Eish Jabkum Hon? (What Brings You Here?)

from Aynama-Rtama by Alif

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lyrics

أنا عِندي عَنكَبوت بِراسي وانا قاعِد
والسَّلاحِف عَم تِمْشي عَ ضَهْري وانا قاعِد

إيش جابْكُم هون؟
والطّابِة هَيْها عَم تِوقَع عَ خَدّي
ومَدّ وجَزِر الطّابِة في المَلاعِب
وأَنا لا لعَّيب ولا مشاهِد
إيش جابكم وأنا كافي خيري شرِّي قاعِد؟!

أنا عِندي عَنكَبوت بِراسي وانا قاعِد
والسَّلاحِف عَم تِمْشي عَ ضَهري وانا قاعِد

إيش جابكُم هون؟
والنّجمِة مَرَّت بِابتسامِة صَفرا
ومَدّ وجَزر بروحي الكَواكِب
وانا لا المَرّيخ ولا عُطارِد
إيش جابكُم وانا كافي خيري شرِّي قاعد؟!

أنا عِندي عَنْكَبوت براسي وانا قاعِد
والسَّلاحِف عَم تِمشي عَ ضَهري وانا قاعِد

وإيش جاب الضَّو، عَم يِزحَف ع وجِّي
وإيش جاب جمهور، وانا لا ساحِر
لا مُفتي ولا قائِد، وَلا مُؤَلِّف المَشاهد
إيش جابكُم وانا كافي خيري شرِّي قاعد؟!

أنا عِندي عَنكَبوت براسي وانا قاعِد
والسَّلاحِف عَم تِمشي عَ ضَهري وانا قاعِد

تأليف تامر ابو غزالة. الترجمة الإنجليزية لناريمان يوسف -

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I have a spider in my head while I just sit here,
tortoises walking on my back while I just sit here.

What brings you here?

That ball there, landing on my cheek.
Ebb and flow, the ball in the playing fields
when I’m neither player nor spectator.
What brings you when I’m just minding my business, sitting here?

I have a spider in my head while I just sit here,
tortoises walking on my back while I just sit here.

What brings you here?

A star flies by with a yellow smirk.
Ebb and flow, my spirit among the planets,
when I’m neither Mars nor Mercury.
What brings you when I’m just minding my business, sitting here?

I have a spider in my head while I just sit here,
tortoises walking on my back while I just sit here.

What brings the light, crawling on my face?
What brings this audience? I’m no magician,
no preacher, no leader, nor the writer of these scenes.

What brings you when I’m just minding my business, sitting here?

I have a spider in my head while I just sit here,
tortoises walking on my back while I just sit here.

- Lyrics by Tamer Abu Ghazaleh. English translation by Nariman Youssef.

credits

from Aynama-Rtama, released September 4, 2015
All music composed, arranged, performed and produced by Alif. Lyrics by Tamer Abu Ghazaleh.

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about

Alif Beirut, Lebanon

Rhythmic drive and fervour, innovative instrumentation and poignant avant-garde words coalesced as an intense labyrinth of sound and emotion. Alif is the collective sound of five musicians at the forefront of independent music in the Arab world, feat. Khyam Allami (Oud), Tamer Abu Ghazaleh (Vocals/Buzuq), Bashar Farran (Bass), Maurice Louca (Keys/Electronics) and Khaled Yassine (Drums/Percussion). ... more

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