Mozarabic Kharjas (Jarchas Mozárabes)

Translated and edited by Samuel G. Armistead and James J. Wilhelm
in Lyrics of the Middle Ages. An Anthology. Garland Publishing Inc,
New York & London, 1990, pp. 238 -241.

• Yosef al-Katib

Joseph the Scribe (first half of the 1000s; Jewish).

Panegyric to Abu-Ibrahim Semuel and his brother Ishaq. Sources: García Gómez 18, Heger 18; Sola-Solé 1.

Tanto amare, tanto amare, / habib, tanto amare:
¡Enfermaeron welyos nidios / e dolen tan male!

So much loving, so much loving, / my lover, so much loving
has made bright eyes grow dim / and suffer so much!
 

• Muhammad Ibn Ubada al-Qazzaz al-Malaqi

Muhammad ibn Ubada, the Silk Merchant of Málaga (second half of the 1000s; Muslim). Sources: García G;omez 1; Heger 22; Sola-Solé 11.

In the verses below the comparison of a lover/beloved with a hawk/dove is in accordance with the traditional lyric. There are close counterparts to this kharja in Castilian and in Galician-Portuguese. Sources García Gómez 6; Heger 27; Sola-Solé 13.

Mio sidi Ibrahim, / ya nuemne dolge!
Fen-te mib, / de nohte.
In non, si non keris, / irey-me tib.
Gar-me a ob plegar-te.

My lord Ibrahim, / O sweet name!
Come to me at night!
If not, if you don't want to, / I shall come to you.
Tell me where I can find you?

* * *

Al sa'amu mio hali, / porqe hali qad bare.
¿Ké farey, yaummi? / ¡Faneq [me] bad lebare!

My condition is death, / because it's so desperate.
What can I do, O mother? / The falcon will carry me off!
 

• Abu-l-Abbas al-A ^cMa at-Tutili

The Blind Poet of Tudela (d. 1126, Muslim).

Panegyric to Abu-l-Hajjaj. Sources: García Gómez XIX; Heger 36; Sola-Solé 25a.

Ya matre mia al-rahima, / a rayyo de manyana:
¡Bon Abu-l-Haggag, / la fage de matrana!

O my affectionate mother, / in the light of day:
The good Abu-l- Haggag, / his face like the dawn!
 

• Ibn Harun al-Asbahi al-Laridi

Ibn Harun al-Asbahi of Lérida (before 1155?, Muslim).
Sources: García Gómez 17; Heger 36; Solá-Sole 25b.

Non dormireyo, mamma, / a rayo de manyana:
¡Bon Abu-l-Qasim, / la fage de matrana!

Mother, I shall not sleep, / in the light of day:
The good Abu-l-Qasim, / his face like the dawn!
 

• Anonymous

Kharja concluding an anonymous Arabic muwashshaha. Sources: García Gómez 14; Heger, 33; Sola-Solé 51.

Mamma, ¡ayy habibe! / So al-gummella saqrella,
el-quwello albo / e bokella hamrella.

O mother, what a lover! / Below his yellow curls,
his white neck / and his little red mouth!

Arabic muwashshaha (moaxaja). Sources: García Gómez 233; Heger 39; Sola-Solé 53.

¡Amanu, ya habibi! / Al-wahs me no farás.
Ben, bega mia bokella: / awsak tú no irás.

Mercy, my lover! / I know you won't abandon me.
Come, kiss my little mouth / and you won't soon run away!