Mafi Mennik by Aziz Maraka
When I first studied Arabic, “من” meant “from.” Introductory Arabic classes tend to include a deceptively simple list of Arabic prepositions corresponded with their English “equivalents.” Indeed, Google translate will still give me this definition even though the word “من” contorts itself into more meanings than my English-speaking brain can accept.
In the title of this Aziz Maraka song, من means “like.” There is no one like you - quite a mouthful compared to the Arabic, مافي منك.
I like Mafi Mennik, not only because I love Aziz Maraka, but also because the lyrics are simple enough to sing yet tricky enough to keep me guessing. Scroll down to read the lyrics as you listen and review some vocabulary words after.
Until next week, مافي منك, dear reader, and happy listening!
Lyrics by Aziz Maraka. Translation by Fi Kalam
لفيت الكون
I circled the planet
ما في منك
There's no one like you
ولا حدا زيك
Not a single person like you
انتِ زي الفل
You're like a flower
وأحلى من الفل
And more beautiful than a flower
عشانك بصير شو ما بدك
For you, I'll become whatever you want
خليني أحبك
Let me love you
راح أحبك حب
I'll love you, love
آآه يما عل حب
Oh, what love
بمشي عكس الريح كل أيامي
I’ll walk into the wind all my days
ولا حدا قدامي
No one in front of me
غيرك انتِ
Other than you
غيرك انتِ
Other than you
والروح بتصيح آه يا إدماني
My soul yells yes, oh my addiction
مش شايف ولا حدا تاني
I don't see anyone else
المهم انتِ
What's important is you
المهم انتِ
What's important is you
بحبك انتِ
I love you
قبلك انتِ
Before you
ما كنت أهتم
I had no interest
بلا حب بلا هم
Without love, without a care
يا أرض إشتدي
Oh earth, hold tight
ما حدا قدي
No one can take me down
وانتِ جيتي
Then you came
لبكتيني
You made me nervous
شقلبتيني
You sent me spinning
برضو على عيني
You caught my eye
يا أغلى من عيني
You are the most precious in my eyes
…بمشي عكس الريح كل أيامي
بحبك انتِ…
قبلك ما كان في شي بيأثر فيّي
Before you, nothing affected me
عارف شو الي وشو اللي عليّ
I knew what to give and what to take
آه لا عايش لحدا
I wasn’t living for anyone
ولا علاقة تبعد مدى
Or for some future relationship
وانتِ جيتي رتبتيلي أولوياتي
Then you came and reset my priorities
لما شفتك شويّة شويّة
When I saw you, little by little
يما الحب ًوقفوا رجليّ
All that love stopped me in my tracks
حسيت دقات القلب بتزيد
I felt my heart beat fast
أنا واياكِ أيد بأيد
You and I, hand in hand
تعالي نروح لبعيد
Come, let's go far away
عن كل هالناس
From all these people
كل الرياح
All the wind
لو كل العالم بيوقف بيني وبينك يوم
Even if the world stops between us one day
…بمشي عكس الريح كل أيامي
بحبك انتِ…
Vocabulary / مفردات
كون / اكوان
Universe/s
صاح / يصيح
To shout / he shouts
إدمان
Addiction/s
بلا هم
ًWithout a care
يا أرض إشتدي ما حدا قدي
This is a Syrian phrase that is difficult to translate into English. It’s a way of saying, “there’s no one like me on this earth,” or “I’m unique and invincible”. It has an egotistical, kind of pompous undertone.
ما حدا قدي
There is no other
شقلبتيني (شقلب)
You rocked my world
Literal Translation: To somersault or flip
بيأثر فيّي
You affected me
تبعد مدى
To this extent
رتبتيلي (رتب)
You rearranged me
