English to leb arabic translation

Thread: English to leb arabic translation

Tags: None
  1. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default English to leb arabic translation

    Can anyone help me finish this translation from English into Lebanese Arabic with English characters, no glottal stops, etc. Thanks so much! I'm glad I found this forum--everyone is so wonderful!

    This is supposed to be a song lyric/poem:
    “Beini we Beinak eh… what is there between us? …Entee jameela, your beautiful eyes…I am drowning in the sea of your eyes… I must make you understand that we belong together… Ya habibti, you’ve stolen my heart away, Ya Habibti, you are mine…”
     
  2. Daydream's Avatar

    Daydream said:

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhonda9080 View Post
    This is supposed to be a song lyric/poem:
    “Beini we Beinak eh… what is there between us? …Entee jameela, your beautiful eyes…I am drowning in the sea of your eyes… I must make you understand that we belong together… Ya habibti, you’ve stolen my heart away, Ya Habibti, you are mine…”
    What is there between us
    Shu fi baynatna
    Your beautiful eyes
    3ayounek el7elween
    I am drowning in the sea of your eyes
    3am eghra2 b ba7r 3ayouneek
    I must make you understand that we belong together
    Lazem fahmek ino n7na mnelba2 leba3d
    Ya habibti, you’ve stolen my heart away
    Ya 7abibti, sara2teeli albi mnee
    Ya Habibti, you are mine
    Ya 7abibti, enti eli
    Ya reitni 2amle b sha3rak, kel lama ashta2lak atsa7sel w ashoufak ♥
     
  3. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    Would it be anta or Enti for Leb dialect?
     
  4. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default ok, how's this

    Quote Originally Posted by Daydream View Post
    What is there between us
    Shu fi baynatna
    Your beautiful eyes
    3ayounek el7elween
    I am drowning in the sea of your eyes
    3am eghra2 b ba7r 3ayouneek
    I must make you understand that we belong together
    Lazem fahmek ino n7na mnelba2 leba3d
    Ya habibti, you’ve stolen my heart away
    Ya 7abibti, sara2teeli albi mnee
    Ya Habibti, you are mine
    Ya 7abibti, enti eli
    “Shu fi baynatna… what is there between us? …
    h’ayounek helween, your beautiful eyes…
    eam eghrah b’ bahr h’ayounek, I am drowning in the sea of your eyes… Lazem fahmek ino nah mnelbah lebahd, I must make you understand that we belong together…
    Ya Habibti, Sara’hteeli albi mnee, you’ve stolen my heart away,
    Ya Habibti, enti eli, you are mine…”
     
  5. Daydream's Avatar

    Daydream said:

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhonda9080 View Post
    Would it be anta or Enti for Leb dialect?
    because you had "ya habibti" I assumed you wanted as a male speaking to female

    its "anta" for males and "enti" for females
    Ya reitni 2amle b sha3rak, kel lama ashta2lak atsa7sel w ashoufak ♥
     
  6. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default Yes! Thank you! I forgot my masculine/feminine!

    That's right! I thought it was a dialect thing. Thank you for putting up with my dumbness. I haven't worked with Arabic now for about 10 years so I am really rusty!
     
  7. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    "ya habibti, Enti hatir… motheer"What's going on in this scene I am working on is a Lebanese man (hero of the book) is trying to chat up this American woman he is in love with. He gets a little coarse (nasty language) to her and she gets angry because she is very morally upright. There is a song playing in the background, and she wants to know the words, so then he switches off to more romantic, using the words of the song to tell her how he feels. He is actually very in love with her, but he does at this time think its more about sex--typical male of any nationality
    So this is the context I am trying to work with--does this help?
     
  8. Daydream's Avatar

    Daydream said:

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhonda9080 View Post
    "ya habibti, Enti hatir… motheer"What's going on in this scene I am working on is a Lebanese man (hero of the book) is trying to chat up this American woman he is in love with. He gets a little coarse (nasty language) to her and she gets angry because she is very morally upright. There is a song playing in the background, and she wants to know the words, so then he switches off to more romantic, using the words of the song to tell her how he feels. He is actually very in love with her, but he does at this time think its more about sex--typical male of any nationality
    So this is the context I am trying to work with--does this help?
    haha so you want like a cheesy pick-up line that would offend a girl.. "helo jesmek shu esmek" - "your body is lovely, what is your name"
    "shu hel jasad ya asad" - "wow what a body, you lion!"

    they're like a play on words because they rhyme.. and these are lines that will not work for any man and will get them a definite dirty look when trying to pick up a girl hahaha
    Ya reitni 2amle b sha3rak, kel lama ashta2lak atsa7sel w ashoufak ♥
     
  9. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    Yes! Those are perfect He does get the message in a hurry that he can't win this girl in his usual way. I also need some more sweet, romantic things for him to say.
    I honestly can't tell you how much I appreciate your help! Arabic is a hard language sometimes and I really do want some accurate phrases in the book that will add appeal to both the American and Arabic reader. Your help has been critical! I can't thank you enough!
    Oh--one more small phrase I need in Lebanese is translation of "They are coming."
    I have right now "Hun Igi" but it was told to me by a turkish person.
    Also--do you have any problem with the character's name which is, Karim El Azhar/Al Azhar? The editors like this name. It seems to fit right for western readers--romantic sounding, without being too complicated--but I am worried about accuracy too.
    Shukran again and Salaam!
     
  10. Daydream's Avatar

    Daydream said:

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhonda9080 View Post
    Yes! Those are perfect He does get the message in a hurry that he can't win this girl in his usual way. I also need some more sweet, romantic things for him to say.
    I honestly can't tell you how much I appreciate your help! Arabic is a hard language sometimes and I really do want some accurate phrases in the book that will add appeal to both the American and Arabic reader. Your help has been critical! I can't thank you enough!
    Oh--one more small phrase I need in Lebanese is translation of "They are coming."
    I have right now "Hun Igi" but it was told to me by a turkish person.
    Also--do you have any problem with the character's name which is, Karim El Azhar/Al Azhar? The editors like this name. It seems to fit right for western readers--romantic sounding, without being too complicated--but I am worried about accuracy too.
    Shukran again and Salaam!
    No problem dear its what we're here for

    The first name is fine but I can't say I know anyone with the last name Al Azhar.. maybe something like Darwiche, Khalil, Hadchiti, Saleh, Mohamed

    They are coming - hinneh jayeen
    Ya reitni 2amle b sha3rak, kel lama ashta2lak atsa7sel w ashoufak ♥
     
  11. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    You are such a sweetheart! I thank you again for your help! I want to hit the thank you button on you, but can't find it. You are keeping me from a lot of glaring errors!
    By the way, this guy is Lebanese Christian, but he may end up converting to Islam later in the book. He becomes friends with a Palistinian doctor that has a lot of positive influence on him.
    On the name--my editors don't want me to change it, but like I said, its about accuracy first. Do you know what El Azhar means? I got it from a north african friend, but no one else seems to have heard it. Could it be possible that his ancestral origins might have been from the family or village the El Azar University in Egypt, then maybe they migrated to south Lebanon?
     
  12. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    Ok--now here's one another couple of phrases I'm playing with. This would be referring to males or one male. "Beautiful Ones" (plural) "Beautiful One" (singular)
    Magnificent One, Fierce One.
    Also, what is this? I have it in my notes, but can't remember:
    Aneef Baha
    Then this is supposedly an older arabic song phrase in the formal arabic :

    ‘ebbi jamalu fatanna…”
    I have translation as: ‘his beauty stole our hearts and minds--he charmed us.’
     
  13. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    Is there a similar idiom or phrase Lebanese or Palestinians use like the English use "If the shoe fits (wear it)?"
    Would they be familar with this English idiom or use it? It is very old and common so I thought they might.
     
  14. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    One more for the day--two male cousins--older and younger. The older guy calls his younger cousin "Habibi" a lot. These guys would be 20 and 28 years old. Would a guy call his "dear friend" Ya Habibi? Again, I was told it was correct and have heard it used frequently--male to male, but I just want to be sure.
    God bless!
     
  15. Daydream's Avatar

    Daydream said:

    Default

    If he's a Lebanese Christian then Al Azhar definitely wouldn't work because it's probably a more Islamic last name.. I'm not sure what the origin is, but I honestly don't know anyone with that last name it's new to me

    "Beautiful Ones" (plural)
    shabab helween (I would put "shabaab" to clarify that it is intended for males)

    "Beautiful One" (singular)
    shab jameel (or you can use the singular of helween - helou)

    Magnificent One,
    shab raw'aa (again I'd put shab to clarify the gender.. I wouldn't know how to put the phrase without specifying it so the translation would be "magnificent man" replacing all "ones" for "man/guy")

    Fierce One
    shab aaneef

    Aneef baha - this could be the term 3aneef that you had down (but aaneef doesnt only mean fierce its kind of synonymous with violent and strong) not sure about "baha"

    ‘his beauty stole our hearts and minds--he charmed us.’
    jamalou sara' oloubna w a'elna--howe saherna

    ebbi jamalu fatanna
    Id say this meaning is more like "with his beauty, we were infatuated"

    For "if the shoe fits" I'm almost positive that there is an equivalent one in Arabic but nothing comes to mind.. I'll ask around and get back to you on that.. if not I wouldn't use it because I think it would be misunderstood by most people who aren't fluent in English

    here is a list of translated Arabic proverbs on this site: http://www.special-dictionary.com/pr...rabic_proverb/ naybe you can find one similar to the one that you have

    and yes males do call each other habibi and other terms of endearment and its not considered to be gay or awkward at all lol its something very common
    Last edited by Daydream; 07-16-2009 at 12:19 AM.
    Ya reitni 2amle b sha3rak, kel lama ashta2lak atsa7sel w ashoufak ♥
     
  16. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    Hi--ahlan! Once again--shukran--your the best
    Got this! These phrases are perfect for the way this will be used. Maybe it will help you help me if I give you a little background on the book. (Hope I don't bore you to death)
    These guys are very violent, so violent probably would work with the one phrase. This is set in 1987 in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War and the main character, Karim, goes back to rescue or bring out his brother and cousin, who have been trained as fighters by this Russian-backed war lord. This war lord guy is very evil, and is responsible for Karim's village being wiped out and the rest of his family killed in the first civil war in the 1970s. Karim wants to kill the leader, and he's been training and preparing himself for this for years. Because the group is of the old Nassar philosophy (Arab Unity), and partially communist-backed, they are a mixed group, with both Christian and Muslim fighters. They are kind of disorganized and more like a glorified street gang in some ways--although the Leader is loaded, with a villa in the bakaa. He lives an opulent, very decandent lifestyle while people are getting killed and starving. The compound where most of it takes place is in a bombed out hotel surrounded by a Palestinian refugee camp. the leader abuses and uses these poor people as cannon fodder/human shields. (some of this is based on my own experience as a journalist over there). Karim tries not to care about these Palestinians--whom he considers the doctor's problem, not his, but he finds himself drawn in to trying to help the doctor protect them and ease their suffering because this is who he is really, deep down.
    He's been in the US for 14 years before he goes back to Lebanon. He is very ambivient about his culture until he makes friends with this Palestinian doctor, Dr. Abed Abu Asbih (based on a real doctor I knew in the camps) Dr. Abed is one of the first truly good people Karim has known. At first, he tries to pretend he doesn't care about the Palestinian refugees, but deep down he has a good heart himself and works with Dr. Abed to get food, medicine, etc.
    The American girl is a missionary/aid worker whom the war lord kidnaps and is holding for ransom. The doctor and Karim work together to try and protect her. Karim sees that she is very much like Abed, and is drawn by her goodness. He falls for her, but he's so rough around the edges its hard for him to make her fall for him. (She does in the end) The leader has entrusted Karim with her care. It sort has a beauty and the beast componant, but it is also very dark when dealing with the Palestinian issue, the war, and his struggles with his own soul. When the book opens, its like he is mentally and morally on the edge--walking a fine line between his inate morally upright self and the dark side.
    The goal is also to show english readers that arabic people are just like them--human beings, with good and bad, Islam is not the enemy, etc.
    Evil is the enemy, regardless of who is practicing it. Like some of the people I've met and interviewed, many of the characters are drawn into bad situations by fate, circumstance, etc. and it deals with how different personality types cope with extreme adversity.
    I stay away from the political (Jews/Israelis are barely mentioned). Only the main character, who is very jaded, comments on these issues in passing--like how 30 miles to the fluctuating Leb/Israeli border separated him and his village from UNRWA camp status. He is very bitter at the beginning of the book, and trashes pretty much everybody's culture, Arab, American, even the Russians and the Euro-elites. He really is mad at God and the whole human race, and doesn't care what His name is called. Once again--he is riding an edge between the dark side and who he really is.
    This is one reason he is drawn to the doctor and his decency (he is a devout and observant Muslim), but is at first he is very ambivient toward him too. Dr. Abed perserveres because he can see who Karim is deep down, even though he hides it well. Dr Abed won't even carry a gun, but Karim sees how he risks his life daily for his people and to do the right thing that God would want.
    With the girl, whose name is Angel, he discovers pure love--not just the physical--which he's been all about. He is very good looking and quite the womanizer. Sex is one of the only outlets he will allow himself. Now of course Angel is a good girl from a small town in Tennessee. Her family are salt of the earth farmers. She represents the ordinary working class American, which is as exotic to him as he is to her. In America, he pretty much ran in elitist New York/D.C. circles with very jaded attitudes. He at first assumes she is like other American girls he has known--and the Leader's stable of (sharm*ota) but finally recognizes his assumptions are wrong. He has never been in love, so he has to figure out that love is what this is, finally recognizing that he is attracted to her in a way that has nothing to do with sex.
    So love conquers all Whew! I hope I didn't bore you to death, but I thought it would help if you knew what I am trying to accomplish with the book.
    I actually had this book sold in the early 1990s to Bantam books, but I got very sick with M.S. (why I am not a journalist anymore). I am totally rewriting it now, and this is why I am kind of rusty on what I thought I knew about the language and culture.
    The plight of the Palestinians really started as my focus, but when I observed what was going on in Lebanon at the time, I just had to write about it. Its kind of written in a sort of over-the-top "Theatre of the Absurd" style that I hope will capture what I saw and what people told me about their experiences.
    For example, it was amazing to me that one of the students I made friends with would fight in the streets all night, get up and go to school the next day, and go out to party with his friends that night before the next round of fighting. Impromptu cease-fires often happened when an important soccer game was on TV. (Men!)
    I have to say, it has been very difficult to get American editors to understand Arab characters that are not "stock" one-dimensional characters, but are actually very intelligent, sensitive, funny (Lebs have an amazing sense of humor Palis seem to have a more dark, sarcastic, but very clever humor, which goes well with the book). They are on a whole, a very charming people, at least from my persepective--which was that I virtually knew almost nothing about the middle east--not the people, culture, etc--kind of like Angel in my book. She has to observe and digest things as she goes--kind of like the reader--many of whom will have almost zero knowledge of where Lebanon is located on a map, much less about the wars, Palestinians, etc. She starts with very little knowledge, so in this way I hope to educate the reader as they see through her eyes. She is a very empathetic person, and can easily seperate the good from the bad and has very few pre-conceived notions about the people she encounters. She could care less about the politics, but only sees human beings when she looks in their eyes. She is also a tool for the Arabic reader to understand that a lot of their notions about real Americans--not Hollywood, are not always correct either.
    I have my work cut out for me, quite frankly. This is one reason the main character is very Americanized--so he will be more understandable to english readers, but he grew up in a small village in south Lebanon so he is also underneath it all, very Arabic.
    Does this all make sense?
    I am also dealing a lot with the concept of fate, Will of Allah, etc. Karim calls it fate, the doctor sees everything as God's will.
    I use the term "Ins'shallah a lot, and it is an underlying theme. My question--would this be the right term? I know they used Inshallah alot in conversation. The doctor has to explain what it means to this American girl. Here grandfather is a preacher, so she does understand the concept of God's Will. If Ins'hallah is not the correct term, or you have any ideas--I am very interested! Boh'allah and Mashallah are also terms I'd like to understand more about.
    karim has a degree in Linguistics--specializing in the dialects of the middle East, and a minor in Literature, so it will look pretty stupid if he makes mistakes with the language. The concept of Fate from the greek classic Oedipus Rex is also interwoven in the theme. For example, did Oedipus--by attempting to flee his fate as set down by the gods--ran headlong into it like a brick wall? This is sort of Karim...
    ****On the habibi thing--I was pretty sure I knew this, but I have been double checking on everything just in case. I appreciate you putting up with my dumbest questions. Even the fighters over there called each other habibi a lot (especially if they were related) so I knew it was not any kind of homosexual thing--I just wanted to be sure I was using it right. Karim has a lot of affection for his young cousin, who is a lot like him, but without the brooding and dark moods. He calls him Habibi, even when he is threatening to break body parts because Nidal had fallen into some drug use. Karim gets him over this really quick. Karim is essentially a very disciplined person with a really focused mind. He also can be a little obsessive--like about killing this leader, his love for this girl, etc. Nidal basically conteracts some of this seriousness because he is happy-go-lucky and ready to party pretty much at all times. He is kind of the version of Karim that is the light side, if things hadn't happened to him the way they did. He loves all things american, uses a lot of American slang from movies, music, etc. He loves American rap and rock music. Other characters include Mustafa, a young writer/poet who attends the American University in Beirut (when he's not involved in street fighting). He wants to be a writer for his people. And Hassan, who is an older man who saw his family killed in the Sabra-Chatilla massacres. All the main characters are under 40, and most are under 30. The doctor (age 33, but with a very old-soul like way about him) is like Karim's conscious. He is always telling Karim all the things he knows deep down inside are true, but he resists facing his real self.
    So there you go--God's Will, true love (and goodness) conquer all. That's it. Hope I haven't bored you to death! Again--I truly thank you for your help.
    Bless you!
    Rhonda
    Last edited by Rhonda9080; 07-16-2009 at 11:53 AM.
     
  17. Rhonda9080 said:

    Arrow

    Quote Originally Posted by Daydream View Post
    If he's a Lebanese Christian then Al Azhar definitely wouldn't work because it's probably a more Islamic last name.. I'm not sure what the origin is, but I honestly don't know anyone with that last name it's new to me

    "Beautiful Ones" (plural)
    shabab helween (I would put "shabaab" to clarify that it is intended for males)

    "Beautiful One" (singular)
    shab jameel (or you can use the singular of helween - helou)

    Magnificent One,
    shab raw'aa (again I'd put shab to clarify the gender.. I wouldn't know how to put the phrase without specifying it so the translation would be "magnificent man" replacing all "ones" for "man/guy")

    Fierce One
    shab aaneef

    Aneef baha - this could be the term 3aneef that you had down (but aaneef doesnt only mean fierce its kind of synonymous with violent and strong) not sure about "baha"

    ‘his beauty stole our hearts and minds--he charmed us.’
    jamalou sara' oloubna w a'elna--howe saherna

    ebbi jamalu fatanna
    Id say this meaning is more like "with his beauty, we were infatuated"

    For "if the shoe fits" I'm almost positive that there is an equivalent one in Arabic but nothing comes to mind.. I'll ask around and get back to you on that.. if not I wouldn't use it because I think it would be misunderstood by most people who aren't fluent in English

    here is a list of translated Arabic proverbs on this site: http://www.special-dictionary.com/pr...rabic_proverb/ naybe you can find one similar to the one that you have

    and yes males do call each other habibi and other terms of endearment and its not considered to be gay or awkward at all lol its something very common
    Thank you for the site! Some of these little jewels of wisdom are exactly what the doctor would quote to Karim. Most of the time, while they are talking in Arabic, of course the dialog is in English, so I pretty much just go with it, but it still needs to have a sprinkling of arbic flavor. Still looking for "if the shoe fits" type comment. Karim really deserves it right now as he has done something the doctor is trying to gently chastize him for.
     
  18. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    Okay--I am seeing a lot of the more common english idioms that Arabic has picked up over the years--or it could be vise-versa. Obviously, Arabic is the older culture and language....
     
  19. Rhonda9080 said:

    Default

    Can you explain this one--its pretty good:
    Had the monkey seen its ***, it wouldn't have danced. Ha-ha! Love it!
     
  20. Daydream's Avatar

    Daydream said:

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rhonda9080 View Post
    I am also dealing a lot with the concept of fate, Will of Allah, etc. Karim calls it fate, the doctor sees everything as God's will.
    I use the term "Ins'shallah a lot, and it is an underlying theme. My question--would this be the right term? I know they used Inshallah alot in conversation. The doctor has to explain what it means to this American girl. Here grandfather is a preacher, so she does understand the concept of God's Will. If Ins'hallah is not the correct term, or you have any ideas--I am very interested! Boh'allah and Mashallah are also terms I'd like to understand more about.
    Wow that sounds awesome and not boring at all..

    As for God's will Insha'Allah means "when God wills it" so if someone were to say.. I want this war to end.. a proper response would be "Insha'Allah" (When God wills it)

    Mashallah is something we say as to not jinx something.. it's away to acknowledge someone's accomplishments or beauty without eyeballing it with jealousy lol

    I haven't heard of the term boh'Allah

    Had the monkey seen its ***, it wouldn't have danced. - lol if he had seen his "bad" side he wouldn't have been so pleased with himself.. come to think of it.. its pretty close to "if the shoe fits"
    Ya reitni 2amle b sha3rak, kel lama ashta2lak atsa7sel w ashoufak ♥