They say love makes the world go round and that’s just as true for the Arab world as it is for the rest of the planet. So what are some things that Arabs say to keep their world spinning?
Well, we’ve compiled a list of short and sweet sayings that Arabs use to woo their beloved. What’s more, we’ve even recruited some Arab poets to act as your very own Cyrano de Bergerac.
And though love may be patient, we can’t wait to get started, so Yalla! Let’s go!
You are the love of my soul. (m.)
.أَنتَ حَبيبُ رُوحِي
/ʼanta Habeebu rooHee/
You are the love of my soul. (f.)
.أَنتِ حَبيبَةُ رُوحِي
/ʼanti Habeebatu rooHee/
There’s so much of you in my heart.
!ما أَكثَرُكَ في قَلْبي
/maa ʼaktharuka fee qalbee/
Take care of my heart because you’re in it. (m.)
.احرِصْ عَلى قَلْبي لِأَنَّكَ فيه
/iHriS ʻalaa qalbee liʼannaka feeh/
Take care of my heart because you’re in it. (f.)
.احرِصي عَلى قَلْبي لِأَنَّكِ فيه
/iHriSee ʻalaa qalbee liʼannaki feeh/
Your smile is paradise. (m.)
.ابتِسامَتُكَ هِيَ الجَنَّة
/ibtisaamatuka hiya iljannah/
Your smile is paradise. (f.)
.ابتِسامَتُكِ هِيَ الجَنَّة
/ibtisaamatuki hiya iljannah/
Where there is love, there is peace.
.أَيْنَما وُجِدَ الحُبُّ، وُجِدَ السَّلام
/ʼaynamaa wujida ilHubbu, wujida issalaam/
Perhaps, you haven’t learned enough Arabic quite yet to express your feelings to your crush. No problem! Just borrow some of the words of some of the best Arab poets to pursue your intended.
Adonis
خَرَجَ الوَرْدُ مِنْ حَوْضِهِ لِمُلاقاتِها
كانتِ الشَّمْسُ عُرْيانَةً
في الخريفِ، سِوَى خَيْطِ غَيْمٍ عَلَى خَصْرِها.
هَكَذا يُولَدُ الحُبُّ
في القَريَةِ الّتي جِئتُ مِنْها
/kharaja ilwardu min Hawdhihi limulaaqaatihaa kaanati ishamsu ʻuryaanatan fee ilkhareef, siwaa khayTi ghaymin ʻalaa khaSrihaa. hakaTHaa yuladu ilHubb fee ilqaryati illatee jiʼtu minhaa/
“The rose leaves its flowerbed to meet her
The sun is naked in autumn,
nothing except a thread of cloud around her waist
This is how love arrives
in the village where I was born.”
Nizar Qabbani
في أيّامِ الصّيْفِ..
أَتَمَدَّدُ عَلى رِمالِ الشَّاطِئِ
وَأُمَارِسُ هِوايَةَ التَّفْكيرِ بِكِ..
لَوْ أَنَّني أَقُولُ لِلبَحْرِ..
ما أَشْعُرُ بِهِ نَحْوَكِ
لَتَرَكَ شَواطِئَهُ..
وَأَصْدافَهُ..
وأَسْماكَهُ..
وَتَبِعَني
/fee ʼayyaami iSSayfi ʼatamaddadu ʻalaa rimaali ishaaTiʼi wa ʼumaarisu hiwaayata ittafkeeri biki.. law ʼannanee ʼaqoolu lilbaHri maa ʼashʻuru bihi naHwaki lataraka shawaaTiʼahu wa ʼaSdaafahu wa ʼasmaakahu wa tabiʻanee/
“In the summer
I stretch out on the shore
And think of you.
Had I told the sea
What I felt for you,
It would have left its shores,
Its shells,
Its fish,
And followed me.”
Ghada Al-Samman
لَمْ أَقَعْ فِي الحُبِّ، لَقَدْ مَشَيْتُ إِلَيهِ بِخُطَىً ثابِتَةٍ
مَفْتُوحَةَ العَيْنَينِ حَتَّى أَقْصَى مَداها
إنِّي وَاقِفَةٌ في الحُبِّ، لا وَاقِعَةٌ في الحُبِّ
/lam ʼaqaʻ fee ilHubb, laqad masheetu ʼilayhi bikhuTan thaabitatin maftooHata ilʻaynayni Hatta ʼaqSaa madaahaa ʼinnee waaqifatun fee ilHubb, laa waaqiʻatun fee ilHubb/
“I didn’t fall in love with you. I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way."
Khalil Gibran
المَحَبَّةُ هِيَ الحُرِّيَّةُ الوَحِيدَةُ في هَذا العَالَم لأنَّها تَرْفَعُ النَّفْسَ إلى مَقامٍ سامٍ لا تَبْلُغُهُ شَرائِعُ البَشَرِ وَتَقالِيْدُهُم، وَلا تَسُوْدُ عَلَيهِ نَوَاميْسُ الطَّبِيْعَةِ وَأَحْكَامُها
/almaHabbatu hiya ilHurryyatu ilwaHeedatu fee haTHaa ilʻaalam liʼannahaa tarfaʻu innafsa ʼilaa maqaamin saamin laa tablughuhu sharaaʼiʻu ilbashari wa taqaaleeduhum walaa tasoodu ʻalayhi nawaameesu iTTabeeʻati wa ʼaHkaamuhaa/
“Love is the only freedom in the world because it so elevates the spirit that the laws of humanity and the phenomena of nature cannot alter its course.”
Ahlam Mosteghanemi
اُرْقُصْ كَمَا لَوْ أَنَّ لا أَحَدَ يَراكَ
غَنِّ كَما لَوْ أَنَّ لا أَحَدَ يَسْمَعُكَ
أَحِبَّ كَما لَوْ أَنَّ لا أَحَدَ سَبَقَ أَنْ جَرَحَكَ
/urquS kamaa law ʼanna laa ʼaHada yaraaka ghanni kamaa law ʼanna laa ʼaHada yasmaʻuka ʼaHibba kamaa law ʼanna laa ʼaHada sabaqa ʼan jaraHaka/
“Dance like nobody’s watching
Sing like no one is listening
Love like you’ve never been hurt.”
So, there you are you silver-tongued devil you. Now, whoever you want to woo should be putty in your hands. Let us know how they worked out for you.
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