Here is my English translation of Bad Timing (اسا جاي) by Faraj Suleiman. I should mention that I’m still learning Arabic, so most of the translation was actually done by way of the Spanish subtitles in Faraj’s live performance video on YouTube, which I’ve included in green. You’ll also find some grammar notes and explanations of terms that are unique to the Galilee variant of Palestinian Arabic. Bad timing lyrics English.
اسا جاي
Now you’re on your way?
¿Ahora vienes?
اسا : now
This word is used in the Galilee and is a contraction of الساعة (the hour).
In other regions of Palestine and in Jordan you’ll hear هلّا, which is a contraction of هالوقت (this time).
جاي : coming, active participle of the verb إجا (to come)
بعد ما خلص العنب
After the grapes have run out
¿Ya que se han acabado las uvas
Literally: After finished the grapes
ونبيذه نشف عالكباي
and its wine has dried up in the glass?
y su vino se secó en los vasos?
كباي is the Galilee spelling of كبّاية : cup/glass
اسا جاي
Now you’re on your way?
¿Ahora vienes?
بعد ما بدي التعب
After fatigue has set in
Ya que ha empezado el agotamiento
Literally: After began the fatigue
بدي : to begin, to start
This is the Galilee form of the verb بدا
Verb conjugation:
| Singular | Plural | |||||||
| 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | 1st person | 2nd person | 3rd person | |||
| Past | M | بديت (bideet) | بديت (bideet) | بدي (bidee) | بدينا (bideena) | بديتو (bideetu) | بديو (bidyu) | |
| F | بديتي (bideetee) | بديت (bidyat) | ||||||
| Present | M | ببدا (babda) | بتبدا (btibda) | ببدا (bibda) | منبدا (mnibda) | بتبدو (btibdu) | ببدو (bibdu) | |
| F | بتبدي (btibdee) | بتبدا (btibda) | ||||||
وقلبي بتحمّلش بداي
and my heart can no longer handle new beginnings?
y mi corazón no aguanta un nuevo comienzo?
تحمّل : to bear, to endure
The ش in بتحمّلش is a negation particle, thus “it cannot bear”
بداي is the Galilee spelling of بداية : beginning
اسا جاي
Now you’re on your way?
¿Ahora vienes?
بشال وعلبة سجاير
With a scarf and a pack of cigarettes
Con una bufanda y un paquete de tabaco
وإيد بتهمس في حشاي
and a hand whispering to my insides
y una mano susurrando en mis vísceras
اسا جاي
Now you’re on your way?
¿Ahora vienes?
وليل ونسي شكلي
And the night has forgotten about me
Ya que la noche se ha olvidado de mi cara
Literally: And the night has forgotten what I look like/my appearance
شكل : form, shape, appearance
نهاري قرّب عالنهاي
and my day is coming to an end
y mi día está a punto de terminar
قرّب : to make close, to approach
نهاي is the Galilee spelling of نهاية : end (are you seeing the trend yet?)
اسا جاي
Now you’re on your way
¿Ahora vienes?
بعد ما تغبّرت الرفوف
After the shelves have collected dust
Ya que el polvo ha llenado las estanterías
تغبّر : to be covered with dust
Note that تغبّرت is conjugated in the 3rd person feminine singular; this is because non-human plural nouns, like الرفوف (the shelves), are treated as a feminine singular entity.
والشمس غابت عن سماي
and the sun is missing from my sky
y el sol se fue de mi cielo
غاب : to be absent
Literally: and the sun became absent from my sky
والهوا وقف محلّه
and the wind has stopped in place
y el aire paró
والشتا مفروض هوّي جاي
and winter is supposedly coming
y mientras el invierno tiene que venir, supuestamente
انت جاي
You’re on your way
¡¿Tu vienes?!
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