قديش كان في ناس

“Oh, How Many People There Were”

Pronounced: Eddeysh Kan fi Nas

Lebanese Classic

Written by Rahbani brothers

إدّيش كان في ناس عالمفرق تنطر ناس

Oh how many people there were, on the sidewalk waiting for others

Adaish kan fe nas al mafra’ tontor nas

وتشتّي الدّني و يحملوا شمسيّة

And it would rain and they would hold umbrellas

W’tshaty el dney wyahmlo shamseya

و أنا بإيّام الصّحو ما حدا نطرني

And even on the clearest days, no one would wait for me

W’ana beyam al saho, mahada natarny

***

صرلي شي ميّة سنة مشلوحة بهالدّكّان

I’ve spent hundreds of years stuck in this small store

Sarly she meyat sina mashloha bhal dkan

ضجرت منّي الحيطان و مستحيّة تقول

Even the walls are bored of me and they're too shy to say so

Djrt mny elhetan w’msteheya te’ool

وأنا عيني عالحلى والحلى عالطّرقات

And I have my eye on the beauty, and the beauty is in the streets

W’ana aina al hala wl’hala al tor’aat

غنّيلو غنّيّات وهوّ بحالو مشغول

I sing songs to it, but it’s distracted by itself

Ghanelo gheneyat w’ho bhalo mashghool

نطرت مواعيد الأرض و ما حدا نطرني

I waited for so many meetings, but no one waited for me

Natar mwa’eed elard w’mahada natarny

***

صرلي شي ميّة سنة عم ألّف عناوين

For hunderds of years I’ve been making up addresses

Sarly she meyat sina am alef anaween

مش معروفة لمين ودّيلن أخبار

I don’t know who they’re for, and I send them news

Msh maroofa lameen, wadelon akhbar

بكرا لا بدّ السّما ما تشتّيلي عالباب

But some tomorrow, the sky will bless my door with rain

Bokra labod elsma mat shateely albab

شمسيّات وأحباب ياخدوني بشي نهار

Umbrellas and my loves, will come pick me up someday

Shamseeyat w’hbab yakhdony bshy nhar

وإلّي ذكر كلّ النّاس بالآخر ذكرني

And the one who remembered everybody, in the end remembered me

Wly zakar kl elnas belakhr zakarny

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