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Majnoon Layla

from SyrianamericanA by Omar Offendum

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about

A translation of an ancient Arabian tale of star-crossed love -- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Layla_and_Majnun

lyrics

Verse 1:

Back in school was when we'd first got acquainted
Crossed paths - nearly fainted
When you told me that your name was
Layla
Hair darker than the night's sky
waylak!
Majnoon what a crazy tale
I too often poeticized your eyes
To every passer by
Till it came back to haunt me
As your dad denied
Your hand in mine ñ marriage I was sad to find
Wasnt written for us in the grand design
Set out for Mecca on Hajj
As I was really on Edge
But no matter how hard I tried
I couldnt sever our ties
I pledged to your heart
That we would never be apart
As children
But your father had other plans
To find you another man
Until then
You were on house arrest
Sealed in
And I couldnt bare the pain
Crying a tear’s refrain
Insane
Praying that Id be killed then
I skipped town shameful
Wondering what our world came to

Chorus:

The remorse of Old ways
Divorced of Old times
The source of Old prose and…
(It Blows My Miiiiiind)
Just how strong the memories remain
In a reverie of pain
Insane - Im not fine...
Im yours, however distant you may be!
Intertwined - forever reminded you’re my lady
(It Blows My Miiiiiind)
There blows no wind but wafts your scent
And sings no bird but calls your name
Star-crossed Lament

Verse 2:

Wandering through the wilderness
Agony filled & lonely
Pondering how I failed
Knowing nobody could console me
Only the homey Nawfal
Had cared enough to explore
Yet when he couldnt succeed
He just took your daddy to war
And demanded we be united
But as your clan was defeated
The same excuse as before is what
Your father slowly repeated
I’d ruined your reputation
With all of my proclamations
He’d rather kill you than see us together
A complication to say the least
I conceded
To the desert retreated
Wrote a rhyme in the sand for you
Praying that you could read it
Time passed & eventually you would come to be greeted
By many a suitor
Intent on sweeping you off your feet - When it happened
Couldn’t believe it
You were somebody’s wife?
Was it really my fate to live such a pitiful life?
The aches cut like a knife as my miserable heart burned
To all that trouble & strife ñ I vowed to never return
A lesson learned


Chorus:

The remorse of Old ways
Divorced of Old times
The source of Old prose and…
(It Blows My Miiiiiind)
Just how strong the memories remain
In a reverie of pain
Insane - Im not fine...
Im yours, however distant you may be!
Intertwined - forever reminded you’re my lady
(It Blows My Miiiiiind)
There blows no wind but wafts your scent
And sings no bird but calls your name
Star-crossed Lament

Verse 3:

Brainsick they would call me
Demented smitten & mad
And this took a toll on Baba’s health
Whoa it was getting bad
See I was his only son
And so I was all that he had
He died of a broken heart
I knew that it made you sad
You sent me a note condoling me
Said you were thinking of me
Then when my mother passed
You had even said you still loved me
Given that bitter absences made our hearts fonder
I had to come back to see ñ I couldn’t take it much longer
However the irony was your husband would die too
Therefore our traditions stated I would be without you
For not one - but two
Years to be left grieving
Naive - in a spider love (& in spite of)
Was this tangled web we were weaving
My Karma just getting even
For living life depraved?
Why was it such a sin to have given all that I gave?
For now I lie at your grave
And I’m ready to die a whaler
Thus ends the tale of
Majnoon Layla

Chorus:

The remorse of Old ways
Divorced of Old times
The source of Old prose and…
(It Blows My Miiiiiind)
Just how strong the memories remain
In a reverie of pain
Insane - Im not fine...
Im yours, however distant you may be!
Intertwined - forever reminded you’re my lady
(It Blows My Miiiiiind)
There blows no wind but wafts your scent
And sings no bird but calls your name
Star-crossed Lament

credits

from SyrianamericanA, released July 4, 2010
Prod. by Sandhill

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all rights reserved

tags

about

Omar Offendum New York, New York

Omar Offendum is a rapper, spoken word poet, and theatrical storyteller. He was named a Kennedy Center Citizen Artist and Arab America Foundation "40 Under 40" award recipient. His off-Broadway hit production "Little Syria" has sold out venues across America - including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music, CAP-UCLA, and Joe's Pub at The Public Theater in NYC. ... more

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