Gulf Arabic: Level 1

يا زمن وش فيك قاسي

ya ziman wiš fīk gāsi

Oh fate, why are you so harsh?

عايد الضبيان

اداء ابراهيم الظويفري

 

 

• آآآه منك يا زمن

Aaah, minak ya ziman!

Aaaugh, you, oh fate (lit.: time)!

– آه من  = exclamation expressing pain (caused by whatever من  refers to)

– ziman  = Fuṣḥā زمن  (zaman)

 

• يا زمن وش فيك قاسي

Ya ziman wiš fīk(i) gāsi?

Oh fate, what is it with you being so harsh?

– wiš = Fuṣḥā ماذا

– wiš fīk = what’s the matter (with you)?

Note that the (i)s in this song have no grammatical purpose but are added by the singer for pure purpose of rhythm

 

• آآآه منك شاب راسي

Aah(i), minak šāb(i) rāsi

Aaah, because of you my head has turned grey.

 

• طعم مرك وسط كاسي

ṭa‘m(i) murrak wasṭ(i) kāsi

Your bitter taste in the middle of my cup.

– طعم مرك  = not sure of this construction, shouldn’t it actually be طعمك المر ?

 

• دايماً تقسى علي

Dāyiman tigsa ‘alayya

You’re always cruel to me.

– tigsa = Fuṣḥā تقسو  (taqsu)

 

• يا زمن وش فيك قلي

Ya ziman wiš fīk(i) gilli

Oh fate, what’s the matter with you, tell me.

– gilli = Fuṣḥā qūl li

 

• أعشقك وتحب ذلي

A‘šigik wa tiḥibb(i) dhilli

I love you and you love humiliating me.

– Note that „ḥabb, yiḥibb” is not form IV (“aḥabb”) as in Fuṣḥā

– dhilli = lit.: “my humiliation”

 

• أنت نصفـي أنت كلي

Ante nuṣfi ante killi

You are my half, you are my whole.

– Note how Fuṣḥā “anta” is pronounced more like “ante” in some Gulf dialects

– kill = Fuṣḥā كُل  (kull)

 

• يا زمن ما تحس في

 Ya ziman ma tiḥess(i) fiyya

Oh fate, you don’t feel sympathy for me.

– ḥass fi = feel pity, compassion, sympathy for someone

 

• يا زمن عمري قضيته

Ya ziman ‘umri gaẓētah

Oh fate, I spent my life…

– قضيت  = note that the ض is pronounced ظ in Gulf dialects

– قضيته  = note that the personal pronoun ه- is pronounced “ah” (not -o as in most dialects)

 

• مخلـص سنيـن وفنيـتـه

Mukhliṣ(i) snīn u-fanētah

…being loyal for years and you ended it.

 

• والخـطـر دربــه مشيـتـه

wa-l-khaṭar darbah mašētah.

I walked the path of danger

 

• والجزاء منك الاذيه

wa-l-jizā mink al-adhiyya

And in return you cause me pain.

– جزاء  = requital, repayment; penalty

– mink = minak in most other dialects

 

• ما توقعت التجاهل

ma tawagga3t at-tajāhul

I didn’t expect this disregard.

 

• والتمادي والتساهل

W-at-tamādi w-at-tasāhul

These extremes and this carelessness.

 

• وانـنـي أنـسـان جـاهـل

Wa inani insān(i) jāhil

I’m a naive human being.

 

• وان هالكذبه ذكيه

Wa inn ha-l-kidhba dhakiyya

And this lie is clever.

 

• آآآه يادنــيــاء الـعـجـايــب

Aaah ya dinya l-‘ajāyib

Oh you world of wonders!

 

• آآآه يا كبر المصايب

Aaah ya kibr al-maṣāyib

Oh you magnitude of disasters!

 

• آآآه يا جروح الحبايب

Aah, ya jrūḥ al-ḥabāyib

Aah, oh you wounds of (caused by?) the loved ones!

 

• كلها يا ناس بيه

Killha ya nās biha

All of them, oh people, are in it (?)

 

• ناظـر بصـدري طعـونـي

Nāẓr(i) bi-ṣadri ṭa‘ūni

Look at the stab wounds in my chest.

 

• وبالظهر اللـي خذلونـي

wa b-iẓ-ẓahr illi khadhalūn(i)

And in my back which they deserted.

 

• لـو بغـوا مـنـي عيـونـي

Law baghaw mini ‘uyūni

If they asked me for my eyes.

– bagha, yabi  = most common Gulf dialect word for “to want”

 

• قـلـت خـوذوهــا هـديــه

Gilt (u)khudhūha hadiya

I would tell them to take them as a gift.

• جـيـت أراجــع ذكريـاتـي

jīt arāji‘ dhikrayāti

I’ve begun to revise my memories.

• وطيبتي اللـي بصفاتـي

u-ṭībati illi bi ṣafāti

And the goodness of my character (lit.: qualities).

• وابـتـدت رحـلـة حيـاتـي

Wa ibtidat riḥlat ḥayāti

The journey of my life has begun.

• و كانـت الصـدمـه قـويـه

Wa kānat aṣ-ṣadma gawwiya

And the shock was intense.