The title phrase of the song "ana mawgood" (أنا موجود) means "I am present," "I am here," or "I exist." I've translated it here in different ways depending on the context, and I've also translated it as "here I am" in some spots to give it a better sound in English. Let me know if you have any comments about the word choice.
City Band – I Am Here
I exist, but my title keeps changing
My name is youth, and I am young
I am willing to live a short life
And I am not afraid to die
Here I am
I exist, and I don’t have a card or ID
Put all your flaws on me
Throw me on the ground and stomp all over me
Keep me from making any sound
But I am here
Say that I’m spreading fitna (discord) and I am always undermining the stability
Say that I’m a kafir (infidel) and a traitor and that I’m going to hell
You are free to say what you will
I won’t object to any kind of dialogue
Yes, I’m a killer and my weapon is some stones
I am here
Here I am
Do what you want to me
And when I die, nobody ask why they killed me
And I beg you do not cry
Whoever wants to laugh can laugh, it’s not important
Nobody call out “we will not forget you”
No forget me, but don’t forget
The one who killed me is still out there
And I am gone
سيتي باند - أنا موجود
أنا موجود لكن عنوان بيتغير
أنا اسمي شباب سنه صغير
ومش رافض أعيش عمر قصير
ومش خايف أموت
أنا موجود
انا موجود لا معايا بطاقه ولا هويه
داروا عيوبكم كلها فيا
شيلوا وحطوا ودوسوا عليا
امنعوا يطلع منى الصوت
أنا موجود
وقولوا عليا بعمل فتنة وبهدم دائماً الاستقرار
وقولوا عليا كافر خاين ومكاني هيكون النار
وقولوا كلامكم بحرية أنا مش هامنع أي حوار
ايوه انا قاتل وسلاحي شوية طوب
أنا موجود
أنا موجود اعملوا فيا اللي تحبوه
ولما هاموت ما حدش يسأل ليه قتلوه
وأرجوكم ما تبكوش
اللي عايز يضحك يضحك ما يهموش
وما حدش يهتف لا ننساك لا انسوني بس ما تنسوش
اللي قتلني لسه موجود
وأنا مش موجود
5 comments:
Hello Chris!
I am a junior student of Classical Arabic and MSA from Argentina and I have been following your blog for quite a while. For me, it has become an useful way of familiarizing with the various Arabic dialects - and so far the whole experience has been thoroughly enjoyable. I would like to commend you and your supporters and collaborators on your generous commitment to learning of Arabic in its various forms and aspects, and hope you may keep this work up for years to come.
I am quite surprised to find that nobody has written a comment on this outstanding clip as yet.
Now, my present knowledge of Egyptian Arabic is rather thin, but on hearing this song I would like to point out the following corrections:
أنا اسمي شباب **سنه** صغير (instead of سني)
داروا **عيوبكم** كلها فيا (Translated as 'Everybody look at me'. First, what is really heard is عيوبكو. Then, you seem to have translated عيوبكم 'your flaws' as if it were عيونكم 'your eyes'. After a bit of research I found that the verb at the head of the verse is not دار 'to turn, to revolve', but دارى 'to hide, to conceal', which makes the meaning of the sentence clear: 'Conceal all your flaws behind me')
وما حدش يهتف لا ننساك لا انسوني بس **ان** تنسوش (I think this word must be understood as ما. Though certainly the pronuntiation is not very clear, I can't make the sense of ان as a particle of verbal negation)
I hope not to sound too pedantic - I just wish to get my Egyptian right on the mark! Perhaps some real speaker could correct or confirm this?
Anyway, best wishes to all of you and thanks for your wonderful blog,
Federico
thanks federico, great corrections. i actually don't know what's going on the last line, is he saying "ma?" It would make sense but I don't hear it
I think you can hear it better on 5:10. The singer actually says /bassə ma tinsūsh/. The ultra-short vowel schwa /ə/ is inserted here in accordance with the phonotactic rule that states that in EA no more than two consonants may follow each other or else a schwa sound should be inserted after them. After the schwa one may hear a nasal sound resembling an /n/. This is probably due to the fact that the singer does not completely close his lips together, which yields an /n/ rather than an /m/.
Of course, you can also google ما تنسوش and confirm that there is no other possible alternative.
I hope someone will comment on the provocative visual language employed in the clip. For example, you may notice that paint was used in three main colors - white, black and red - which are the colors of the flag of Egypt.
I also wonder if a real-life baltagi would have that sinister skinhead-like aspect... perhaps someone out there has ever met one?
Best wishes, Federico
hey federico, i did not pick up on the color scheme. great observation
baltagis are basically thugs in plain clothes so what we see in the video is just i think to show their sinister/evil nature. here the baltagi comes to represent the spirit of the repressive state.
i am here, i have got no cards (as in ID, drivers license, etc.) nor identity (the word هويه can be translated as ID card or identity)
داروا عيوبكم كلها فيا
a more accurate translation will be from the verb Dara:Idari which means to cover up or conceal.
i suggest:
"cover up your shame, (throw) all of it on me"
شيلوا وحطوا ودوسوا عليا
dismiss it (the shame) and place it (on me) and trample over me.
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