Mother’s day in the Middle East is celebrated on March 21. In this episode, Mariam hosts her mom and asks about her early years raising a family during the dark chapters of Lebanese history that included the 25-year Civil War and 15-year Israeli occupation in Lebanon. It was a difficult period of violence and economic hardship. The effort and sacrifices Mariam’s mom made to protect her family are a testament to the myriad challenges Lebanese mothers have faced to care for their families and give them a better future.
Lebanese Arabic Transcript and English Contextual Translation
مريم: جاهزة؟
Mariam: Ready?
ماما: جاهزة.
Mom: Ready.
مريم: مرحبا مستمعيننا عاللانغويج وايف، معكن مريم من جديد، والصوت اللي سمعتوه عم يرد علي هلأ، هو من أغلى وأعز الأصوات عقلبي. هو صوت الماما. نفس الشي بعتقد صوت الأم لكل حدا فيكن، فإذا كانت إمكن بعدا عايشة واحتفلتو فيا بعيد الأم هالسنة، بقلكن الله يطول بعمرا، ما يحرمكن منا، ويخليا فوق راسكن. وإذا كانت متوفية، فأكيد تذكرتوا بكتير طرق بعيد الأم، وبقلكن الله يرحما وان شا الله تكون بمكان أفضل هلأ.
Mariam: Hello, dear listeners on Language Wave. This is Mariam again, and the voice you have heard replying to me now is one of the most precious and dearest voices to my heart. It is my mom’s voice. I guess the mother’s voice feels the same to each and every one of you. So, if your mom is still alive, and you celebrated her on Mother’s Day this year, I tell you, “May Allah extend her life, may you never be deprived of her, and may she remain always by your side.” And if she is deceased, then you have certainly remembered her in many ways on Mother’s Day, and I tell you, “May Allah have mercy on her, and god willing she is in a better place now.”
الماما معي بهالحلقة، لأن بدل ما أنا خبركن بعيد الأم عن تعبا وقوتا وصبرا بتربايتنا أنا وإخواتي بوحدة من أصعب المراحل اللي مرق فيا لبنان، رح خليا هي تخبركن وتخبرني.
Mom is present in this episode with me because instead of me telling you on Mother’s Day about her tiredness, strength, and patience in raising me and my siblings in one of the hardest periods that Lebanon had been through, I will let her tell you and tell me.