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Notes of Video “Grandma”
In this short video, I share a real story and conversation with my grandmother, who believes that true beauty means being light-skinned, blond, and having green or blue eyes. This video, in Levantine Arabic, will introduce you to vocabulary related to skin color. It’s perfect for all levels, as the script is available with translations. I’ve also attached a page from our third book Nawartona, with some of these vocabulary.
We recommend to watch the episode here first without checking the script.
Arabic Script:
ستي بتميز كثير بين أحفادها. هي شقراء وعيونها زرق وكانت بتفضل الاحفاد يلي مثلها او بيشبهوها. انا لا شقرا ولا عيوني زرق. مرة كان هيك بدي اتقرب منها فسألتها, “يا ستي انا حلوة شيء؟” أخذت نفس عميق واطلعت فيّي وقالت لي, ‘يا ستّي الجمال مش كل شيء بالحياة انه ما اشبك شيء.’ فاذا انت كنت حنطيّة, سمراء, او سودا, وعيونك سود او بني فما لك حظ معها. بس اذا كنت بيضاء وشقرا وعيونك خضر او زرق فانت اكيد حلوة بنظرها بدي. اقلك شيء كيف ما كنتي انت اكيد حلوة.
Phonetic Script:
Sete bitmayez ktir bein el-a7fedha. Heye sha2rah w 3yonha zere2 w kenit bitfadel el-a7fed yale mithelha aw byesh-bahoha. Ana la sha2rah wala 3yone zere2. Marah ken heik bade et’arab minha fa sa2alta, ‘Ya sete ana 7ilwe shi?’ Akhadet nafas 3ami2 w tala3et fiyeh w aletle, ‘Ya sete jamel mish kil shi bil7ayet inu ma eshbek shi.’ Fa eza ente kinte 7untiyeh, samarah, aw sawdah, w 3yonek sud aw bene fa ma elek 7az ma3a. Bus eza kinte baydah, sha2rah, w 3yonek khudur aw zere2, ma ente akid 7ilweh b nazara. Bade elek kif ma kinte ente akid 7ilweh.
English Translation:
My grandmother distinguishes a lot between her grandchildren. She has blonde hair and blue eyes and used to prefer the grandchildren who looked like her. I am neither blonde nor do I have blue eyes. Once, I wanted to get closer to her, so I asked her, “Grandma, am I pretty?” She took a deep breath, looked at me, and said, “My dear, beauty is not everything in life.” It was clear that if you were tan, dark, or black with black or brown eyes, you had no luck with her. But if you were white, blonde, and had green or blue eyes, you were definitely pretty in her eyes. I want to tell you something: no matter how you look, you are definitely beautiful.
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