Thursday

Bab al Hara - Syrian Dialect Lengthening Words

Bab al Hara باب الحارة (The Neighborhood's Gate) is a very popular show in the Arabic world. The setting is a neighborhood حارة in Damascus during the beginning of the French control of Syria at then end of the Ottoman rule . It's in the Syrian dialect and to me the way they speak sounds really funny. They often lengthen the last word of their sentences. Syrian is the only dialect I've noticed that does this. They don't even do it in Lebanon right next door to Syria. You can see examples in this clip from the show.
At 00:05 and 00:14 listen to how he says حارة. And at 00:23 how he says ابو غالب. It basically sounds like he's saying ابو غالييييب. At 01:35 is also a good example. Listen to كذاب. And the whole conversation starting at 01:37 is full of it. Anyway, you get the idea. Not every Syrian does this but quite a lot do, so if you ever are wondering where a person is from, if they're lengthening their words then it's a safe bet that they are Syrian.

Here's the theme song from the show. I really like it.

3 comments:

simonegw said...

i like it :) it flows. i think it sounds beautiful

czarek said...

I think we should put a text of the song for people who likes this serial.
I found one but there is no translation for english ,but i will try to do as much as i can


يا اهل المــــــــــــروة والعزة و الكرامــــــــــة
والطيبة والنـــــــــخوة و الشرف و الشهامــة

ننسى الايام الصعبــة والمحبة نلم جراحنــا
والدنيا بتضحك لـــمــا نضحك و نزين افراحنا

عطره و بحره و لارنجي احلى الاســــــامي
زينة الحارة فرجــــــة للياسمين الشامـي

*****************

الندل بيزرع فتنـــــــــي بيحصد شر الندالـــة
والعز بيرجع للي عندو حكمــــــة واصالــــة

واللي بيحلف يميـــــن كذب يا ويلو من اللــه
ّّ = = = = = = = =

الله الله اللـــــــــــــــــه الله الله اللــــــــــــــه
= = = = = =

*****************

يللي بدو يتحــــــــــدى هي الحارة مين قـــدا
في مـن بيحمي الــدار بالحق يصون حــــــــدا

عنا نــــــــاس ازقردية بالصبر بيتــــــــــــحلوا
بس العوايليــــــــــــــة رح ينهالوا وينذلـــــــــو

والخايـــــــن يا ويل ويلـــــــو يا ويلو من الله
= = = = = = = =

الله الله اللـــــــــــــــــه الله الله اللــــــــــــــه
= = = = = =

Anonymous said...

Look what happens if you translate the song...


Did you mean: يا اهل المــــــــــــرأة والعزة والكرام ــــــــــة والطيبة والنـــــــــخوة و الشرف و الشهامــة ننسى الايام الصعبــة والمحبة نلم جراحنــا والدنيا بتضحك لـــمــا نضحك و نزين افراحنا عطره و بحره و لارنجي احلى الاســــــامي زينة الحارة فرجــــــة للياسمين الشامـي ***************** الندل بيزرع فتنـــــــــي بيحصد شر الندالـــة والعز بيرجع للي عندو حكمــــــة واصالــــة واللي بيحلف يميـــــن كذب يا ويلو من اللــه ّّ = = = = = = = = الله الله اللـــــــــــــــــه الله الله اللــــــــــــــه = = = = = = ***************** يللي بدو يتحــــــــــدى هي الحارة مين قـــدا في مـن بيحمي الــدار بالحق يصون حــــــــدا عنا نــــــــاس ازقردية بالصبر بيتــــــــــــحلوا بس العوايليــــــــــــــة رح ينهالوا وينذلـــــــــو والخايـــــــن يا ويل ويلـــــــو يا ويلو من الله = = = = = = = =
Hey folks Marwah, pride and dignity
And kind and pride and honor and gallantry

Forget the difficult days and love Nlm wounds
And lower Ptdg to laugh and decorate Afrahna

Perfume and his research and Aranji sweeter Legend
Accessories hot hatch Yasmine Chami

*****************

Waiters Bezra Vtna Bihsd evil Alndalh
Ezz and Berdja me Ando wisdom and authenticity

Bihlv right and who lied to you, and Yellow of God
= = = = = = = =

God God God God God God
= = = = = =

*****************

Lilly defies Bedouins are warm Maine Qaeda
In the house of Bihama preserves the right end

Us people Azqirdah patient Bathaloua
Bs Alaoaeleh Rah Anhaloa and Anzlo

And Aljain oh oh woe Willow Willow of God