30 Famous Ziad Rahbani Quotes That Still Resonate Today

The best way to capture Ziad Rahbani’s wit and wisdom is through a compilation of his most famous quotes (that’s if you haven’t been listening to his music on repeat for the past few days).

The son of Fairuz and Assi Rahbani, Ziad broke the mold and carried the Rahbani legacy with subversive humor and unapologetic defiance. His style was uniquely his: honest, sarcastic, pained, and full of humanity.

Ziad was a phenomenon, and his words expressed not only his thoughts and emotions but those of a nation pained by its reality.

Make sure to save this article because you’ll be using his words to cite your rage, your heartbreak, and even you’re just done with everything.

These are the most famous quotes by Ziad Rahbani

1. ما تقلي طول بالك، هيك أطول شي
Ma t2elli tawel belak, hek 2atwal shi

Translation: Don’t tell me to be patient, this is as long as it gets.*

In Arabic, “tawwel belak” literally translates to “lengthen your mind”, an idiom for “be patient.” Ziad replies that his mind is already at maximum length.

2. شعب بيشرب قهوة كتير، لازم يكون أوعى من هيك!
Shaab byeshreb 2ahwe kteer, lezem ykoun 2aw3a men hek!

Translation: A people that drinks this much coffee should be way more awake!

3. خليك طبيعي وتلقائي وصريح مع الناس، صدقني رح تخسرن كلن!
Khallik tabi3i w telka2i w sareeh ma3 el nes, saddi2ni ra7 tkhsaron killon!

Translation: Be natural, spontaneous, and honest with people. Trust me, you’ll lose them all!

4. وراء كل إمرأة عظيمة ولا حدا. اللّٰه خلقها عظيمة مش ضروري يكون وراها حدا
Wara kol emra2a 3azime wala hada. Allah khala2a 3azime, mesh darouri ykoun waraha hada

Translation: Behind every great woman is…no one. God made her great, she doesn’t need anyone behind her.

5. قوم فوت نام وصير حلام انو بلدنا صارت بلد
Oum fout naam w seer hlem eno baladna saret balad

Translation: Go to sleep and dream that our country actually became a real country.

6. أنا ضد الفقر مش ضد الغنى.. بس ضد الغنى اللي بيجي من الفقر
Ana dod el fo2r mesh dedd el ghina… bass dod el ghina elli byiji men el fo2r

Translation: I’m against poverty, not wealth…but I’m against the kind of wealth that comes from poverty.

7. مش ضروري النّهايات تكون سعيدة عَ طول.. خيّي انتَ منّك عايش بفيلم!
Mesh darouri el nihayat tkoon sa3ideh 3a tool… khayye enta mennak 3ayesh b film!

Translation: Endings don’t always have to be happy…brother, you’re not living in a movie!

8. انا ما عم جرب غير البلد و لا عم جرب غير شي انا عم جرب بس ما خلي هالبلد يغيرني. هيدي وحدها اذا بتزبط معي يعني انتصار، انتصار لنفسي اولا
Ana ma 3am jarrib gheir el balad, wala 3am jarrib gheir shi. Ana 3am jarrib bas ma khalli hal balad yghayyerni. Haydi wahda iza betzabbat ma3i ya3ni intisar, intisar la nafsi awalan.

Translation: I’m not trying to change the country or anything, I’m just trying not to let the country change me. If I manage that, it’s a victory. A victory for myself, first and foremost.

9. بلا ولا شي، بحبك
Bala wala shi, bhebbik

Translation: For no reason at all, I love you.

10. كم بكرا صار مارق من وقتها لليوم؟ وبعدنا ما عرفنا بالنسبة لبكرا شو؟
Kam bukra sar mere2 men wa2ta lal yawm? W ba3dna ma 3arifna bel nesbeh la bukra shu?

Translation: How many “tomorrows” have passed since then? And we still don’t know what “tomorrow” even means.

11. بلد كلو سوا مش مبيّن عالخريطة ما إلو حق يكون عندو هلقد مشاكل!
Balad kello sawa mesh mabbayan 3al kharita, ma illo ḥa2 ykoun 3ando hal2ad mashekil!

Translation: A whole country that is barely visible on the map has no right to have this many problems!

12. هيدا رأيك؟ إيه وشو عم يعمل عندي؟
Hayda ra2yak? Eh w shu 3am ya3mel 3endi?

Translation: That’s your opinion? Yeah, so what’s it doing in my space?

13. كل ما تسألني كيفك بتذكر إني مش منيح
Kell ma tes2alni keefak, bitzakkar inni mesh mniḥ.

Translation: Whenever you ask how I am, I remember I’m not fine.

14. دخلك شو رح يجينا إن كان قدمنا الساعة ولا أخرناها…ما إحنا منقدمها ساعة ومنتأخر عشر سنين لورا
Dakhlak shu raḥ yejina in kan 2addamna el se3a w la akhkarnaha… ma ehna mna2adema se3a w mnet2akkhar 3ashra sneen la wara.

Translation: What’s the point of setting the clock forward or backward? We move it an hour ahead and fall ten years behind.

15. مات وعطاني عمرو…أنا عمرو شو بدي فيه؟ أنا العمر يلي عليي مش عارف كفيه
Mat w 3atani 3omro… ana 3omro shu baddi fi? Ana el 3omer yalli 3layyi mesh 3arif kaffi.

Translation: He died and gave me his years—what do I need them for when I can’t handle my own?

16. أنا مش كافر بس الجوع كافر
Ana mesh kafer bass el joo3 kafer.

Translation: I’m not a blasphemer, but hunger surely is.

17. صف الواسطة أطول من الصف العادي…أطول من صف الأوادم يعني.
Saff el wasta atwal men el ṣaff el 3adi… aṭwal men saff el 2awedem ya3ni.

Translation: The “wasta” line is longer than the regular one—longer than the decent folks’ line.

18. حاول عموما تبتسم للناس، معليش.. هيدي لا عالكهربا، ولا ع البطارية.. لا ع البنزين ولا عالمازوت.. شغلة ما ح تزيد شي ع مصروفك..
Ḥawwel 3omooman, ma3lesh… haydi la 3al kahraba, w la 3al battariyye…la 3al benzin w la 3al mazoot… shaghle ma ha tzeed shi 3a maṣroofak

Generally, try to smile at people. It’s not on electricity, not on batteries, not on gasoline, and not on diesel—it’s something that won’t add anything to your expenses.

19. حاج تحلّل وحياتَك، تسلملي تحليلاتَك
haj thallil w hyatak, teslamli tehlilatak.

Translation: Stop overanalyzing, I swear. Bless your brilliant theories.

20. إذا بعطيك رأيي بصراحة… ما بعود فيك تطيق شي إسمه صراحة.
Iza ba3tik ra2yi bisaraha… ma bi3ood fik ti2 shi ismo saraha.

Translation: If I speak frankly, you’ll never tolerate anything called frankness again.

21. عم بيقولوا رح ينقطع الأمل الباقي بهاليومين.

3am bi2oolo rah yon2ote3 el amal el ba2i bhal yawmen.

Translation: They say the remaining hope will vanish in the next two days.

22. بيقولوا لك من عرق جبينه طلّع مصاري هالإنسان… طيّب كيف هايدا وكيف ملايينه وما مرّه شايفينه عرقان؟

B 2oolo men 3arak jbeeno talla3 masari hal ensan…tayeb keef hayda w keef malayeeno w ma marra shayfeeno 3arkan?

Translation: They claim he earned his money by sweat—so why’s he rich with millions yet never sweating?

23. ليتني لا أعرف ما أعرف!

Laytni la 2a3ref ma 2a3ref!

Translation: If only I didn’t know what I know!

24. لما بتحب حدا، ما بتشوفو متل ما هو، بتشوفو متل ما بتحب.

Lamma betheb hada, ma betshoufo metel ma howe, betshoufo metel ma betheb.

Translation: When you love someone, you don’t see them as they are. Only as you love them.

25. فكّرنا يلي راح منيح… طلع منيح يلي راح!

Fakkarna yalli rah mneegh…tole3 mneeh yalli rah.

Translation: We thought what left was good…turns out it’s good it left!

26. ما حدا مبسوط… ونيّالك يا ما حدا!

Ma hada mabsout…w niyalak ya mahada.

Translation: Nobody’s happy…lucky you, Mr. Nobody!

27. يا عمي نحنا ما بدنا نفهم قدو، بس بدنا نفهم عليه!

Ya 3ammi nehna. mabadna nefham 2addo, bas badna nefham 3le!

Translation: We don’t need to be as smart as him—just smart enough to understand him!

28. في ناس بينهم وبين الفهم سوء فهم

Fi nas baynon w bayn el fehem soo2 fehem.

Translation: Some people have a misunderstanding with understanding itself.

29. شو هالأيام اللي وصلنالا
قال إنو غني عم يعطي فقير
كنو المصاري قشطت لحالا
ع هيدا نتفه و هيدا كتير

Shu hal eyam yalli wsolnala
2al eno el ghani 3am ya3ti l fa2ir
Ka2anno l masari ashatet lahala
3a hayda netfeh w hayda ktir

Translation: Look at these days: the rich ‘give’ the poor as if money falls by itself. Crumbs for some, piles for others.

30. أنا صار لازم ودّعكن .. وخبّركن عني
أنا كلّ القصة لو منكن .. ما كنت بغني
غنّينا أغاني عَ وراق .. غنية لواحد مشتاق
ودايماً بالآخر في آخر في وقت فراق

Ana sar lazem wadde3kon … w khabbirkon 3anni
Ana kell el osssa law menkon … ma kent bghanni
Ghannayna aghani 3a wra2 … gheniyye la wahad moseshta2

W dayman bil akher fi akher fi wa2t fra2

Translation: It’s time I say goodbye… and tell you about me.
This whole story, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have sung.
We sang songs on paper… songs for someone longing.
And in the end, there’s always an end. A moment of farewell.

Which quote did you like the most?

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