PERSIAN STUDIES

This page contains the song's lyrics and English translation.

The Singer
AUDIO	Learn the VOCABULARY for this song!

Text & Translation	Everyone who has a falling out (c.f. qahr nakon قهر نکن means "don't pout") with his mama (from French, Maman, the older word is nane, ننه) Wants to go (come, miyād) and become a singer overnight The grocer and what have you and coupon vendor He wants to become famous, become big (gonde) overnight. These days, whoever knows how to whistle Thinks he's the composer, Beethoven As for poetry (emphatic ham) you know (dige) everyone these days is saying (goftan means to compose here) As for pop music as you know it's open (free for all) Akbar Āqā the gardener says Their (someone in his family) Asghar sings really well He wants to come to Tehran and compose songs He says he really knows all the ins and outs of music After all/by the way, at the wedding of Nazi he played the drum In the villages the killing and dying for him is abundant Anyway, he comes to Tehran and makes for the public bath (as if first time getting cleaned up!) Next day on (next thing you know), instead of "bebakhshid", he's [already] saying "Excuse me" He wants (asks for) travelers' checks instead of money When he gets surprised, he says, "Oh wonderful" Back then (those times) he used to say "hāy" now he says "Hey you" Merci Merci Madame, Bonjour Monsieur Dum ta dum dum he sings and plays (to play drums, zarb gereftan,) Old and young are dying for him What do you think he's singing, anyway? He sings, "The sun in on the edge of the roof, the day (the day, it's business) has ended" The sun is on the edge of the roof, the work day has ended Hey you (this is Arabic, not a commonly heard word in Tehran dialect) it's almost (close to, tang) dark On the whorf, there's bustling It sells and sells like hotcakes (rock candy, nabāt) If one of your songs catches on (becomes a hit), that's enough for you I've sung solfège (solfeggio), Casse-point (?) and harmony They've all gone six-eighth's tempo (Shish-o hashti) I've remained alone (the only one who's not lowered himself to play cheap style) For a lifetime, I've been playing Beethoven, Chopin and Bach But now, out of lack of money, I play [popular music] in six-eighth's rhythm. I'm exchanging (طاق tāq, in speech, the /q/ is pronounced /kh/ in certain positions, spelled phonetically here to match Bakh) my honor for money Sometimes I play Bach, sometimes I exchange Sometimes I play Bach, sometimes I exchange Sometimes I play Bach, sometimes I exchange Sometimes I play Bach, sometimes I exchange The producer doesn't give money Never mind money, he doesn't even give his soul to `Ezrāil Three one-month installments he [proudly] lines up For collecting each one he just tilts his head, "Sorry" Sometimes he tilts, sometimes he's stubborn Sometimes he tilts, sometimes he's stubborn Sometimes he tilts, sometimes he's stubborn Sometimes he tilts, sometimes he's stubborn The producer always says, with a ring, man, let it be ringy (light and cheerful, have a beat) I say, come on man, my honor will go, he says, don't worry A heavy melody doesn't sell Look at that cheap and popular rascal (khālturi), how smart he is The instrument players have become expensive, the studio rates have become (as expensive as) blood Forget about (velelesh) orchestration, I'm dying for the (qorbunesh) synthesizer Sing weak (bad) lyrics, it'll catch on (become hit) In this way, your sales in the marketplace will pick up, become lively Now that no one bothers us Sing this: I have a daughter such as no king has I have a daughter such as no king has, no king has It sells and sells like hotcakes (nabāt, rock candy) If your one song catches on, that's enough for you It sells and it sells like hotcakes If your one song catches on, that's enough for you Put on round glasses, let your hair get long With this one quietly (yavāshki, under the table) make a deal (zad-o band kon) Let [yourself grow] a goat's beard (goatee) put gel in your hair Give lessons (hold class) for your uncles (maternal and paternal) Find fault with your lyrics-writer and composer Pay the instrument-players late Give interviews with all the newspapers Say they're bad, they're bad, all the rest of the singers Mi and fa and sol and la say (biyā, come along and sing) in Spanish Don't imagine, if you're not there, I'll die without you In your singing it, come on and sing (biyā) a little spicy (coquettishly ghamish) It's for bread, it's for bread Make your voice low/rough (koloft), put it in your throat Let your voice be like (ye jurāi) a flute Tell me I'm becoming famous Shh! (his), you're becoming cruder (more village-like) Tell me I'm becoming famous Good, good, slowly you're becoming famous It sells and sells like hotcakes (rock candy, nabāt) If one of your songs catches on (becomes a hit), that's enough for you Let just one song catch on (become a hit)	هرکی از مامانش قهر می‌کنه می‌خواد بیاد یه شبه خواننده شه بقال و چقال و کپن فروش می‌خواد معروف شه یه شبه گنده شه این روزها هرکی بلد سوت بزنه فکر می‌کنه آهنگ ساز بتهوونه شعرم که دیگه این روزها همه می‌گن موسیقی پاپم که دیگه اُپِنه اکبر آقای باغبون می‌گفت اصغرشون خیلی خوب می‌خونه می‌خواد بیاد تهرون و آهنگ بسازه می‌گفت موزیک پوزیکم خیلی خوب می‌دونه آخه عروسی نازی تمپو می‌زده تو داهات کشته مرده واسه اون فراوونه خلاصه می‌آد تهرون می‌ره حموم عمومی از فرداش جای ببخشید می‌گه Excuse me Travel check می‌خواد به جای پول وقت تعجب می‌گه oh Wonderful اون وقت‌ها می‌گفت «های» حالا می‌گه Hey You Merci Merci Madame, Bonjour Monsieur دامبولو دیمبول می‌خونه و می‌گیره پیر و جوون واسه اون می‌میره چی می‌خونه مگه ؟ می‌خونه آفتاب لب بومه، روز کارش تمومه آفتاب لب بومه، روز کارش تمومه ولک تنگ غروبه لب بندر شلوغه می‌فروشه می‌فروشه مثل نبات یه آهنگت بگیره بسه برات می‌فروشه میفروشه مثل نبات یه آهنگت بگیره بسه برات سلفژو کاسپوئن و هارمونی خوندم همه شیش و هشتی شدن من یکی موندم یه عمریه که دارم بتهوون شوپن و باخ می‌زنم اما حالا از روی بی‌پولی شیش و هشت می‌زنم آبروم رو با پول دارم تاخ می‌زنم گاهی باخ می‌زنم، گاهی تاخ می‌زنم گاهی باخ می‌زنم، گاهی تاخ می‌زنم گاهی باخ می‌زنم، گاهی تاخ می‌زنم گاهی باخ می‌زنم، گاهی تاخ می‌زنم تهیه کننده پول نمی‌ده پول که هیچی به عزرائیل جون نمی‌ده سه تا قسط یک ماهه رو دنبال هم رج می کنه واسه وصول هر کدوم گردنشو کج می کنده گاهی کج می‌کنه، گاهی لج می‌کنه گاهی کج می‌کنه، گاهی لج می‌کنه گاهی کج می‌کنه، گاهی لج می‌کنه گاهی کج می‌کنه، گاهی لج می‌کنه تهیه کننده هی می‌گه رِنگی بابا، رنگی باشه می‌گم آخه بابا آبروم می‌ره، می‌گه خیالی نباشه ملودی سنگین نمی‌فروشه اون خالتوریرو ببین چه باهوشه نوازنده گرون شده استودیو نرخ خون شده ارکستراسیون رو وللش سینتی سایزر و قربونش شعر ضعیف بخون می‌گیره اینجوری فروشت تو بازار جون می‌گیره حالا که کسی کاری بکار ما نداره بخون یه دختر دارم شاه نداره یه دختر دارم شاه نداره، شا نداره می‌فروشه می‌فروشه مثل نبات یه آهنگت بگیره بسه برات می‌فروشه می‌فروشه مثل نبات یه آهنگت بگیره بسه برات عینک گرد بزن موهاتو بلند کن با این و با اون یواشکی زد و بند کن ریش بزی بذار ژل بزن به موت کلاس بذار واسه دائی و عموت به شاعر و آهنگ سازت گیر بده پول نوازنده‌ها رو دیر بده مصاحبه کن با همه روزنامه‌ها بگو بدن بدن بقیه خواننده‌ها می و فا و سل و لا اسپانیش بیا خیال نکن نباشی، بدون تو می‌میرم تو خوندنش یخورده غمیش بیا واسه نونه، واسه نونه صداتو کلفت کن بنداز تو گلوت بشه صدات یه جورایی مثل فلوت به من بگو معروف می‌شم اه ، حیس، بابا کلفت‌ترک به من بگو معروف می‌شم خوب خوبه معروف می‌شی کم‌کمک می‌فروشه می‌فروشه مثل نبات یه آهنگت بگیره بسه برات می‌فروشه می‌فروشه مثل نبات یه آهنگت بگیره

	Reference: BBC article, lyrics at Iransong, artist's website