"Birth" ("ميلاد") by Nancy Ajaj | English Translation

“Birth” (“ميلاد”) is a song composed and performed by Nancy Ajaj, one of the most popular modern Sudanese singers, with lyrics by Faisal Abdelhalim. Released in February of 2019, the song is meant to embody the sentiments of Sudan’s December Revolution, the then-ongoing uprising against the government of military dictator Omar al-Bashir.
The December Revolution created something of an artistic renaissance in Sudan, as artists, poets, musicians, and other creatives memorialized the hopes, dreams, and experiences of the Sudanese people during the revolution. It was very difficult to pick just one song from this time period of immense creativity, and I suspect many will be unhappy with my choice. I understand. This is not the most famous of the songs of the December Revolution, but I do think it’s one of the best.
Footnotes:
2:07 - Likely a reference to a famous essay by Sudanese author at-Tayeb Salih, “Where did these people come from?” (“من أين أتى هؤلاء؟”), an essay written to criticize Sadig al-Mahdi’s government and the Muslim Brotherhood, whose words have been applied to Bashir’s government, especially during the revolution.
2:48 - A huge part of al-Bashir’s regime’s propaganda was claims to being true followers of Islam and protectors of it; throughout the regime’s rule and during the revolution especially, many Sudanese saw this as an exploitation of religion, with them frequently referring to the people of the regime as “tujaar deen” (“merchants of religion,” meaning people using religion for personal gain).
4:38 - A reference to the Kingdom of Kush, referred to Ancient Egyptians as “Ta-Seti” (the land of the bow), whose borders lie within modern-day Sudan, and the Kingdom of Makuria, a Christian Nubian Kingdom whose borders were also within modern Sudan.
4:50 - Likely a reference to the Funj Sultanate, sometimes referred to as the Sultanate of Sennar (named after its capital, Sennar), a Sultanate whose territory covered most of modern Sudan.
Lyrics:
يا ليتّهُم وبنفسِ قوةَ بطشِهم بِالأبرّياء
ya leytahum wa binafsi quwwata batshihim bal-abriyaa’
If only they, with the same force with which they destroy the innocent...
بطّشوا بمنْ سرّقَ الرّغيفَ مِن الجِيّاعْ
battashu biman sarraq ar-ragheef min al-jiyaa’
...would destroy those who stole bread from the starving.
أو ليتّهم وبِنفسِ نْهمتَهُم علىٰ سفكِ الدِماءْ
aw leytahum wa binafsi nahmatahum ‘ala safki id-dimaa’
If only they, with the same passion with which they spill blood...
إسترّجعوّا شِبرّاً مِن الوطنِ المُضاعْ
istarja’u shibran min al-watan al-mudaa’
...would bring back just one inch of the squandered country.
لكِنّهم ولِبؤسهم هُم نفسْهم من أوردوا الناسَ المهالِك والمذّلة بِالخِداعْ
lakinnahum wa libu’sihim hum nafsahum min awradu un-naas al-mahaalik wal-mudhalla bil-khidaa’
But unfortunately they, in all their wretchedness, are the ones who deceived the people, and put them through ruin and humiliation
مِن أين جاء هؤلاء ؟
min ‘ayna jaa’a ha’oola
Where did these people come from?
خُذنّي حبيساً كُنْ رئيسا جرِع الناسَ الشقاءْ
khudhni habeesan kun ra’eesan jarri’ an-naas ash-shiqaa’
Take me prisoner, become president, force feed the people misery
خُذّني حبيساً كُنْ رئيسا ولتُرّق كُلّ الدِماءْ
khudhni habeesan kun ra’eesan wa lituraq kul ad-dimaa’
Take me prisoner, become president, let the blood be shed
ولأِي دينٍ يتبعون ؟
wa li-’ayyi deen yatba’oon
What religion do they follow?
لايَشبهوّن الناسَ في بلَدي بتّاتاً
la yushbihoon an-naas fi baladi bataatan
They’re nothing like the people of my country at all
لا هُمْ لأرّضِنا ينتموّن
la hum li-ardana yantamoon
Nor do they belong to our land
من أين جاؤوا يحكُمون ؟
min ayn jaa’u yahkumoon
Where did they come from to rule?
لكنّهم لا يعلَمونْ
lakinnahum la ya’lamoon
But they don’t understand
بأننا أبناء تاسيّتي العظيمةَ والمقرّة
bi-’annana abnaa’u taseeti al-adheemati wal-maqarra
That we are the descendants of the Mighty Ta-Seti and Makuria
أحيّت النِيران من سنار فينا
ahyat an-neeran min sinnaar feena
The flames of Sennar ignite in us
صِلاتاً بِالتألُفِ مُستمرّة
silaatan bat-ta’aaluf mustamirra
Ties of continuous harmony
عُظّماءُ من طِينِ المكارِم ِِِِقد خُلقنا
‘uzumaa’ min teen al-mukaarimin qad khuliqna
We are greats, molded from the clay of generosity
وكستّنا الشمسُ سُمرّة طيبوُن
wa kasatna ash-shamsu sumrat teyyiboon
And the sun darkened us into righteous Blacks
قُلوبْنا بالحُب تْهدى الأرضَ ورّداً وسلاماً ثُم للناسِ المسرّة
qaloobuna bal-hub tahda al-ard wardan wa salaaman thum lin-naas al-masirra
Our hearts, with love, gift the Earth with roses, greeting, and gift, to the people, happiness

[@MohCoolMan]

ذكرتني بأيام ثورة السودان وقت ما نزلت نانسي هذه الاغنية .نانسي فعلا جبارة وهذا النشيد عالمي ليس فقط بجودته وبأداء نانسي ولكن بمحتواه ورسالته.... تحية وما بعد للسودان ولشعب السودان ويا ريت نار ثورتكم تعدينا وتشعل في شعبي ايضا حب الحرية. شكرا لك على هذا العمل...
🇱🇧❤🇸🇩

[@osamababiker3901]

شكرا ليك بالجد يا رب ان شاء الله تلاقي كل الدعم

[@moheyeldinmusa823]

Happy

[@monamohammad6073]

ميلاد
كلمات / فيصل عبد الحليم
ألحان وأداء / نانسي عجاج
تنفيذ موسيقي / السماني هجو