(Alexandria) اسكندريه

English Translation

O Alexandria
Your sea is full of wonders
If only I could be loved...by you??
I’m thrown by a wave
On the bosom of another wave
And the sea is wild
And fishing is plentiful
I wash my clothes
I hang my clothes?
And reveal my worries
On a rising sun
And in it, I’m melting
As though a peasant in Orabi’s[1] army
Who died on the cannon fort
And disappeared in your seas
As though a breeze above the hills
Arriving from the sea
Drowning in your enchantment
As though I were a word from Bayram’s[2] mind
As though I were a song from Sayyed’s[3] heart
As though I were a student within a protest
Chanting in your name
And died repeating
As though I were Nadim’s[4] voice
In your night
Awakening your people
So they can gather your strength
As though I were one stone from a house in an alley
As though I were a teardrop
In the eye of the sleepless
As though I were a star above the lighthouse
Calming the troubled
And the full moon is absent
O Alexandria
O People of Egypt
On a toothed smile
On the girl’s smile
The sea
Fishnets and bays
And you, the princess
Coming out to the world
O Alexandria, the passionate


And Badwi[5]
Slept in your arms
Amiable and affectionate
My words will be
A lover’s token
And with love
We give and take
O Alexandria, you’re full of the unfortunate
Who strive for their livelihood but barely sleep
Their mornings start
Their evenings return
And their hardships increase
Never relieved
O, the past that has exhausted them
And their effort lost
Never met
Their fishnets descended
On a barren sea
Their fishnets were empty
Alexandria, amidst your people
Wolves
Alexandria, above your people
Beasts
Alexandria, and you have men
In love with young maidens
If betrayed by their times
They never betray
Alexandria, amidst you the vinous
I gave up
I can no longer see it
This, without tarnishing it
Fish my Alexandrian boy
In passion, it is one
You have no other
Fish my Alexandrian boy
In harmony, he is a magician and an entertainer
Fish, my boy
Passion is a wish
It starts with a glance (that starts with a glance)
And becomes a romance
And every lover has his beauty
And every poet has his song
And me, my love for the maidens
I love and sing
My love I cannot conceal
And any glance can draw my attention
Imagine what your eyes can do to me
O dark beauty



[1] An army officer who led a peasant revolt against the Khedive

[2] Bayram el-Tunsi was an Egyptian poet from Alexandria, exiled by the British. He was known for nationalist and anti-imperialist poetry.

[3] Sayyed Darwish was a popular folk musician and composer from Alexandria. He was known for his nationalist songs and composed the tune for the Egyptian national anthem.

[4] Abdullah Al Nadim was one of the Orabi Revolutions most esteemed poets.

[5] Abdur Rahman Al Badwi was an Egyptian existentialist and poet. He wrote in Arabic, English, Spanish, French and German, and read Greek, Latin and Persian




Arabic Original

يا اسكندريه
بحرك عجايب
ياريت ينوبني م الحب نايب
تحدفني موجه
على صدر موجه
والبحرهوجه
والصيد مطايب
أغسل هدومي
وأنشر همومي
على شمسه طالعه
وأنا فيها دايب
كأني فلاح في جيش عرابي
مات ع الطوابي
وراح في بحرك
كأني نسمه فوق الروابي
م البحر جايه
تغرق في سحرك
كأني كلمه من عقل بيرم
كأني غنوه من قلب سيد
كأني جوا المظاهره طالب
هتف باسمك
ومات معيد
كأني صوت النديم
في ليلك
بيصحي ناسك
يشدوا حيلك
كأني طوبه من بيت في حاره
كأني دمعه
في عيون سهارى
كأني نجمه فوق الفناره
تهدي الحيارى
والبدر غايب
يا اسكندريه
يامصراويه
على سن باسم
على ضحكه هاله
البحر
شباك ومشربيه
وانتي الاميره
ع الدنيا طاله
يا اسكندريه عاشق
وبدوي
ارتاح في حضنك
والود ودي
يكون كلامي
عربون غرامي
وبالمحبه
ناخد وندي
يا اسكندريه فيكي الغلابه
ع الرزق يسعوا ولايناموش
صبح صباحهم
رجع مساهم
وزاد شقاهم
ومارتاحوش
يا عيني ع اللي الزمان تعبهم
وضاع تعبهم
ومالتقوش
نزل شبكهم
في بحر طامي
طلع شبكهم
على فاشوش
وفيكي بين البشر
ديابه
وفيكي فوق البشر
وحوش
وفيكي ناس
مغرمين صبابه
لو خان زمانهم
مابيخونوش
وفيكي خمري
سلمت امري
ما اقدرش اشوفه
وما انيلوش
سمك يا بني يا اسكندراني
في العشق واحد
مالكش تاني
سمك يابني يا اسكندراني
في الحسن ساحر ومعجباني
سمك يابني
والعشـق غيه
تبدأ بنظره
تبقى ملاغيه
وكل عاشق وله بهيه
وكل شاعر وله اغاني
وأنا اللي عشق الصبايا كاري
أعشق وأغني
ما اقدرش اداري
واي نظره بتجيب قراري
وايشحال عيونك
يا الاسمراني