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A little shaykh from the land of Meknes – Shushtari

A little shaykh from the land of Meknes in the middle of the markets is singing
what have I to do with people, and what have they to do with me?

‎شُوَيْخ مِن ارْضِ مَكناس وَسْطِ الاَسْواقِ يَغْني
‎اش عَلَيَّ انا مِن النّاس وَاشْ عَلَى النّاسِ مِني

shuwaykh min arḍi maknās wasṭi-l-aswāqi yaghnī
ash ʿalayya anā min-an-nās wāsh ʿala-n-nāsi minī

A little shaykh . shuwaykh . شُوَيْخ
from . min . مِن
the land . arḍi . ‫.‬ ارْضِ
of Meknes . maknās . مَكناس
in the middle . wasṭ . وَسْطِ
of the markets . al-aswāq . الاسْواق
is singing . yaghnī . يَغْني
what . ash . اش
have I to do [literally: is upon me] . ʿalayya anā . عَلَيَّ انا
with [literally: from] min مِن
people an-nās, النّاس
and what . wāsh . وَاشْ
have people to do [literally: is upon people] ʿala-n-nās. عَلَى النّاسِ
with me [literally: from me] . minī . مِني

This qasīda then continues:

What have I to do, my friend
with the whole of creation?
Do good, be saved,
and follow the people of realities
Don’t say a word, my son
unless it is sincere.
Take my words on a scroll
write them as a protection from me

اَشْ عَلَيّ ياصَاحِب مِن جَميعِ الخَلَايِق
اِفْعَلْ الخَيْر تَنْجُو واِتْبَعْ اَهْلَ الحَقَايِق
لَا تَقُل يا ابني كَلْمَة الّا أَن كُنْتَ صَادِق
خُذْ كَلامِي في قِرْطَاس واكتبه حِرْز عني

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