Learn Levantine Arabic E&A #01: Travel, Explore, Live Life

Learn Levantine Arabic Everywhere & Anywhere

Today’s Topic: Travel, Explore, Live Life

Marhaba Y’all!

Learn Levantine Arabic E&A is simply a series where I post random clips I find online and provide the Arabic transcript, English translation as well as insights into some phrases if necessary.

The idea is that one can learn the language from any type of sources, thus the phrase ‘everywhere and anywhere’. Also, it is a good opportunity to learn vocabulary from a specific topic each time.

So for the first post, I’ve chosen a short video clip from Ibn Hattuta’s FB page.

Ibn Hattuta is a Jordanian travel influencer and I found this particular clip of his somewhat inspiring. I got to know about him when my Syrian friend shared this same clip with me (so, thanks Rasheed!).

Without further ado, let’s check his video out and pick up some new words in the process.

اليوم بعد ما خلصت دراستي الجامعية

Today after I finished with university

 كان لازم آخد اصعب قرار في حياتي

I had to take the hardest decision of my life

ما بين اني أعيش حلمي وشغفي او اني اتوظف وأترك المجتمع يقررعني

Either I live my dream and passion or I get a job and let society decide for me

وادخل ماراثون التوقعات الاجتماعية

and enter the marathon of social expectations

من التخرج, للوظيفة للشقة للسيارة للزواج للأولاد ليجي يوم اكتشف اني ما عشت حياتي

from graduation to getting a job, to buying a flat and a car, to getting married and having kids until come a day when I discover that I didn’t live my life.

وإنما عبيت قالب المجتمع صنعه لإلي

rather than filling a frame that society created for me

انا قاسم. عمري هلأ تلات وعشرين سنة

I’m Kasem, I’m currently 23 years old

وما بدي استنى ليكون عمري ستين سنة عشان اعيش حياتي

and I don’t want to wait till I’m sixty to live my life

في آخر تلات سنوات كان السفر الشّي اللي غير حياتي وخلاني اكتشف حالي

In the past 3 years, travelling is the thing changed my life and allowed me to get to know myself better

سافرت لأكتر من تلاتين بلد وكله بأقل التكاليف

I travelled on a low-budget to more than 30 countries

نزلت ببيوت ناس, بغرفة مشتركة, خيمت, طبخت

People hosted me, I slept in shared rooms, I camped and I cooked

خليت ناس لا بعرفهم ولا بعرفوني يوصلوني بطريقهم

I hitchhiked with strangers (I let people, who neither do I know them nor do they know me, to drop me off )

من الهند لباريس لروما لايسلاندا

From India to Paris to Rome and to Iceland

كل بلد تعرفت فيه على ناس جداد, تحديت مخاوفي

in each country, I made new friends, challenged my fears

وطلعت من منطقة راحتي

and got out of my comfort zone

social mediaخلال هاي السنوات كنت بشارك كل شي بيصير معي على ال

During all these years, I shared all my stories on social media

عشان افرجي العرب انه السفر مش حكر للأغنياء

to show Arabs that travelling isn’t only for the rich

وانه شخص عادي, من عائلة عادية بموارد عادية

and that someone normal from a normal family and with basic resources

ممكن يلحق حلمه ويعيش تجارب كنا نفكرها بس لأغنى الناس

can still achieve his dreams and live experiences we thought are only for the richest

بعد نهاية الفصل الأخير من الجامعة, حجرت تذكرة باتجاه واحد لتركيا

After finishing the last semester of university, I booked a one way ticket to Turkey

حامل معي شنطتي والكاميرا واللاب توب وشغف كبير بإني اعيش مو اتعايش

carrying with me my backpack, my camera, my laptop and a passion to live, not just to survive

وتركت كل شي تاني وراي

and leave everything else behind me

ومن هون رح يبدأ فصل جديد في حياتي

and this will be the beginning of a new chapter in my life

وبتمنى كل شي بشاركه يلهمكم تعيشوا حياة افضل وبقربكم للشي اللي بتحبوه

I hope what I’m sharing inspires you to live a better life and brings you closer to your dreams

آسف امي, آسف ابوي اني ما بدي اعيش حياة عادية

Sorry Mom, sorry Dad for not wanting to live a normal life

ما بدي اعيش روتين عم بيعيشوه ملايين الناس و بحلموا باليوم اللي يكسروه

I don’t want to live a routine that millions of people dream to break

ما بدي أكافح طول السنة عشان اعيش بس اسبوعين ازا رضي مديري يعطيني اجازة

I don’t want to survive the whole year to live two weeks if my manager gives me time off

بدي اعيش تلات مية وخمسة وستين يوم بكل السنة

I want to live 365 days of each year

وكل يوم غير اليوم اللي قبله

with each day different from the previous

بعرف انه الطريق صعب. رح تيجي ايام بفكر اني استسلم

I know that the journey is tough. There will come a day that I’ll think of giving up

بس حلمي وشغفي وحريتي بتستاهل كل هدا التعب

but my dream, my passion and my freedom are worth all this effort

لانو في فرق بين السعادة والراحة

because there is a difference between happiness and comfort

واكيد انا ما عم بدور على الراحة

and I’m definitely not looking for comfort

مع حبي, ابن حتوتة

With love, Ibn Hattuta

~~~

That’s it, folks.

I like the video because he speaks clearly, not too fast and uses simple words.

And I hope you enjoyed the video. You can check out Ibn Hattuta’s FB page here if you want to know more about him.

Also, isn’t it cool that his name sounds similar to Ibn Battuta? Ibn Battuta is a famous Morrocan scholar and explorer from the 14th century, also considered by some the greatest explorer of all time.

If you like this post, keep your eyes peeled for the next post of Learn Levantine Arabic E&A. If you want to be notified of new posts, simply subscribe to my newsletter.

If you can share this post with people you know learning Levantine Arabic, that would be great. Also, don’t forget to let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.

Take care and I’ll see you around in the hosh,

Lyn