Marhaba! If you have been following the news lately and previous posts on Lebanon, you were well aware that the small and beautiful Arab state on the Mediterranean Sea is engulfed in a severe trash crisis. A few days ago, the biggest news corporations around the world, including CNN and BBC, shared gruesome pictures of swarms and mountains of trash in the streets of Lebanon. For the last seven months, the Lebanese government has failed to provide an adequate solution to end the garbage crisis and thousands of Lebanese are taking to the streets to voice their utmost dissatisfaction with the piles of trash all across the country. Unfortunately, pictures of beautiful Beirut are now equated with piles of garbage. But we all know that Beirut is much more than that.
Beirut Image by Evan Bench via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Longing for somewhat better days in the past and looking towards a brighter future, I am sharing another beautiful song by the one and only: Fairouz. The song is entitled Li Beirut ‘لبيروت’ which literally translates to ‘For Beirut.’ I am sharing this beautiful and deep song in the form of a YouTube video and the lyrics in Arabic and English. Hope you enjoy another Fariouz classic. I look forward to your comments and thoughts under this post and/or via Facebook or Twitter.
فيروز – لبيروت
Fairouz – For Beirut
لبيروت For Beirut,
من قلبي سلامٌ لبيروت From my heart a greeting of peace to Beirut
و قُبلٌ للبحر و البيوت And kisses to the sea and the houses,
لصخرةٍ كأنها وجه بحارٍ قديمِ To a rock shaped liked the face of an old fisherman…
هي من روحِ الشعب خمرٌ She is wine from the spirit of the people هي من عرقِهِ خبزٌ و ياسمين From its sweat (the people), she is bread and jasmine. فكيف صار طعمها طعم نارٍ و دخانِ So how did its taste become the taste of fire and smoke
لبيروت For Beirut
مجدٌ من رمادٍ لبيروت A glory of ashes, for Beirut
من دمٍ لولدٍ حُملَ فوق يدها Of blood, of a child held in its palm
أطفأت مدينتي قنديلها My city has extinguished its lantern
أغلقت بابها She (my city) closed its door
أصبحت في السماء وحدها… Became at night alone
وحدها و ليلُ Alone with the night
أنتِ لي أنتِ لي You are mine… You are mine
أه عانقيني أنتِ لي Oh, embrace me; you are mine
رايتي و حجرُ الغدِ و موج سفري My banner, and the stone of tomorrow, and the waves of my travel.
أزهرت جراح شعبي The wounds of my people have blossomed
أزهرت دمعة الأمهات.. The mothers’ tears have blossomed
أنتِ بيروت لي You, Beirut, are mine
أنتِ لي You are mine
آه عانقيني Oh, embrace me…
For now take care and stay tuned for upcoming posts! Happy Learning! Have a nice day!! نهاركمسعيد
Salam everyone! Born as an American to two originally Arab parents, I have been raised and have spent most of my life in Beirut, Lebanon. I have lived my good times and my bad times in Beirut. I was but a young child when I had to learn to share my toys and food with others as we hid from bombs and fighting during the Lebanese Civil War. I feel my connection to Arabic as both a language and culture is severing and so it is with you, my readers and fellow Arabic lovers, and through you that I wish to reestablish this connection by creating one for you.
