Today, I’m Quitting My Job

This episode is one of my favourites from the Beirut, I Love You series. The Lebanese dialect is probably the one that I’m least exposed to and the hardest to grasp. Anyway, English subtitles are already included in the video – so here’s the Arabic transcript!

هديك المرة كنت قاعد مع خوري بكنيسة

One day I was sitting with a priest in a church

*خوري is a common Christian surname and it also refers to “priest” in Arabic

وخبرني انو كل يوم لمدة تلاتين سنة كان يشوف ذات الزلمة، يجي ع تمانة ونص ع بكرا يركع ويصلي

And he told me that every day for thirty years, he saw a man came at 8:30 early in the morning, getting down on his knees and praying

يا الله بتشكرك ع هالنعمة

Dear God, I thank you for this grace

كل اليوم بدون استثناء لمدة تلاتين سنة

Every day, without exception, for thirty year

ففي نهار بيقوم هالخوري وبيسألو: يا خي شو هي هالنعمة يللي أعطاك إياها الله لهالقد تكون ممنونله

So one day the priest goes to him and ask “What is the grace that God has provided you with to make you this thankful/grateful to Him?”

نحنا كل شي منصلي وبعد ما إجانا شي منو

We sit here and pray all day and have not received anything from Him

قام جاوبه هالزلمة: الوعية.الوعية أكبر نعمة من الله

The guy replied “Waking up, waking up in the morning is the greatest gift from God”

الوعية

Waking up

alarmأنا شو بعمل وقت تدق هال

What do I do when my alarm rings?

بفتح عيوني

I open my eyes

بقوم من الفرشة

Get out of bed

وبحضر حالي تأكون طارق يللي مطلوب مني

And adjust myself to be the Tareq that they expect of me

بتطلع بهالمراية يللي قرفان منها

I look at myself in the mirror with disgust

بجرب قرر من اشيا ما بتفرق معي، بس بعيونن بتعمل كل الفرق

Try to decide between futile things that I could hardly care about but which in their eyes makes all the difference

وببلش يومي

And begins my day

اليوم ما رح يختلف ولا شوي عن إللي مضى أو عن إللي جاي

a day that will not differ at all, neither from the previous nor the upcoming days

بطلع بالسرفيس وبتساءل: كم زلمة وعيوا اليوم مع البسمة ع وجهن؟

I get in the taxi and start to wonder “How many people in the world woke up today with a smile on their face?”

مع إني عارف إنو الجواب أقل من واحد بالمية

Despite knowing that the answer is less than one percent

بوصل ع الشغل يللي مش طايقه بس مجبور فيه لأنو الفواتير عم تتكدس عندي بالبيت

I arrived to work that I despise but am forced to do because of all the bills stacking up endlessly at home

بقعد وببلش شغلي يللي طلع من مناخيري

I sit and begin my work that I loathe

وبرجع بتذكر قصة هيدا الخوري

Only to remember the story of the priest

أحلى فترة بحياتي وقتا كنت صغير

The best times of my life was when I was a kid

جهلان ومش سئلان

Ignorant and carefree

وقتا كنت ولد, كان عندي حلم

When I was a kid, I had a dream

بس ع كبر مات الحلم

But as I got older, the dream died

وعلقت بهالروتين

And I got stuck in this routine

بس اليوم

But today

اليوم تحديدا

Precisely today

رح ينبسط مني هالولد

I will make that little kid proud

لانو اليوم ـ اليوم رح اترك شغلي

Because today, today I’m quitting my job

يعني أنا ما عم بستوعب يللي قلتلي إياه

I don’t understand [comprehend] what you’re saying

معقول راسك؟

Are you for real?

شو فكرت يعني؟ ما فهمت شو برم في مخك

what were you thinking? I don’t understand…what went through your mind?

لحتى عم بتقلي إنه تركت شغلك

Till the extent that you’re telling me you quit your job

شو به مخك؟

What is wrong with you?

لك كل الناس عم تقتل حالا عم تتفلفل لحتى تلاقي شغل

People are killing themselves to find a job

وانت على البارد المستريح بتترك شغلك؟

And you, out of the blue, quit yours?

ولك بك شي يا إبني؟

Are you insane?

تعبت وما كنت مبسوط

I was tired and unhappy

!يا نوسك

How cute of you!

اهم شي انو الواحد يكون مبسوط؟

As if it’s important for someone to be happy

ما فكرت ولا بمستقبلك ولا فكرت كيف بدك طالع مصاري ولا فكرت كيف بدك تعيش

Don’t you think of your future or how you’re going to make a living, or how you’re going to survive?

هيك يعني؟

Is this how it’s going to be?

امبلا رح كون ممثل

Yeah I did, I’m going to be an actor

ممثل؟ شو انا ربيت مارلون براندو هون عندي بالبيت؟

An actor? I don’t recall raising you up to be the next Marlon Brando

بفهم إنو بتحب الهوايات وشجعناك عالهوايات وبتحب السينما

I understand that you have hobbies and that we encourage you such as your love for cinema

!بس لهون وبس

But that’s about it!

شو رح يقولوا عنا العالم؟ شو رح يقولوا عني الناس أنا؟

What will people think? What will people say about me?

لو فيي كنت تركت هالبلد تأترك هالناس

If I could, I would have left this country and these people behind

بس إذا بفل من هون بدي روح ع بلد وين فيني لاقي ناس متلو

But if I leave, I want to go to a country where I can find people like him

متله..متله..متله..متله وحتى متله

or him…him…him…him…or even him

ومتلا

and like her

اذا بفل وين بتكوني؟

If I leave, where will you be?

وين بتكوني انتي؟

Where will I find someone like you?

بكرا

Tomorrow

خلينا نأجلا لبكرة

Let’s postpone it to tomorrow

بس بكرة

But tomorrow

بكرة عنجد

Tomorrow, seriously

رح اترك شغلي

I’m quitting my job

~~~

NOTES:

There are two common phrases that are found here that you, too, can use in your everyday life – especially when you’re frustrated and having a bad day.

#01: مش طايق/مش طايقة

Meaning: (I) hate/loathe/can’t stand/despise…

Example:

ماني / مش طايقة احكي معو

I  can’t stand talking to him

#02: طلع من مناخيري

So the word مناخير refers to ‘nose’ and the phrase literally means that something “came out of my nose”.

It is a phrase to express your frustration and anger over something or a situation.

For example:

هي مو مبسوطة مع جوزا وحياتا معو طالعة من مناخيرا

She is not happy living with her husband and her life with him is “coming out of her nose” – > She is frustrated and annoyed with her marriage life.

That’s it, folks!

Do watch the rest of the series on YouTube – the series is definitely worth checking out especially if you’re learning Lebanese Arabic.

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

Lyn

P.S If you haven’t already, do subscribe to my newsletter and never miss a post!

The post Beirut I Love You – Episode 5 Lyom Ra7 Etrok Cheghleh [Lebanese] appeared first on theLevanTongue.