جبار [Gabbar] [English translation]

Immense, immense

In his gentility, immense

Immense, immense

In his cruelty, immense

His laugh tricked me 1

And his tears betrayed me

And I didn't know, before today

That these eyes knew how to betray in this way

And I never believed, before today

That tenderness could be like this

Immense, immense

***

I knew him - as much as I knew him and I still didn't know him

And I saw him - as much as I saw him, I still didn't understand him

He used to say 'I love you', yes, he used to say that

And I, due to the longing of my heart, believed him instantly

I used to see and hear and feel through his heart

I was alive not for myself but for him

And I didn't know, before today

That these eyes knew how to betray in this way

And I never believed, before today

That tenderness could be like this

Immense, immense

***

You who taught me love, if only I

If only I never learnt it with you nor saw it

Why'd you trick me? Why'd you let me

Let me forget the whole world and live in its sweetness2

There have never been two like us, who've seen what we saw in our love

The dream, we used to dream and take turns completing

Why would you wake me from the middle of heaven with hell and tears?

You could have had mercy on me and left me to live deluded for a little while

And I didn't know, before today

That these eyes knew how to betray in this way

And I never believed, before today

That tenderness could be like this

Immense, immense

***

My heart, tell love to stay away from my path

Any new love should watch out for my fury 3

If I happen to meet a heart that's sincere

I won't protect or safeguard it

And if it smiles at me, I'll smile back 4

Just as others have sold5

We'll sell all of desire and its protection

Just as my heart was lost

All other hearts can be lost

Or, let me tell you, no, my heart

Why do we blame love, why?

The one who betrayed you betrayed the spirit of love6

Betrayed it and hid from it 7

So me, love and you

We were a toy in his hands

And I didn't know, before today

That these eyes knew how to betray in this way

And I never believed, before today

That tenderness could be like this

Immense, immense

1. This line can mean be both laugh or smile2. As in the sweetness of love3. literally 'Any new love, woe to it from my fire4. literally 'Smiles into my eyes'5. 'Sold' here means something akin to 'throw-away'.6. literally 'the youth of love'7. Not sure of this line

• Artist:Abdel Halim Hafez