City Band – I Am Hereسيتي باند - أنا موجودAna Mawgood

This song and video have been produced in solidarity with the Egyptian youth that have died and sacrificed in the continuing revolution.

The title phrase of the song "ana mawgood" (أنا موجود) means "I am present," "I am here," or "I exist." I've translated it here in different ways depending on the context, and I've also translated it as "here I am" in some spots to give it a better sound in English. Let me know if you have any comments about the word choice.



City Band – I Am Here

I exist, but my title keeps changing
My name is youth, and I am young
I am willing to live a short life
And I am not afraid to die
Here I am

I exist, and I don’t have a card or ID
Put all your flaws on me
Throw me on the ground and stomp all over me
Keep me from making any sound
But I am here

Say that I’m spreading fitna (discord) and I am always undermining the stability
Say that I’m a kafir (infidel) and a traitor and that I’m going to hell
You are free to say what you will
I won’t object to any kind of dialogue
Yes, I’m a killer and my weapon is some stones
I am here

Here I am
Do what you want to me
And when I die, nobody ask why they killed me
And I beg you do not cry
Whoever wants to laugh can laugh, it’s not important
Nobody call out “we will not forget you”
No forget me, but don’t forget
The one who killed me is still out there

And I am gone

سيتي باند - أنا موجود

أنا موجود لكن عنوان بيتغير

أنا اسمي شباب سنه صغير

ومش رافض أعيش عمر قصير

ومش خايف أموت

أنا موجود

انا موجود لا معايا بطاقه ولا هويه

داروا عيوبكم كلها فيا

شيلوا وحطوا ودوسوا عليا

امنعوا يطلع منى الصوت

أنا موجود

وقولوا عليا بعمل فتنة وبهدم دائماً الاستقرار

وقولوا عليا كافر خاين ومكاني هيكون النار

وقولوا كلامكم بحرية أنا مش هامنع أي حوار

ايوه انا قاتل وسلاحي شوية طوب

أنا موجود

أنا موجود اعملوا فيا اللي تحبوه

ولما هاموت ما حدش يسأل ليه قتلوه

وأرجوكم ما تبكوش

اللي عايز يضحك يضحك ما يهموش

وما حدش يهتف لا ننساك لا انسوني بس ما تنسوش

اللي قتلني لسه موجود

وأنا مش موجود

History of Music in Lebanon Podcast

From Ottoman History Podcast

Lebanon is a country of just a few million, but its musical output has historically rivaled its much larger neighbors in the Arab world. This episode of the Ottoman History Podcast provides an overview of the the history of music in modern Lebanon as well as an overview of the history of modern Lebanon through music. We discuss topics such as nationalism, war, migration, and gender, all while listening to some of the most memorable and beloved songs and artists that the country has produced.

Download the podcast

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Artists include:

Nasri Shamseddine, Wadih El Safi, Sabah, Fairuz, Mansour and Assi Rahbani, Zaki Nassif, Melhem Barakat, Samira Tawfik, Farid al-Atrache, Sami Clark, The Bandaly Family
Marcel Khalife, Ahmad Kaabour, Ziad Rahbani, Joseph Saqr, Julia Boutros, Makhoul Kassouf, Sami Hawat, Azar Habib, Majida El Roumi
Najwa Karam, Ragheb Alama, Nawal El Zoghbi, Wael Kfoury, Nancy Ajram, Elissa
Soapkills, Mashrou' Leila, Charbel Rouhana, Ziad Sakhab

Select Bibliography:

Stone, Christopher Reed. Popular Culture and Nationalism in Lebanon: The Fairouz and Rahbani Nation. London: Routledge, 2008.
ʻAssāf, Aḥmad. Fayrūz wa-dawlat al-Raḥābinah. Dimashq: Dār al-Rāʼī lil-Dirāsāt wa-al-Tarjamah wa-al-Nashr, 2008.
Reynolds, Dwight Fletcher. Arab Folklore: A Handbook. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2007.
O'Ballance, Edgar. Civil War in Lebanon, 1975-92. New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, 1998.
Khater, Akram Fouad. Inventing Home Emigration, Gender, and the Middle Class in Lebanon, 1870-1920. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001.