see you?" or "When will we meet again?"

I must have listened to it 20 times this evening. The line from Al Mutanabbi in my previous post comes from the introduction to the song. I just love how he recites a line of pure ancient poetry in the introduction instead of the "mawwal" we have in the Mashriq.

Anyways, here's the lyrics in Arabic and the approximate translation in French. Why French? Because it makes sense.

Quand te reverrais-je, toi qui est parfait ?

Quand, quand, dis moi, tes circonstances te le permettront ?

Moi j'oublie le monde dès que je te vois

Quand, quand, dis moi, o énigmatique seigneur ?

Dis moi, dis moi, quand est ce que tu t’attendriras et tu viendras ?

Toi, l’ombre de mes rêves et mon désir le plus cher

Ma beauté, je t’aime plus que ma vie

Dis moi quand, dis moi, o énigmatique seigneur

Ton éclat a chassé l’ombre dans mes yeux

Et les battements de mon cœur attendent ton arrivée

Et me voilà confus de t’avoir tant attendu

Dis moi quand dis moi, o énigmatique seigneur

Je garde ma promesse, ou en est la tienne ?

Mon amour est le même malgré tes rejections

Je t’aime, mon âme, que tu sois loin ou proche

Quand, quand, dis moi, o énigmatique seigneur ?

امتى انا اشوفك يا كامل وصوفـــــــك    

متى متى قولي ما تسمح ظروفك

انسى انا الدنيا من ساعة ماشوفــــك

متى متى قولي يا سيد المظاميـــــــــــر 

قولي متى قولي باتعطف وتأتـــــــــــــي

يا طيف أحلامي وأغلى أمنياتي

يا زين بحبك اكثر من حياتــــــــــــي

قولي متى قولي ياسيد المظاميـــــــــــر

الطيف في عيوني مليته بنـــــــــورك

والقلب بدقاته تترقب حظــــــــــورك

وفضلت أنا حاير من كثرة نطـــــورك

قولي متى قولي ياسيد المظاميـــــــــــر

باصون انا عهدي وانت وين عهــدك

وحبي لك باقي مهما طال صـــــــــدك

اهواك يا روحي في قربك وبعـــــــدك 

متى متى قلي يا سيد المظاميــــــــــر