Evin Agassi
HABANIA
Habbaniyah (a British Camp)
BLE-LEH[1] AAY-NEE[2] JEE-ME-LEE
I closed -my eyes-[2] in the night[1]
MOO-SEL, ARR-BIL KHI-ZYE-LEE
I saw Moosil and Arbil (cities of Assyria)
MAAT-WAA-TEH[3] D AA-TO-RRA-YEH[4]
villages[3] of Assyrians[4]
CHOO-LEH[5] L' BA-LEE[6] MOO-YE-LEE
I brought them all[5] to -my memory/mind-[6]
BLE-LEH AAY-NEE JEE-ME-LEE
I closed my eyes in the night
MOO-SEL, ARR-BIL KHI-ZYE-LEE
and I saw Moosil and Arrbil
YOO-MAA-NEH[7] T-KHOO-MAA CHERR-CHOCH (KERKOOK)
the days[7] of T'khooma and Kerook (towns/villages)
AL-QOOSH, TYAA-RREH TKHEE-RRE-LEE
Alqoosh and Tyar'e I remembered them both (towns/villages)
KHAA-CHMA MAAT-WAA-TEH BIL-YAA[9]
how many villages -worn out-[9]
KHAACH-MAA TdOON-YAA-TEH[10] KHIL-YEH
how many sweet -bearings of fruits from the trees-[10]
CHER-MAA-NEH[11] JIJ-LEH[8] JDEE-LEH
orchards[11] vines tied in skeins[8](qty of yarn/thread tied in knot)
TdOON-TEH D KHOOR-MEH[12] QAAN-DEE-LEDD[13]
the fruits of dates[12] hangin as chandeliers[13]
PAA-LAA-KHEH[14] CHOO-LEH JMEE-REH[15]
all the workers[14] tough/rugged[15](plural)
EE-DEH L' PRIZ-LAA[16] KHDEE-REH
their hands turned to metal[16]
B' EE-DAA-TEH MAAJ-LAA[17] OO MEE-RRA[18]
in their hands a sickle(for cutting wheat)[17] and a shovel/spade[18]
L' QI-SAA[19] TOO-LAA[20] TEE-VAA
vengence/revenge[20] placed on their forehead[19]
TdOOY-RRAA-NEH[21] RRAA-MAA[22] SIQ-LEE[23]
-I climbed-[23] the high[22] mountains[21]
BEE SHO-TdEH[24] PEE-SHEH TPIQ-LEE
i visited the remaining tribes[24]
AA-SHOO-REE[25], AA-TO-RAA-YEH
Ashuree[26] (our original/correct name), Assyrians
KHIQ-RRAA[27] D OOM-TAA[28] TdOO-RRAA-YEH[29]
the glorious[27] -mountain people-[29] of our nation[28]
CHERR-MAA-NEH D WER-DEH[30] MTdEE-LEE[31]
-I reached-[31] the orchards of roses[30]
RRE-KHAA[32] D KHAA-BOOY-SHEH[33] RVEE-LEE[34]
-I became intoxicated-[34] with the scent/smell[32] of apples[33]
EH BERR-VER ERR-YEH[35] ZAAKH-MEH[36]
that berver(a city),such a -burly/courageous-[36] lions[35]
MIL-YEH[37] MIN[38] KHOO-BAA[39], RREKH-MEH[40]
filled[37] with[38] love[39] and mercy[40]
BAAZ-NAA-YEH EN KAA-SHEE-YEH[40.5]
those successful[40.5] Baznaayeh (people of village of Baz)
B' CHOO-LEH SAAH-DOO-TAA[41] KHQEE-RREH
all the glorified by martyrdom[41]
LAAKH-MAA[42] D SOOP-RRAA[43] SIM-QAA-NAA[44]
the blessed/daily[44] bread[42] of the -tablecloth(a way we present the
food esp. blessed bread )-[43]
TdAA-TEH[45] D QI-SAA[46] MIL-KHAA-NAA[47]
the sweat[45] of a salty[47] forehead[46]
ARR-BIL MTdEE-TAA L' KHEE-RROO-TAA[48]
Arbil has arrived to freedom[48]
PARR-SEN-TAA D MSHEE-KHOO-TAA[49]
the spreading of Christianity[49]
TdE-RRO[50] MILY'E MIN RRAA-YEH[50]
-it's mountains-[50] filled with shepherds
QAA-DEE-SHEH[51] AA-TO-RRAA-YEH
holy/saints[51] Assyrians
JOO[52] AAT-RAA[53] D KHOOL-MAA KHDI-RREE[54]
-I traveled-[54] in[52] the country[53] of my dream[]
MIN MAA-TAA[55] L' MAA-TAA WI-RREE[56]
-I entered-[56] from village[55] to village
MTdEE-LEE[57] L' HAA-BAA-NIA
-I reached-[57] Habania
PAAGH-RO[58] QIT-QI-TAA[59] JEE-YAA
-her body-[58] -cut up-[59] and tired
AA-RRO QI-TAA[60] ZOORR-DIN-TAA[61]
Its land burned[60] and swollen[61]
MIN TREH PLAA-SHEH[63] DOOR-BIN-TAA[64]
it is scarred[64] wars/fights[63] (meaning WWI & WWII)
YAM-TAA[65] MIN MEE-YAA[66] MLEE-TAA[67]
the lake[65] filled[67] with water[66]
KHA JEE-BO SH-KHOON-TAA QLEE-TAA
one side of it fried from the heat (burning of the wars)
CAM-PO MIL-YEH MIN HEE-WEE-YEH[68]
the camps filled with hope[68]
EN JAA-BAA-REH, MAA-MEE-YEH
those mighty men and Mameeyeh(what we call the fighters in the camps
wearing clothes of Tyarray'e)
SAA-DREH[68] SQEE-RREH POO-SHEN-JEH[69]
their chests[68] embroidered with bullets[69] (when they wear them
across)
L' RROOY-SHAA-NEH[70] TOO-PAAN-JEH[71]
rifles[71] on their shoulders[70]
CHOO-LEH MIN QAAM[72] AAY-NEH QTdEE-LOON
all were killed in front[72] of our eyes
KHISH-LOON KHEE-NAA, LA TEE-LOON
they left and shall never return
-SHO-PEH D-[73] WURR-DEH[74] SMOO-QEH
-in place of-[73] red roses[74] (roses)(The Assyrian)
NIKH-RAA-YEH[75] CHIT-VEH[76] ZREE-LOON
strangers/outsiders[75] (The British) planted cactus/thorns[76] (The
Arab)
LI-BAA[77] D O AAT-RREE BZEE-LOON[78]
-they punctured-[78] the heart[77] of my country
QOON-YAA-TEH[79] D NOOY-TAA[80] PREE-LOON
they payed for wells/sewers[79] of oil[80]
QAA BOOT DO DI-MAA[81] CHOO-MAA[82]
for that black[82] blood[81]
MOOT DI-MAA SMOO-QAA DREE-LOON
what red blood they have poured
ATREE LEM-SEN[83] MAN-SHI-NEH[84]
-i cannot-[83] forget[84] my country
MIN BAA-LEE LEH PAAL-TI-NEH
i can never take it out of my memory/mind
BLE-LEH JOO KHOOL-MAA, B' YOO-MAA[85]
in my dreams in the night, in the day[85]
BEE ZMAA-REE -CHEE TAAKH-RI-NEH-[86]
-i remember-[86] with my songs
AAT-REE LEM-SEN MAAN-SHI-NEH
i cannot forget my country
MIN BAA-LEE LEH PAAL-TI-NEH
i can never take it out of my mind/memory
BLE-LEH JOO KHOOL-MAA, B' YOO-MAA
in my dreams in the night, in the day
BEE ZMAA-REE CHEE TAAKH-RI-NEH
i remember with my songs
PERFORMED AND COMPOSED BY EVIN AGHASSI
LYRICS BY GIVERGIS AGHASSI
ALBUM: HABANIA
AYN'E - eyes, ** AYNA - eye
KHZEE - look (verb)
BALA = memory/mind, ** BAALAAKH - your memory/mind (F), ** BAALOOKH -
your memory/mind (M)
YOOMAA/YOM - day
TKHOORR - remember (verb)
QAAN-DEE-LAA- chandelier
JMEE-RAA (M) , JMIRR-TAA (F) = tough / rugged
SOOQ - climb/go up (verb)
SHO-TdAA - tribe
BIKH-QAA-RRAA - glorifying / bragging
RWAA-YAA (M) - RWAA-WE-TAA (F) = drunk/intoxicated
KAA-SHEE-YAA (M) - KAA-SHEE-TAA (F) = a succesful person
WOOR - enter / go in ( verb)
PAAGH-RAA - body
DERR-BAA - scar/laceration (it also means syphillis (LA TAPET DERRBAA)
SAAD-RAA - chest
TOO-PAANJ - rifle
CHIT-VAA-NAA - thorny
MAASYAAT? (F) - MAASET? (M) - could you? / can you?
TKHOOR - remember (verb)
BZEE - puncture (verb)
JIJ-LAA = skein / Quantity of yarn/thread tied in knot)
SAAH-DAA - martyr
SAA-HAA-DAA - witness
PRE-TAA = payment
PREE - pay (verb)