qalbi ya qalbi (قلبي يا قلبي - نانسي عجرم)

 

قلبي يا قلبي اتركني يا قلبي

Qalbi ya qalbi etrekni ya qalbi

My heart oh my heart leave me oh my heart

Read More

waddeeli salaami (ودي لي سلامي)

 

Convey my greetings

وَدّي لِي سَلَامِي يَا رَايِح لَلحَرَم

O who's going to the Holy places convey my greetings

وَدَّى – بيوَدِّي to convey

جاب – بيجيب to bring

عَطى – بيعطي to give

وادعِي لِي وسِلِّم لِي على هَادِي الأُمَم

Supplicate for me and send my salutations on the guide of all nations

دعا – بيدعي to supplicate

صَلِّى – بِيصَلِّي to pray

سَلَّم – بيسَلِّم to send salutations – to greet

أُمِّة – أُمَم nations

Read More

shaare3 Yafa (شارع يافا - فرج سليمان)

 

وين بَدِّك ايَانَا نِسكُن

Wein beddak eyaana nesskon ?

Where do you want us to live?

 

بَعرِف إِنُّه البِيت قَدِيم

Ba3ref enno el-beit qadeem

I know that the house is old

 

وشايِف عيونِك حَزِينِة

U shaayef 3eyuunek 7azeeneh

And I see your eyes are sad

بَس أَنَا شو بَقدِر أَعمِل

Bass ana sho baqder a3mel

But what can I do

قدّام الوَحِش العَظِيم

Qeddaam el-wa7esh el-3azeem

monsterIn front of the huge beast - 

 

 

عم بِنهَش بَطِن المَدينِة

3am benhash baten el-madeeneh

It is biting the belly of the city

 

مين قَال إِنُّه الشَّوارِع راح تِضَلَّا نَفس الإِشي

Meen qaal enno e-shawaare3 ra7 tedalla nafss el-eshi ?

Who said that the streets will stay the same (thing)?

 

مين قَال إِنُّه المَدينِة بَعدها بِتِنقِطِع مَشِي

Meen qaal enno el-madeeneh ba3dha betenqete3 mashi

Who said that we would still be able to walk across the city

The city is crossed on foot

 

مين قال إنُّه الحَارات بعدها لِعبِتنا البَريئَة

Meen qaal enno el-7araar ba3dha le3betna el-baree’aa

Who said the alleys would still be our innocent toy?

 

مين سَرَق مِنّا الطَّبيعَة وقَلّنا حَافظُوا ع البِيئَة

Meen saraq menna e-tabee3a u qallna 7aafzu 3al-bee’aa

Who stole from us nature and told us to protect the environment

 

مين حَطّ السُّوق في مول

Meen 7att e-sooq fee mol

Who took the market and put it in a mall?

Who put the market in a mall

 

مين طلّعنا من البيوت؟

Meen talla3na men el-biyuut

Who kicked us out from the houses

 

 

مين قَسَّمهَا ومِين أَجَّرنا

Meen qassamha u meen ajjarna

Who divided them and rented us

 

ستُوديُو أَصغَر مِن تَابُوت؟

Studio assghar men taboot ?

Studios smaller than a coffin

 

 

مين أَجَا مِن تل أَبيب؟

Meen eja men tal Abeeb

Who came from Tel Aviv ?

 

قَصدِي، مِين أَجا من بُولندا؟

Qassdi, meen eja men Polanda

I mean, who came from Poland

 

مين عَمَّر أَبراج قِزاز

Meen 3ammar Abraaj qazaaz

Who built glass towers

وإحنا هَدِّلنا البَرَندَة؟

O e7na haddelna el-baranda ?

And demolished our balconies

 

مين صار يبيع المِجَدَّرَة عَ أَسَاس وَجبِة چُورمِيه

Meen saar yebee3 el-mejjaddara 3a assaass wajbet gourmet

Who started (became) to sell mejdoura and called it gourmet meal

لِيه صَحِن الحِمُّص بِتلاتِين ومَا حِداش سَائِل لِيه

Leh sa7en el-hummos be talateen o ma7daash saa’el leh ?

Why does a plate of hummus cost 30 and no-one’s questioning it

 

ليش ضَروري إن الفَوَاكِه تِضَلّا كِلّ السِّنِة تِنبِت

Leish daroori en el-fawaakeh tedalla kell e-seneh tenbet

Why is it necessary for fruits to be growing all year

 

مين مَحَانَا مِن القِصَّة

Meen ma7aana men el-qessa

Who erased us from the story

 

مين جَدَّد سوق العُتَق

Meen jaddad sooq el3otaq

Who renewed the emancipation market

 

مين دخّن البترول

Meen dakhan elpetrol

Who smoked petrol

  

ونفَّخ غِيُوم القَلَق

O naffakh ghiyoom el-qalaq

and exhaled clouds of anxiety

 

مين حفّر الجبل

Meen 7affar el-jabal

Who dug up the mountains

  

مين هدّ وادي الصَلِيب

Meen had waadi e-saleeb

Who destroyed the Valley of the Cross?

 

مين عسكر البحر

Meen 3asskar el-ba7er

Who martialized the sea

وبِدُور النَّاس سَكَّن غَرِيب

O be-door e-naass sakkan ghareeb

And in peoples’ homes there are strangers living

 

بِدهُن أَترُك الحَارَة ويِفتَحُوا مَطرَح بِيتي بَار

Bedhon atrok el-7aara u yefta7u matra7 beiti baar

They want me to leave the neighborhood and open a bar in the place of my house

 

يِدهَنُوا كِلّ الشَّارِع أَشقَر يِخفُوا أَلوان السَّمَار

Yedhanu kell e-shaare3 ashqar yekhfu alwaan e-samaar

They want to paint the streets all blonde because they’re afraid of brown

 

مَخبَز عَمِّي تِحَوَّل غَالِيرِي قَال أَجواءُه أُوثَنتِيك

Makhbaz 3ammi te7awwal gallery qaal ajwaa’o authentic

They turn my uncle’s bakery into a gallery and call it “authentic”

 

وإِن حَطَّك راس المَال بِراسُه فِش وَلَا حَدَا بِحمِيك

O en 7attak raass el-maal be-raaso fesh wa la 7ada be7meek

If the capitalist have you on their mind, no one will protect you

مين عَربَد على النَّاس

Meen 3arbad 3ala e-naass

Who terrorized the people

هَجَّم كِلاب الأَمن

Hajjam kelaab el-amn

Who unleashed the security dogs?

 

مين هَدَّد الأَبُو

Meen haddadd el-abou

Who threatened the father

 

ودَبَّر وَظيفِة للإِبِن

O dabbar wazeefeh lal-eben

and arranged job for the son

 

مين دَفَع حَقّ الحَنِين

Meen dafa3 7aq el-7aneen

Who paid for nostalgia

مين شَرَى مِنَّا الأَمَان

Meen shara menna el-amaan

Who bought from us our safety

 

مين فركش الأَمَل

Meen farkash el-amal

Who tripped up the hsope

 

مين سَرَق عِمِر المَكَان

Meen saraq 3emer el-makaan

who stole life from this place

 

Read More