سيرة الحب [Seret El Hob] [English translation]

All my life I've feared love, and the mention of love, and the oppression of love to all of its people.

And I know stories filled with sighs, tears and groans, and the lovers fall in love, but never repent.

All my life I've said, I could never handle love and the nights of love, nor could my heart ever handle its torment.

And then I met you, I found you changing my whole life

I don't know how I loved you, I don't know how, O my life!

From just a whisper of love I found myself in love, and falling in love, and by night and by day I am at its door.

*****

Gone, from my life, are years and years. I have seen many lovers

those grieving themselves to themselves, those crying over their own state.

Truly, the people of love are unfortunate!

How often has love called my heart, my heart did not answer back.

How often has desire tried to consume me and I said 'Begone, O torment!'

How often have eyes tried to attract me, though never would they attract me -

Except for your eyes. Those alone took me and to your love commanded me.

They commanded me to love, I found myself in love, falling in love, and by night and by day I am at its door.

******

O you who wronged love, and said and repeated about it, said this and that and I don't know what.

The problem is in you, or your lovers. As for love, how beautiful it is!

In this world there's absolutely nothing sweeter than love.

We tire, we suffer, we complain about it, but we still love.

Oh how beautiful the heart and its sighs in reunion and in separation.

And the candles of desire, when they illuminate the night of the lover.

Oh how beautiful is the world and its sweetness in the eyes of the lover.

Love took me, I found myself in love, falling in love, and by night and by day I am at its door.

*****

O you who filled my life with love, I present my life to you

My soul, my heart, my mind, my love, my everything are in your hands.

Your voice, your glances, your whispers are something unbelievable

Something that transforms the world into flowers, always, and candles, always.

My God, how great is your love, my darling, and my pleasure with you. My God my darling, my darling, my God, my God.

Never an eye's tear hurt my heart, nor a cry of pain.

I say nothing in your love but my God, my God, oh my darling how beautiful is your love, my God, my God!

From so much love, I found myself in love and falling in love, and by night and by day I am at its door.

• Artist:Oum Kalthoum