Lebanese Language Institute

Niḣna b xomor hirben asrax min ġazel
La tḋayxii b mḣallale w mḣarrame

We live in an age fleeing faster than a deer
Do not waste your days with banned and allowed

La tḋayxi forṡit wujudik bil jidel

Do not waste the opportunity of your existance in argument

B afwit ḱabar majhul naṫorna zzaweel

Behind an unknown event, our end awaits

Zikrik maxii mitl l xaṡaayi la ḋḋariir

I carry your memory like the blind man carries his walking stick

Caw`i la ruḣik caw` minfi la ddiyaar

I long to your soul as an exile longs for home

Darb l bideeyi min kitir daxs ddhur
Nixmit w min ġabraatha ceb zzamen

The path of our beginning has become smooth
From the passing of time upon its route
And from its dust, time grew its white hair

Tmarrad ḋamiir ṫṫiin w nfak l lḣeem

The conscious of dirt has revolted, and it broke the weld

Ya rayt eedir icbul nhaari sini
W yintihi xomri l mlattam b żżalaam
Bala jmiiltik…riddi traabik ya dini
Afḋal ili ma cuf nees mxazzabiin
W b kil cibr traab xaḋm w jimijmi

I wish I could compress my years in a day
And my life in darkness would end today
I don’t want your charity… take your dust back, oh life,
It’s better than seeing tortured people
And in every foot of earth, a skull and a bone

Reading Material