Zahri – Bilingual Lyrics Arabic/English

• By: Muslim

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the beautiful nuances of the Arabic language through this emotive track. 'Zahri' offers a wonderful opportunity to learn romantic vocabulary and expressive phrasing, making it a perfect song for those looking to connect with the poetic soul of Arabic melodies.

[English]

Why does the world enjoy my suffering?

Targeting only my door!?

Between my questions and my answers

Thoughts are challenging my sanity

Since I was young, I've always been at war

It weighs on me while I pretend to smile, and how many times has it broken my heart?

Even when you smile at me, I think you're lying

Smile today, but tomorrow brings pain and gloom

O happy one, you are actually miserable

O wise one, you are actually mad

O free man, you are actually imprisoned

O living one, you are actually buried alive

The world is an oppressor, a destroyer

Days and years keep turning

Trust is a trap—it's treacherous

No wealth, no children, and even health is deceptive

I stand upon the mountains of sorrow

The Angel of Death has his arms wide open

I see prison becoming my identity

Or in exile, a stranger in foreign lands

Always racing through the darkness of the night

Chasing after my meager luck

It threw me onto the paths of woe

Watching both my enemy and my close friend

Always racing through the darkness of the night

Chasing after my meager luck

It threw me onto the paths of woe

Watching both my enemy and my close friend

We spent our childhood in hardship

Influenced by a rebellious youth

Violence in the neighborhood has become normal

In a second, your soul departs, so why do you stare at me like that?

We learned how to be like the mafia

We went through bloody wars

Fleeing from poverty, prison, the grave, and the taste of dry bread

This is the law of the jungle

Rocks and tanks

There is no place for the weak

Money, swords, and emotions are all scammers

Go on, world, grow even harsher

I have stitched my own wounds

My weapon is held against my enemy's chest

And my jokes terrify my closest friends

But I never look down on men

Neither health nor wealth lasts forever

My friends are few, and the sieve has been shaken

As for the traitors, you are always on my mind

No matter how long it takes

They say nothing stays the same forever

It's impossible to find an answer to every question

I stand upon the mountains of sorrow

The Angel of Death has his arms wide open

I see prison becoming my identity

Or in exile, a stranger in foreign lands

Always racing through the darkness of the night

Chasing after my meager luck

It threw me onto the paths of woe

Watching both my enemy and my close friend

[Arabic]

علاش الدنيا عاجبها عذابي؟

قاصدا غير بابي !؟

بين سؤالي و جوابي

أفكار تتحدى صوابي

من صغري و أنا ديما حربي

كتيري فيا و أنا ضاحك و شحال من مرّة بكيتيلي قلبي

حتى ملّي كتضحكيلي على بالي كذابة

اضحك ليوم و غدا ألم و كآبة

يا الفرحان راك مغبون

يا الحكيم راك مجنون

واه يا الحر راك مسجون

و يا الحي راك مدفون

الدنيا حكّارة قهّارة

الأيام و السنين دوارة

الثقة صنّارة غدّارة

لا مال لا بنون و الصحة غير غرّارة

واقف انا على جبال الاحزان

ملاك الموت فاتح الأحضان

كنشوف الحبس غادي يولي عنوان

ولا فالغربة غريب الأوطان

ديما مكسيري فظلام الليل

جاري مور زهري القليل

رماني فطرقان الويل

حاضي عدويا و الخليل

ديما مكسيري فظلام الليل

جاري مور زهري القليل

رماني فطرقان الويل

حاضي عدويا و الخليل

الطفولة دوزناها قاسية

تأثرنا بشبيبة بطالية

الضروڭة فالحومة ولّات عادية

فثانية تطيح الرّوح بشعاندك كتشوف فيا

تعلمنا كيف نكونو مافيا

دوزنا حروبات دامية

هارب من الفقر ومن الحبس و القبر و مذاق الخبزة الحافية

هذا قانون الغابة

حجرة و دبّابة

ما كاين مكان للضعيف

العاقة و السيف و العاطفة نصّابة

زيدي يا الدنيا قصاحي

خيطت بيدي جراحي

عدويا فصدرو سلاحي

و عشيري خالعو مزاحي

و ما نحـڭـر في الرجال

ما تدوم الصحة ولا حتى المال

صحابي قلال و تاقب الغربال

أمّا الخونة راكم في البال

و شحال ما طال

و دوام الحال قالو محال

محال تلقى جواب كل سؤال

واقف أنا على جبال الاحزان

ملاك الموت فاتح الأحضان

كنشوف الحبس غادي يولّي عنوان

ولا في الغربة غريب الأوطان

ديما مكسيري في ظلام الليل

جاري مور زهري القليل

رماني في طرقان الويل

حاضي عدويا و الخليل

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
عذابي adhabi B2	noun - my suffering/torment
صوابي sawabi C1	noun - my rightness/my senses
مغبون maghboun C2	adjective - oppressed/disappointed/sad
حكّارة hakkara C2	adjective - oppressive/tyrannical
دوارة dawwara B1	adjective - rotating/changing
غرّارة gharrara C2	adjective - deceptive/treacherous
الأحزان al-ahzan B1	noun - sorrows
الغربة al-ghorba B2	noun - exile/alienation/living abroad
ظلام dhalam A2	noun - darkness
زهري zahri C1	noun - my luck/fortune
طرقان torqan B1	noun - paths/roads
قاسية qasiya B2	adjective - harsh/cruel
دامية damiya C1	adjective - bloody
قانون qanoun A2	noun - law
الخونة al-khawana B2	noun - traitors

Key Grammar Structures

• علاش الدنيا عاجبها عذابي؟

  ➔ Interrogative particle (علاش) + Active Participle (عاجبها)

  ➔ The word "عاجبها" functions as an active participle, describing the current state of the world regarding the subject's suffering.

• من صغري و أنا ديما حربي

  ➔ Temporal adverbial phrase (من صغري) + Nominal sentence structure

  ➔ The usage of "و أنا" (and I am) connects the past state "من صغري" (from my childhood) to the present identity "حربي" (my war).

• اضحك ليوم و غدا ألم و كآبة

  ➔ Imperative (اضحك) + Contrastive conjunction

  ➔ The imperative "اضحك" (laugh) is used rhetorically to contrast the fleeting moment of joy with the inevitable reality of "ألم" (pain).

• يا الفرحان راك مغبون

  ➔ Vocative (يا) + Active Participle as noun (الفرحان) + Nominal sentence

  ➔ The vocative "يا" addresses "الفرحان" (the happy one), identifying him ironically as "مغبون" (deceived/misguided).

• ديما مكسيري فظلام الليل

  ➔ Adverbial of frequency (ديما) + Active Participle (مكسيري) + Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The Darija term "مكسيري" (derived from French 'accélérer') is used as an active participle to describe the subject's constant, reckless speed.

• رماني فطرقان الويل

  ➔ Past tense verb with object suffix (رماني) + Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The suffix "-ني" acts as the direct object, indicating the action "رماني" (it threw me) performed by the "زهري" (my luck).

• ما كاين مكان للضعيف

  ➔ Negation (ما... كاين) + Nominal phrase + Prepositional phrase

  ➔ The structure "ما كاين" (there is no/it does not exist) is a colloquial Darija way to express non-existence or impossibility.

• و دوام الحال قالو محال

  ➔ Proverbial structure + Quotative verb (قالو) + Noun phrase

  ➔ This is a classic Moroccan proverb: "قالو محال" means "they said it's impossible," referring to the permanence of any situation.