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lost in translation...

A bird peered through my window                 عصفور طل من الشباك

2/17/2017

1 Comment

 
This is a little ditty I used to listen to when I was a kid. I never really paid attention to the words past the first few lines. Now that I am revisiting it, I am realizing how powerful the words are. A bird, symbolic of freedom, is tattered and beaten and is seeking refuge with a young girl. The young girl is symbolic of a brighter and more hopeful future.

Words by Nabil Hadi in some accounts but in others they are attributed to one of my all time favorite Arab musicians Marcel Khalifeh 
Vocals, Umaimah Alkhalil


​A bird peered through the window and said 
hey little one, would you hide me with you?
Please oh little one

I asked him, where are you from?
And he said from heaven's edge
I asked him, where are you coming from?
And he said from the neighbors' house

I asked him, who are you afraid of?
He said I am running away from the cage
I asked him, where are your feathers?
He said time has plucked them off.

A bird peered through the window and said 
hey little one, would you hide me with you?
Please oh little one

A tear rolled down his cheek
as he's leaning on his wings
Then he staggered and said I want to walk but I cannot

I held him close to my heart
as he was paining over his wounds
For before he broke free,
his voice and wings were broken

I asked him, who are you afraid of?
He said I am running away from the cage
I asked him, where are your feathers?
He said they were plucked away by time

I told him don't be afraid and look
Look at the sun that will rise
And he looked towards the forest and saw
The shimmering waves of freedom

He saw wings chirping
From behind the roof's door
He saw the forest soaring upon the wings of freedom

I asked him, where are you from
And he said from heaven's edge
I asked him, where are you coming from
And he said from the neighbors' house

I asked him, who are you afraid of?
He said I am running away from the cage
I asked him, where are your feathers?
He said they were plucked away by time

​​A bird peered through the window and said 

hey little one would you hide me with you
Please oh little one

عصفور طل من الشباك
وقال لي يا نونو
خبيني عندك خبيني
دخلك يا نونو

قلت له إنت من وين
قال لي من حدود السما
قلت له جايي من وين
قال لي من بيت الجيران

قلت له خايف من مين
قال لي من القفص هربان
قلت له ريشاتك وين
قال لي فرفطها الزمان

عصفور طل من الشباك وقال لي يا نونو
خبيني عندك خبيني 
دخلك يا نونو

ونزلت عا خدو دمعة
وجناحاتو متكيي
وتهدى بالأرض وقال
بدي إمشي وما فيي

ضميتو عا قلبي وصار
يتوجع على جروحاتو
قبل ما يكسر الحبس
تكسر صوتو وجناحاتو

قلت له خايف من مين
قال لي من القفص هربان
قلت له ريشاتك وين 
قال لي فرفطها الزمان

قلت له لا تخاف اتطلع
شوف الشمس اللي راح تطلع
واتطلع عالغابة وشاف
أمواج الحرية بتلمع

شاف جوانح عم بتزقزق
من خلف بواب العلية
شاف الغابة عم بتحلق
على جوانح الحرية

قلت له إنت من وين

قال لي من حدود السما
قلت له جايي من وين
قال لي من بيت الجيران

قلت له خايف من مين
قال لي من القفص هربان
قلت له ريشاتك وين
قال لي فرفطها الزمان

عصفور طل من الشباك
وقال لي يا نونو
خبيني عندك خبيني
دخلك يا نونو
1 Comment

I love you more                                                                     أحبك أكثر

2/13/2017

1 Comment

 
Below is a translation of a  poem by one of my favorite poets, Mahmoud Darwish. Again, the love he speaks of is love of country and in particular Palestine. The video is a musical rendition of the poem by the talented duo of Marcel Khalife on the Oud and Umaimah Alkhalil vocals
Be arrogant
Be arrogant
For regardless of how harsh you may be
You will remain, in my eye and my flesh, an angel
And remain, as our love has wished for me to see you

Be arrogant
Be arrogant
For regardless of how harsh you may be
Your breeze is ambergris
And your land is sugar
And I love you.....more

Your arms are like thick trees
But I do not sing
Like all the nightingales
For the chains have taught me to fight
Fight, fight
For I love you more

My melodies are rose daggers
My silence is a thunderous childhood
And you are the earth and the heaven
And your heart is green

And the ebb of love, with you is a tide
So how is it then that I don't love you more

You are as our love has intended for me to see you
Your breeze is ambergris
And your land is sugar
And your heart is green

And I am the child of your love
On your beautiful bosom
I thrive and grow

​تكبّر.. تكبرّ
فمهما يكن من جفاك
ستبقى، بعيني و لحمي، ملاك
و تبقى، كما شاء لي حبنا أن أراك
تكبّر.. تكبرّ
فمهما يكن من جفاك
نسيمك عنبر
و أرضك سكر
و إني أحبك.. أكثر
يداك خمائل
و لكنني لا أغني
ككل البلابل
فإن السلاسل
تعلمني أن أقاتل
أقاتل.. أقاتل
لأني أحبك أكثر
غنائي خناجر ورد
و صمتي طفولة رعد
و أنت الثرى و السماء
و قلبك أخضر
و جزر الهوى، فيك، مدّ
فكيف، إذن، لا أحبك أكثر
و أنت، كما شاء لي حبنا أن أراك
نسيمك عنبر
و أرضك سكر
و قلبك أخضر..
وإنّي طفل هواك
على حضنك الحلو

أنمو و أكبر​


1 Comment

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    Palestinian, Muslim, American, Husband, Father, Academic, Pharmacist, Coffee Addict, Nutella phene, Pseudo writer, Soccer player, former Canadian, Community servant, Pinch hitter imam, interfaith ninja, Intellectual vigilante, and the undisputed KING of snark ​

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