His love is a heaven I lived in

قربهفرحة حلمت بيها

Being closed to him is an elation I always dreamt of.

ده اللي بيه إحلو عمري

This is the one because of whom my life became sweet

ده اللي أنا هديله عمري

This is the one to whom I will give my life

ياما ليالي بستنى لقاه

So many nights I take my time to meet him

قُرْبُه فَرْحَة حَلَمْت بِهَا

هَذَا الَّذِي اِحْلَوَلى بِه ِ عُمْرِي

هَذَا الَّذِي أَدِّي لَهُ عُمْرِي

كَمْ مِنْ لِيَالِي أَتْأنَّى لِقَائَهُ

(1) Egyptians always pronounceجَasق, as in the words:جَنه,جَماله,أجمل, andحاجَات.

(2) Egyptians always pronounceقَas أ, as in the words:قربه,لقاه,قلتله,رقه,قلبي,ألقى,سرقني,اتعلقت,هلقى,لقيته, andقبليه.

(3) For words that start withfatHahin MSA, Egyptians opt forkasrahinstead as they find it easier, as in the words:حِلِمْت,اِيْدِيه,يعمل,اِتْعَلقت. Withاِيْدِيهandاِتْعَلقت,alif waslis added as holder for thekasrahbecause it is hard to add akasrahtoيـor to a letter that is followed by another withfatHah, as inاِتْعَلقت.

(4)埃及阿塔经常介词ched pronouns with an extendedkasrahpronounced asـيـ, as in:

– بِهاbecomesبِيْهَا

– بِهbecomesبِيْه

– لَهbecomesلِيه

–قَبْلُهbecomesقَبْلِيه

Here are more examples:

–تَحْتِيْهمforتحَتَهُم

–فَوْقِيْهforفَوْقُه

–مِنَّيْهforمِنْهُ

–عَنِّيْهَاforعَنْهَا.

(5)ثis always pronounced asتin Egyptian, soثَانِيis pronounced asتاني. Here are more example:تَالِثforثَالِث,تُومforثُوم,تَلْجforتَلْج.

(6)يَوْم,يـwithfatHahin MSA, is pronounced asيُوْم,يُـwithDHammahin Egyptian.

(7) Theئـinضَائِعin MSA is pronounce asيـin Egyptian, as inضَايع,شَايفه. In most Arabic dialects theئـis pronounced asيـ, henceقَائل,بَائِع,نَائِمin MSA areقَايل,بايع, andنايمin dialects.

(8)alif al-qaT‘(i.e. thealifwithhamzah—أorإ) is always treated asalif wasl(alifwithouthamzah) in Egyptian, as inهَديله(i.e.هَأدِيْ له),بستنى(i.e.بأستنى),هَخَبِي(i.e.هأخَبِّي),هلقى(i.e.هألقى),ودَادي(i.e.وأدَاري),وياه(i.e.وإياه). Note thatalif al-waslis written but not pronounced in both MSA and dialects.

(9)مَعَاهis forمَعَهin MSA. ThefatHahon theعَis extended that it becomes a long vowel.

(10) Egyptian tend to shorten thealif在我们的中间rds that it becomes more like afatHah, as inنَدانيforنَادَاني.

Prefixes:

(1) Inهخبي,هلقى,هديله, Egyptians useهـat the beginning of verbs to indicate the future action. The equivalent of it in MSA isسـ.

(2) Egyptian useبـat the start of imperfective verbs to indicate that the action is continuous as inبتنده. Here are more examples:بِيِشْرَب,بِنِلْعَب,بِتِعْمِل,بِيِعْرَفُوا.

(3) Egyptians useاتِـat the beginning of verbs to indicate that the perfective verb is passive, as inاِتْحكالهforحُكِيَin MSA. Here are more examples:اِتْسَرقforسُرِقَ‘was stolen’,اتْقتلforقُتِل‘was killed’,اِتْضَربforضُرِبَ‘was beaten.’

Blended words:

In both MSA and dialects, blending short words (especially preposition) with other longer words preceding them is common, as in:

(1)هَديلهisهَدِّي له

(2)قلتلهisقلت له

(3)اتحكالهisاتحكى له

(4)حصلتليisحصلت لي

Words:

(1) The equivalent of the MSAهَذَا/ذاandهَذِهِ/ذيareدَهandدِيin Egyptian. Theذis pronounced asد.Thealifofذَاis dropped and is replaced byهـ, which is also common in MSA known asهـof devoicing (ofsukuun).

(2)الَّلِي‘who’ is common in most Arabic dialects. It replaces all other relative pronouns (i.e.الَّذِي، الَّتِي، الَّلذَان، الَّلتَان، الَّذِيْن، الَّاتِي).

(3)اِحْلُوis forاِحْلَوْلَىin MSA. Due to its twister pronunciation, the MSA word has been replaced byاِحْلَوin most Arabic dialects.

(4)هَدِّيْلَهis forسأَدِّي لَهin MSA. Theهـis for future (see above). Theأinأَدِيis treated asalif wasl, so it is assimilated.هَدَّيْلُهseems as one word because of contextual blending of words.

(5)يَامَاis common in Egyptian, and it means ‘many a time’

(6)بَسْتَنَّىis forاِسْتَّأَنَّىin MSA. The twoalifare treated asalif wasl, so they are not pronounced. Theبَـat the beginning of verbs in Egyptian indicate the action is continuous.

(7)مُشis a common negative particle in many Arabic dialects. Its equivalent in MSA isلَنْ. Whileلنindicates negation and future,مشindicates only negation, so the verb afterمشhas the prefixهـwhich indicates the future.

(8)إيهis the Egyptian equivalent for the question wordمَاin MSA, and it is always at the end of the question rather at the beginning. For example,مَا اِسْمُك؟in MSA isاِسْمَك إِيْه؟in Egyptian.

(9) Active participles (i.e. words likeكَاتِبfromكَتَبَ,شَارِبfromشَرِبَ,سَامِعfromسَمِعَ) are used as verbs in Egyptian, as inشَايفه(i.e.شَائف + ـه). Therefore, Egyptian sayأنا سامعهforسمعته‘I heard it / I listened to it’;أنا حافظهforحفظته‘I memorized it.’ The same is true withمطمنانيwhich is used as a verb while it is an active participle (i.e.مطمئن). Here, thehamzahis dropped; analifis added afterنto ease pronunciation; theنafter thealifis called theنofwiqayah(نthat prevents pronunciation from being altered which is added only with an attached pronoun, that isـيforأنا. With other pronouns thisنis not added. For example, withـه,ـك, andـهم, it isمطمناه,مطمناك,مطمناهم.

(10) Egyptian plural forيُومisيُوماتand forليلةisلَيلاتinstead of the MSAأَيَّامandلَيَالي.

Whatever I said or said to him

مستحيل أوصف جماله

It is impossible to describe his beauty.

رقةالدنيا في عيونه

The tenderness of life is in his eyes.

قلبيكان الله في عونه

可能我的心给予支持。

من اللي أنا حسيته معاه

For the tantalizing love I have for him

مُسْتَحِيْل أَوْصِف جَمَاله

رِقَّة الدُنْيَا فِي عُيْونُه

قَلْبِي كَانَ الله فِي عَوْنِه

مِنْ الَّذِي حَسَّيْتُه مَعَه

Every day, I find my soul calling him.

على العموم مش هخبي وداري عليه

At any rate, I won’t hide or humor him.

إنه غيرني وسرقني وإن أنا اتعلقت بيه

Since he’s changed me and stole my heart, and I’m so fond of him.

عَلَى العُمُوم لَن أَخَبِّي وأَدَارِيه

إِنْهُ غَيَّرْنِي وسَرَقْنِي وَإِنِّي تَعَلَّقْت بِه

The passed time of my life prior to him is lost.

فيه حاجات حلوة حصلتلي على إيديه

Many sweet things have happened to me because of him.

كل لحظة تزيد غلاوتة وناوي يعمل تاني إيه

His dearness increases by every moment, what more sweet things will he do?

فِي حَاجَات حُلْوَة حَصَلَت عَلى يَدَيْه

كُل لَحظَة تِزِيْد غَلاوَتَه وما َنَاوِي يَعْمَل ثانِي؟

When I close my eyes, my heart sees him.

اسمي غنوة ما بين شفايفه

My name is a song between his lips.

صوته أجمل صوت نداني

His voice is the most beautiful voice calling me

ابتسامته مطمناني

His smile makes me feel secure.

يوماتي بالي عليه مشغول

In my days, my mind is preoccupied with him.

بالأمانة وبصراحة

Frankly and honestly

كنت عمري ما هلقى راحة

Not ever would I have found rest.

لولا بالصدفة لقيته

If I didn’t run into him by coincidence.

اللي بالغالي اشتريته

The one whom I bought at a price.

منايا أعيش وياه على طول

My hope is to live with him forever.

اسمي غنوة ما بين شَفايفه

صَوْتُهأَجْمَلصَوتنَادَانِي

اِبْتِسَامَتُه مُطَمْئِنَة لي

كل أَيَامِي بَالِي عَلِيَه مِشْغُول

بِالأَمَانَة والصَّرَاحَة

كُنْت عُمْرِي ما سَألْقَى رَاحَة

لَوْلا بِالصُّدْفَة لَقَيْتُه

الذي اِشْتَرِيتُه بَالغَالِي

مَنَايَ أَعِيْش وإِيَاه عَلَى الدَّوَام.

Every day, I find my soul calling him.

على العموم مش هخبي وداري عليه

At any rate, I won’t hide or humor him.

إنه غيرني وسرقني وإن أنا اتعلقت بيه

Since he’s changed me and stole my heart, and I’m so fond of him.

اللي فات من حياتي ضايع قبليه

The passed time of my life prior to him is lost.

فيه حاجات حلوة حصلتلي على إيديه

Many sweet things have happened to me because of him.

كل لحظة تزيد غلاوتة وناوي يعمل تاني إيه

His dearness increases by every moment, what more sweet things will he do?

عَلَى العُمُوم لن أَخَبِّي وأَدَارِي عليه

إنه غَيْرَنِي وسَرَقنِي وإنْي تَعَلَقت به

الَّذِي فَات مِن حَيَاتِي ضَائِع قَبْلُه

فِيْه حَاجَات حِلْوَة حَصَلَتْ لِي عَلى يَدَيْه

كُل لَحْظَة تزِيد غَلاوَتة وما ناوِي يِعمَل ثَانِي؟

Every day, I find my soul calling him.

على العموم مش هخبي وأداري عليه

At any rate, I won’t hide or humor him.

إنه غيرني وسرقني وإن أنا اتعلقت بيه

Since he’s changed me and stole my heart, and I’m so fond of him.

اللي فات من حياتي ضايع قبليه

The passed time of my life prior to him is lost.

فيه حاجات حلوة حصلتلي على إيديه

Many sweet things have happened to me because of him.

كل لحظة تزيد غلاوتة وناوي يعمل تاني إيه

His dearness increases by every moment, what more sweet things will he do?

عَلَى العُمُوم لن أَخَبِّي وأَدَارِي عليه

إنه غَيْرَنِي وسَرَقنِي وإنْي تَعَلَقت به

الَّذِي فَات مِن حَيَاتِي ضَائِع قَبْلُه

فِيْه حَاجَات حِلْوَة حَصَلَتْ لِي عَلى يَدَيْه

كُل لَحْظَة تزِيد غَلاوَتة وما ناوِي يِعمَل ثَانِي؟