Tomanbay: To My City

Moved on! Check TheCairoCalls

From what I gathered from my discussions with people who haven't been to this part of the world, I can make the safe assumption that they're clueless about how is life like over here. And as much as I would like to describe to you every minute detail about the way we live, I think that Said Hegab makes a tremendous job of eloquently describing the most electrifying, controversial, and certainly, liveliest city that ever existed.

I tried to translate the poem to the best of my ability (and vocabulary), but obviously nothing beats the original text, so I included the Arabic text for those of you who can read it. Enjoy!

This is the charming, captivating, noisy, lively, concealing, sinning Cairo
This is the prosperous, odorous, poetic, ingenious, benevolent, sacred Cairo
This is the cynical, able, patient, grim, rebellious, victorious Cairo

The echo of the whispers in crowd, and commotion
The pain of solitude in gatherings, and dispersion
Here is love, lying, and shamming
Here is straight-faced deception and backstabbing
Here is the penny, the kickback, the ripping-off, and the cut-in
Here is love, justice, mercy and forgiveness

And, me, in the middle of your swarming currents,
Is screaming “I love you, most beautiful city…
You sad smile, you poised and wild,
I love you and will cover my face in your dust,
And live in your spaciousness, and stand by your gate,
As a gardener watering with blood the flower of your youth,
You pride of our life’s damned garden,
I love you, I love you, you bastard city!

هنا القاهرة الساحرة الآسِرة الهادرة الساهرة الساترة السافرة
هنا القاهرة الزاهرة العاطرة الشاعرة النيّرة الخيّرة الطاهرة
هنا القاهرة الساخرة القادرة الصابرة المنذرة الثائرة الظافرة

صدى الهمس في الزحمة و الشوشرة
أسى الوحدة في اللمة و النتورة
هنا الحب و الكدب و المنظرة
نشا الغش في الوش و الإفترا
هنا القرش و الرش و القش و السمسرة
هنا الحب و الحق و الرحمة و المغفرة

و انا ف قلب دوامتك الدايرة بينا
بصرّخ بحبّك يا أجمل مدينة
يا ضحكة حزينة .. يا طايشة و رزينة
بحبّك و اعفّر جبيني في ترابك
و اعيش في رحابِك و أقف جنب بابك
جنايني أروي بالدم وردة شبابك
يا زينة جنينة حياتنا اللعينة
بحبّك يا بنت اللذين
بحبكّ