Monday, June 25, 2007

'Ummi' by Ahmad Qaboor



Many different gifted musicians have set the words of Mahmoud Darwish's poem, 'Ummi' to music. Marcel Khalife's version may be the most famous of all, but my favourite always will be this song by Ahmad Qaboor.


'I long for my mother's bread,
And my mother's coffee,
And her touch.

Childhood memories grow up in me
Day after day.
I must be worthy of my life
At the hour of my death,
Worthy of the tears of my mother.
Oh... my Mother!
Oh... my Mother!

And if I return one day:
Take me as a veil for your eyelashes;
Cover my bones with the grass
Blessed by your footsteps;
Bind us together
With a lock of your hair,
With a thread trailing
From the hem of your dress.
I might become immortal,
Become a god
If I touch the depths of your heart.
Oh... my mother!
Oh... My mother!
I long for my mother's bread
And my mother's coffee,
And her touch.

Childhood memories grow up in me
Day after day
I must be worthy of my life
At the hour of my death,
Worthy of the tears of my mother.
Oh... my mother!
Oh... my mother!

Words by Mahmoud Darwish,
Music by Ahmad Qaboor

3 comments:

The Prophet Of Frivolity said...

Hello,

First of all thanks for introducing a different musical rendering. I have a question - you have translated the line 'عساني أصيرُ إلهًا
" as 'I might become immortal'. What I am confused about is last two words gives the meaning 'become god' or so. What is the meaning of the first word 'عساني'? I don't know Arabic, and I looked up several places but I couldn't find such a word. Can you help?

Anonymous said...

Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video
to make your point. You obviously know what
youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting
videos to your site when you could be giving us something informative to read?
My blog ; More hints

Nabila Harb said...

To 'The Prophet of Frivolity': I wish there were no need to translate unless translations are by the poet. I do not like the idea of critics in literature or music frankly because the communication between artist and public should be direct rather than indirect. You could that I am begging the question and you are right. I could suggest many literary interpretations for Darwish's poem but I cannot speak for the late poet himself. Whether becoming 'God' or becoming 'immortal' is not the issue so much as the fact that at heart it is the idea of Mother as the giver of life itself and the touchstone of veracity and truth, in my view. Ummi as Falastin herself as well as 'my Mother'. Dreaming of the lost Paradise that is Palestine before its rape and Occupation.

Now, to Anonymous, thank you for your criticism. I confess I have lost my certainty that I really have anything new to say. It is time to renew my vision.