top of page
Writer's pictureZeinab Eltaher

A Song To Translate From Your Mother Tongue

A non-Arabic-speaking friend of mine asked me about the lyrics of an Egyptian song that she listened to. I looked up the lyrics and liked them so I decided to translate it for her. 

Songs are the same as poetry shouldn’t be translated literally. Meanings, and\or feelings within, are as important as rhythm and rhyme. I can imagine that each translator would translate the same song differently, reflecting on the meanings and emotions in the way they feel and perceive them. 



Translate From Your Mother Tongue


I must admit that I couldn’t keep the rhythm when I translated that song. I fumbled for the right words so I shifted my focus into delivering the emotions the way I understood and felt them. While translating it, some parts personally resonated with me. Particularly, a few days earlier, I was talking with that friend about my fears and feelings of being lost which were also mentioned in the song. 


“1+1 doesn’t necessarily equal two”, the singer says. This is something I’ve always believed. I don’t think that our lives follow equations. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be stumbling and suffering that much. Life is a mess. Everyone is different, figuring out that mess. Each one of us goes through experiences differently. We feel, react and come out from these experiences differently. 


In my opinion, relationships, emotions and life are not math. There is no guarantee in a relationship that if you give A and B, you will get a total of A and B in return. You might get C, F, Z. Or in worst cases, you might get nothing at all. Some recover from a traumatic experience in a week, others take years to reach recovery. Some learn the lesson the first time, others keep falling for the same mistakes umpteenth times before realizing they have to change their way. 


Most of the songs that got stuck into my memory are those I listened to in specific situations. Like that song of Om Kolthoum that I heard in a microbus and I was enjoying it so much that I didn't want to get down from the microbus until it was over. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option as Om Kolthoum’s songs are relatively long so the driver would’ve noticed that I was sitting there for a long time and he would’ve probably kicked me out. 

Another song I heard was before my travel to Sri Lanka last year when I was uncertain about this risky trip. In a few days, the song would be telling all about my mixed, confused feelings after the break-up. I translated it into English and sent it over to my ex, hoping he would somehow connect. He didn’t and all that he said was, “I’m sorry! I don’t know what else to say.” That was it. 


The songs that turned into earworms are countless, a recent one says something like: “You had my back and I wish my back hadn’t got broken.” My mother was my back and support but she contracted dementia. I found out that I had been feeling lost and with no clear purpose since she started changing bit by bit due to this cruel disease. Now, I don’t know how to find what I want to do with myself without her having my back. 


I don’t listen to songs only in Arabic but in English, Spanish and even in languages I don’t understand at all. A week ago, I watched a Korean movie and I fell in love with the end song even before looking up the lyrics and it just touched that deep wound. "I hopelessly wander around back into those old days...." 


Now, I’m leaving you with the last part of that Egyptian song which ended positively saying:

 

“Keep searching, you’ll find your lost self 

Think positive and good things will happen 

Sometimes all we need is a breath of fresh air 

We need to take every step without fear 

The heart is insightful 

And able to see the world beautiful” 


Is there a song that you heard recently that echoed with you? Which song would you choose to translate from your mother tongue and why? 


Heartfelt thanks to my friend Hasmig who inspired me to write this post.


106 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page