{"id":6728,"date":"2012-11-16T05:00:37","date_gmt":"2012-11-16T05:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/?p=6728"},"modified":"2014-07-11T19:25:32","modified_gmt":"2014-07-11T19:25:32","slug":"take-away-my-passport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/take-away-my-passport\/","title":{"rendered":"Take Away My Passport"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marcel Khalife (\u0645\u0627\u0631\u0633\u064a\u0644 \u062e\u0644\u064a\u0641\u0629)is an accomplished oud (\u0639\u0648\u062f)player, singer, and composer. He was born on June 10, 1950 in Amchit, a coastal village next to Jbeil in Lebanon. He studied the Oud at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music, where he graduated in 1971. Following his graduation and starting in 1972 till around 1975, Khalife became a music instructor and began teaching at his school, other public universities \u00a0(\u062c\u0627\u0645\u0639\u0627\u062a \u0631\u0633\u0645\u064a\u0651\u0629)\u00a0in Lebanon and other prestigious private institutions (\u0645\u0624\u0633\u064e\u0651\u0633\u0627\u062a \u062e\u0627\u0635\u064e\u0651\u0629). Khalife did not only dedicate his time to teaching at the Conservatory, but also began touring the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and the United States of America playing to thousands and giving performances on the Oud. In addition to being an accomplished Oud player, Khalife is also a renowned singer with a soft Oriental voice that touches and enchants the hearts of many listeners around the world.<\/p>\n

Khalife has also composed many purely instrumental works like the Symphony of Return(\u062f\u064a\u0648\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u064e\u0648\u062f\u064e\u0629), Diwan al Oud, and Al Samaa. Khalife\u2019s instructors at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music were very traditional and strict with regards to specific techniques and methods that governed the proper playing of the Oud. Khalife among others is renowned for developing musical techniques (\u062a\u0650\u0642\u064e\u0646\u0650\u064a\u0651\u0627\u062a)and methods that freed the Oud from traditional constraints, which in turn allowed other skilled artists and musicians to internalize these techniques. Khalife\u2019s musical innovations are viewed as diverse ways that aimed to expand the musical possibilities of a traditional musical instrument like the Oud. His techniques in the Orient are viewed by many as revolutionary. In 1976, Khalife created a musical group in his hometown called \u2018Al Mayadine Ensemble.\u2019 This ensemble went beyond Khalife\u2019s hometown and became a popular group that toured different regions of the world. His ensemble has performed at many of the most important capitals of the world, including the World Music Festival in San Francisco, New York and the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in Morroco.<\/p>\n

Khalife\u2019s musical innovations and compositions do not only reflect beautiful musical notes and tunes, but also a powerful message through magnificent and deep lyrics. Khalife has had an association with many Arab poets, especially the famous Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.<\/p>\n

In his latest musical tours around the world, Marcel Khalife and the Mayadine Ensemble are performing \u201cFall of the Moon,\u201d which is a homage to Mahmoud Darwish and a salute to the Arab Spring.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In this post, I will share one of Mahmud Darwish\u2019s famous poems called \u2018Passport,\u2019 which Khalife has turned into a beautiful and majestic musical masterpiece. I have added the song in a YouTube video at the end of this post.<\/p>\n

Passport (\u062c\u0648\u0627\u0632 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0641\u0631<\/span>)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

They did not recognize me in the shadows (\u0627\u0644\u0638\u0650\u0651\u0644\u0627\u0644<\/span>)<\/p>\n

That suck away my color (\u0644\u0648\u0646\u064a<\/span>) in this Passport<\/p>\n

And to them my wound (\u062c\u064f\u0631\u062d\u064a<\/span>) was an exhibit (\u064b\u0645\u0639\u0631\u0636\u0627<\/span>)<\/p>\n

For a tourist (\u0633\u0627\u0626\u0650\u062d<\/span>) Who loves to collect photographs (\u0627\u0644\u0635\u0648\u0631<\/span>)<\/p>\n

They did not recognize me,<\/p>\n

Ah . . . Don’t leave (\u0644\u0627 \u062a\u064e\u062a\u0652\u0631\u0643\u064a<\/span>)<\/p>\n

The palm of my hand without the sun (\u0634\u0645\u0633<\/span>)<\/p>\n

Because the trees recognize me<\/p>\n

All the songs (\u0623\u063a\u0627\u0646\u064a<\/span>) of the rain recognize me<\/p>\n

Dont’ leave me pale (\u064b\u0634\u0627\u062d\u0628\u0627<\/span>) like the moon!<\/p>\n

\u00a0All (\u0643\u0644\u0651<\/span>) the birds (\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0635\u0627\u0641\u064a\u0631<\/span>) that followed my palm<\/p>\n

To the door of the distant airport (\u0627\u0644\u0645\u0637\u0627\u0631<\/span>)<\/p>\n

All the wheatfields (\u062d\u0642\u0648\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u0642\u064e\u0645\u062d<\/span>)<\/p>\n

All the prisons (\u0627\u0644\u0633\u064f\u0651\u062c\u0648\u0646<\/span>)<\/p>\n

All the white tombstones (\u0627\u0644\u0642\u064f\u0628\u0648\u0631<\/span>)<\/p>\n

All the barbed boundaries (\u0627\u0644\u062d\u064f\u062f\u0648\u062f<\/span>)<\/p>\n

All the waving handkerchiefs (\u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u0646\u0627\u062f\u064a\u0644<\/span>)<\/p>\n

All the eyes\u00a0 were with me,<\/p>\n

But they dropped them from my passport<\/p>\n

Stripped of my name and identity (\u0627\u0644\u0625\u0646\u062a\u0645\u0627\u0621<\/span>)?<\/p>\n

On a soil (\u062a\u064f\u0631\u0628\u0629<\/span>) I nourished with my own hands?<\/p>\n

Today Job (\u0623\u064a\u064f\u0651\u0648\u0628<\/span>) cried out<\/p>\n

Filling the sky: Don’t make an example of me again!<\/p>\n

Oh, gentlemen, Prophets (\u0627\u0644\u0623\u0646\u0628\u064a\u0627\u0621<\/span>),<\/p>\n

Don’t ask the trees for their names<\/p>\n

Don’t ask the valleys (\u0627\u0644\u0648\u0650\u062f\u064a\u0627\u0646<\/span>) who their mother is<\/p>\n

From my forehead bursts the sword (\u0633\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0641<\/span>) of light<\/p>\n

And from my hand springs the water of the river (\u0627\u0644\u0646\u064e\u0651\u0647\u0631<\/span>)<\/p>\n

All the hearts of the people are my identity<\/p>\n

So take away my passport! (\u0641\u0644\u062a\u0633\u0642\u0637\u0648\u0627 \u0639\u0646\u0651\u064a \u062c\u0648\u0627\u0632 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0641\u0631<\/span>)<\/p>\n

I hope you enjoy these beautiful words sung by Khalife while playing the mystical Oud and reflecting on the hardships and grievances of many people in the Arab world, especially Darwish\u2019s homeland Palestine and Khalife\u2019s homeland Lebanon.<\/p>\n