Majnoon by Yazan Haifawi
Majnoon (مجنون) by Jordanian alternative musician, Yazan Haifawi is a great song to work out to or to listen to when you're mad. I can recommend both from experience. Before reading the lyrics, I went back and forth between thinking Majnoon was a love song and thinking it’s about someone who’s pretty angry. Turns out it's a bit of both. In short, a man was blissfully in love with someone for a long time. Then, it seems, she had an affair or otherwise spurned him. Now, the man is feeling hurt, angry, and betrayed - so the lyrics are rich with emotionally intense vocabulary.
Scroll for full Arabic lyrics and our English translation.
Lyrics by Yazan Haifawi. Translation by Fi Kalam, edited by Saeed Alaktaa.
شافونا تنين مش اي تنين ... قالو عنا يخزي العين
They saw us two not as just any two … They say that we’re disgraceful
ماسك ايدك و ماشي … بالي عليكي صرلو سنين
I’m holding your hand and walking … You’ve been on my mind for years
كتير اوقات ما بتنعاد … مش كل شي بالكلمات
Many moments we can’t get back … Words aren’t everything
عيشة حرة ومرة … والقلب يهوى مر
Life is free and bitter … And the heart loves once
بتقوليلي ما بتنسيني … نسيتي وعدك لااا؟
You tell me you won’t forget me … You forgot your promise, no?
يا مجنون
Oh crazy one
حضني لسا دافي … ما بتخافي ربك؟
My embrace is still warm … Have you no shame?
اه اه اه
Yeah, yeah, yeah
لا تقولي لوم لو سبتك يوم … لا مش انا المجنون
Don’t blame me if I leave you one day … No, I’m not the crazy one
واقفة الدنيا تدور … تغدر فيكي يا مجنون
The world has stopped spinning … It betrayed you, oh crazy one
بتقوليلي ما بتنسيني … نسيتي وعدك لااا؟
You tell me you won’t forget me … You forgot your promise, no?
يا مجنون
Oh crazy one
حضني لسا دافي … ما بتخافي ربك؟
My embrace is still warm … Have you no shame?
اه اه اه
Yeah, yeah, yeah
مالك غيري … قلبي حبك زي ما انتي
You have no one but me … My heart loves you as you are
يا مجنون
Oh crazy one
كزبت عينك لما قلتي حبك ملكي
Your eyes lied when you said your love was mine
اه اه اه
Yeah yeah yeah
مجنون بحبك انا … تشهد علي السما
I’m crazy in love with you … The sky is my witness
مهما خبيت … لو كنتي عود من شرار لمسك فيكي ليوم الموت
Whatever you hide … Even if you were a stick of fire I’d hold you until my dying day
بتقوليلي ما بتنسيني … نسيتي وعدك لااا؟
You tell me you won’t forget me … You forgot your promise, no?
يا مجنون
Oh crazy one
حضني لسا دافي … ما بتخافي ربك؟
My embrace is still warm … Have you no shame?
اه اه اه
Yeah, yeah, yeah
مالك غيري … قلبي حبك زي ما انتي
You have no one but me … My heart loves you as you are
يا مجنون
Oh crazy one
كزبت عينك لما قلتي حبك ملكي
Your eyes lied when you said your love was mine
اه اه اه
Yeah yeah yeah
Vocabulary / مفردات
يخزي العين
[Something masc.] is a disgrace or is shameful
Literal translation: it disgraces the eyes
ماسك/ة (مسك)
Holding
عاد
To come back or to get back
مُرة
Bitter
مَرة
Once
يهوى / هوى
He/it loves / he/it loved
When used as a noun, هوى can also mean "passion"
بتنسي / نسيتي
You (fem.) forget / you (fem.) forgot
حضن
Hug or embrace (noun and verb); bosom
ما بتخافي ربك؟
This line literally translates to: “do you (fem.) not fear your lord." While it’s quite common to reference religion in Arabic, references to religion in English usually come off as a lot more intense. For this reason, we’ve translated this line as, “have you no shame?” While the words are less true to the Arabic version, the meaning feels more true.
مالك
مال + preposition is a way to show possession. For example, مالك means something is yours.
لوم
Blame
تشهد / شهدت
She/you (masc.) witness or testify / She/you (masc.) witnessed or testified
شرار ج شرارات
Spark/s
يوم الموت
The day of death
