This is a good example of an Egyptian “shaabi” song, the kind you might hear at a belly dancing club on Haram Street. This particular song crossed over and enjoyed mainstream success due to being featured in the 2014 comedy film “Ocean 14.”
| Someone who has money loses sleep — so how much worse is it for someone in debt! | اللي له قرش مبينامشى ما بالك بقى من اللي عليه |
| Cursed be poverty, which puts me in need of vile people | ملعون ابوك يا فقر يا حوّجني للأندال |
| You debased an honorable man because he was in need of money | زليت عزيز النفس عشان عديم المال |
| Damn you, need, the shame of asking [for something] is deadly | ملعون ابوكي ياعوزه زلة السؤال قتال |
| Oh if the dice were rolled and situations were reversed | اه لو لعبت يا زهر واتبدلت الأحوال |
| And I rode the first wave on the path to riches | وركبت أول موجة فى سكة الأموال |
| I would go to the first one I made a request to in need | لأروح لأول واحد احتجتله في سؤال |
| Who treated me brusquely at the time and made me feel my straitened circumstances | كسر بخاطري ساعتها ودوّقتني ضيقة الحال |
| In order to do the right thing by him and lift him up if he stumbles | لأعمل معاه الصح أنا وأسنده لو مال |
| Standing by him in tribulations and being patient | واقف جمبه فى المحن وأكون أكون طويل البال |
| I would let him know that money, money doesn’t make you a man | أعرفه إن الفلوس الفلوس مبتعملش رجال |
| Need is bitter, need is bitter and many a time it has laid heroes low | الحوجه مره الحوجه مره وياما بهدلت أبطال |
| But enough, I’ve gotten fed up after I reached my hand out to a vile man | بس خلاص أنا نفسي اتسدت بعد ما ايدي للواطي اتمدت |
| I was treating everyone with respect and wishing them well | كنت عامل خدي مداس بأحب الخير لكل الناس |
| I ended up on the ground being stepped on, people betraying me and people selling me | بقيت ع الطراب بنداس ناس تخونى وناس تبيعني |
| Oh if the dice were rolled and situations were reversed | اه لو لعبت يا زهر واتبدلت الأحوال |
| And I rode the first wave on the path to riches | وركبت اول موجة فى سكة الأموال |
| I would go to the first one I made a request to in need | لأروح لأول واحد احتجتله فى سؤال |
| Who treated me brusquely at the time and made me feel my straitened circumstances | كسر بخاطري ساعتها ودوّقتني ضيقة الحال |
| In order to do the right thing by him and lift him up if he stumbles | لأعمل معاه الصح أنا وأسنده لو مال |
| Standing by him in tribulations and being patient | واقف جمبه فى المحن وأكون أكون طويل البال |
| Nothing mattered for me, I didn’t have a cent in tough times | الدنيا كانت ولا فارقه مشلتش أنا قرش في زنقة |
| Everything I wished for, I lost. I laughed for a minute and grieved for weeks | كل ما أتمنى حاجة تضيع أضحك دقيقة أحزن أسابيع |
| I’m fed up with too much moving around, I can’t find solid ground | زهقت من كتر الترقيع ومش لاقيلي بر ارسا |
| I lived life naively, and got nothing from this world | عشت الحياة بكل سذاجة مطلعتش من الدنيا بحاجة |
| Who comes away from life with anything? Everyone will leave it behind and depart | وهو مين واخد حاجة ما كله هيسيبها ويمشي |
| Oh if the dice were rolled and situations were reversed | اه لو لعبت يا زهر واتبدلت الأحوال |
| And I rode the first wave on the path to riches | وركبت أول موجة فى سكة الأموال |
| I would go to the first one I had made a request to in need | لأروح لأول واحد أحتجتله في سؤال |
| Who treated me brusquely at the time and made me feel my straitened circumstances | كسر بخاطري ساعتها ودوّقتني ضيقة الحال |
| In order to do the right thing by him and lift him up if he stumbles | لأعمل معاه الصح أنا وأسنده لو مال |
| Standing by him in tribulations and being patient | واقف جمبه فى المحن وأكون أكون طويل البال |