Balti, born in 1980, is one of the most popular musicians in Tunisia. Born and raised in the Qasbah of Tunis, Balti turned up on the Tunisian hip-hop scene in 2003 with his first album. But the albums that launched him were "Our real world", 2006, and "The album before the bomb", 2009. During last January’s revolution, when El General, the young rapper from Sfax, was arrested by Ben Ali’s regime for his writings against the dictatorship, many accused Balti for his silence. To regain credibility he has just released a new album: Baltiroshima, where there is something for everyone, although the games have ended ... In any case, this song is part of that album. It's called Yammi, mother. And it’s a poignant letter to a mother. Written in one go by a young man from the working-class neighbourhoods of Tunis, the night before making the sea crossing to Lampedusa. He knows he has a good chance of dying at sea, and feels the need to tell his mother how much he loves her, and how, in the end, this trip is also for her. Because if he does not die, he will return as a man, his head held high, to make her happy. Below are the lyrics translated into English. Read them and circulate them. It would be good for these words reach every mother. Along with photographs of the Lampedusa Spoon River. And along with the fears and prayers of all the children whose "mothers kiss them on the forehead before the water takes them away".
| Yammi Hedhe jwebi lyoum 9bel menemchi noghro9 fil b7ar, wasllou el beb dar idhe melek el mout 7dhar. Mechi 9ari 7sebi yammi ime nousel ime nmout, a9rali el fet7a 9oddem taswirti idhe kleni el 7out. El wadha3 fi bledi meiousourch metlouminich iche mchit, n7abbek radhia 3alia dinia we5ra nmout wle 7iit, yomma a3it, itbedel el 7al metebkich belek idhe ouselt narja3lk fer7an. Yammi lebled ma3adech feha rani bro7i 9ammart mil btala dammart, staghferllah jhelt ou kfart lew ken je 3andi fard rani 9talt el mes'oulin, le flous 7rab behom Ezzine 93adna a7na el mouselin, el5idma we9fa yammi mnin bich na3tik el masrouf? Tounes mekla barcha kfouf, mousta9bel zra3 fia el 5ouf. Hek tchouf fil dhourouf ken jit lebes rani m7adik. Nbouslek kfouf sa9ik yezzi mettkit 3alik yezzi metekkit 3alik, yezzi me3titni masroufi ou bkit 3alla dhouroufi. 5oufi yammi ken rja3t 9ar3a eme noufi, yammi ed3ili bisotra ken leb7ar hej, ou ed3ili bil ra7ma idhe ghro9et bin lemwej. Netmnek ma3a el 7oujej idhe l7oujej idhe ene ma7ajejtekch. N5af 3alik yammi, idhe 5abri ouselek ou metsourekch. Metebkich yammi, men7abbekch mahmouma, stenne minni telifoun idhe ouselt el Rouma. Yammi, yammi, yammi, hedhe jweb lik, na7ia wele nmout, metbkich yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi stenne minni tlifoun idhe t3adit l7doud, metbkich yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi hedhe jweb lik, na7ia wele nmout, metbkich yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi stenne minni tlifoun idhe t3adit l7doud. Idhe meouselchi telifoun meta7zenchi 3al 5bar. Idhe mebetich fil la9bar, ebni fi 9albek 9bar. Rmit rou7i lila5tar 5ater lebled de5la fi 7it, chei meisour chei meifarra7 middinia, chey merit, ken lebtala ta7t el 7it, ken sikra ma3a louled. Idhe ousel selemt, estanna minni kouliet. Belek ne5dem, belek rabbi ifaraj 3al loumour. Fil bled el 3ajla we9fe, belek ghadi el 3ajla dour. Yammi rani mah9our leni le9i leni keseb, leni 9addar 3ala dar leni le9i bich nneseb. Weldek min jbinek besek, a9bel meihezzou el me. Yammi ed3ilou bitaoufi9 idhe bin el mouj terme. Nek jit lebes rani ba7dek yammi rani mechi bissif , idha rja3t 7ay narja3 bikar7abti ou marti fissif. Feddit min l'alcool ou lkif fedded min tga dinar fedit min lbled, fedd kif netfarej fi la5bar. N7ab nchouf dinia jdida, 3adit 7ieti 3alla 7adida, men7abech noufe kime el Bouazizi ou nche3al lou9ida. Ken maouseltech, echri jerida taw tal9ani m3a lemouet. Ou ken ouselt taw njiblek mra gaouria a7dhet. Fil bled se9i a7fet ou ene nlawej 3al 5dim, wech ou 3achrin snè ou enti tosrof, yammi a7chemet. Idha rja3t yammi, narj3alek rajel ou nmout fi 9abri. Hedhe jwebi lik yammi, idhe mouselekchi 5abri. Yammi harab mil bled ou medha7i bi chbebi, yammi narja3lek lebes ken kteb ktebi, yammi metebkich, yammi filbled chey meihinin sour yammi yezzi mil btala, ou yezzi min el mour. Yammi 7alli we9ef ou jebni lil hel la3mour Yammi, yammi, yammi, hedhe jweb lik, na7ia wele nmout, metbkich yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi stenne minni tlifoun idhe t3adit l7doud, metbkich yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi hedhe jweb lik, na7ia wele nmout, metbkich yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi, yammi stenne minni tlifoun idhe t3adit l7doud | Mother This letter is for my mother before I go drown in the sea, take it to the front door if the angel of death should come. I am going, my mother, I did my math either I get there, or I die, read me the Fatiha* in front of my picture if the fish should eat me. The reality of the country gives me courage do not blame me if I go away, I want to see you calm for me whether I live or whether I die, Mother I am tired, the situation will change, do not cry if I arrive, I will come back to you happy. Mother the country isn’t managing, and I have made a bet with myself, unemployment has destroyed me, May God forgive me if I have gone astray and if I have lost my faith, if only I had a gun I would have killed those responsible, Ezzine** has run away with the money and we are left with debts, work has stopped, mother where can I get you money from? Tunisia has taken too many blows, the future has cultivated fear in me, Have you seen the conditions if I were well off I would have taken care of you. I kiss your palms and feet no more will I lean on you, no more will I lean on you, stop giving me money or crying for my condition. My fear, mother is of not coming back, Mother, pray for my salvation if the sea is rough, mother, pray for my mercy if I drown among the waves. I hope you will be with the pilgrims *** even if I am not able to send you on pilgrimage. I fear for you, mother, that this news reaches you and you do not like it. Do not cry, mother, I do not want you to despair, wait for a phone call from me if I arrive in Rome. Mother, mother, mother, This letter is for you, whether I live or I die, mother, do not cry, Mother, mother, mother, mother wait for a phone call from me if I have crossed the border, mother do not cry Mother, mother, mother, This letter is for you, whether I live or I die, Mother do not cry, Mother, mother, mother, mother wait for a phone call from me if I have crossed the border. And if my phone call does not come do not grieve at the news. If there is no body to bury, build a tomb in your heart. I threw myself at danger because the country is going to hell, there is nothing making you happy in life, I have not seen anything, Only unemployment, only booze with the boys. But if I arrive safe and sound, expect everything from me. I may work, God may help us with things. Here in this country the wheel is still, but there the wheel may turn. mother I am exhausted I do not find, and do not gain, I can not have a home and I have nothing to celebrate. Your son kisses your forehead, before the water takes him away. Mother pray for prosperity, If in the waves I have thrown myself. Had I been well, I would be with you now, Mother I'm going against my will; If I return alive, I will return with my car and my wife in the summer. I'm tired of alcohol as I am tired of the cruelty of money, and I'm tired of the country and I'm tired of watching the news. I want to see a new life, I have had a hard life I do not want to end up like Bouazizi lighting the match. If I do not arrive, buy a newspaper and you will find me among the dead. If instead I arrive I'll bring a foreign woman I’ll have met. In my country my foot has become barefoot, walking all over to find a job, You’ve been paying for twenty-odd years, Mother I am ashamed. If I come back mother, I will return a man and I shall die in my grave. This is a letter for you mother, if news of me does not reach you. Mother, I am running away from the country and I sacrifice my youth, Mother, I will come back safe and sound if it is written in my destiny, Mother do not cry, Mother back home nothing makes me happy anymore Mother, enough with unemployment, enough of the bitterness, Mother my situation is blocked and it has taken me to this age. Mother, mother, mother, This letter is for you, whether I live or I die, mother, do not cry, Mother, mother, mother, mother wait for a phone call from me if I have crossed the border, Mama do not cry Mother, mother, mother This letter is for you, whether I live or I die, mother, do not cry, Mother, mother, mother, mother wait for a phone call from me if I have crossed the border. |
* Fatiha, in English ‘The Opener’, is the first sura (chapter) of the Qur'an and is often recited in prayers
** Ezzine is a nickname for Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, former president of Tunisia, who remained in office since the 1987medical coup until the revolution that led to his flight to Saudi Arabia on January 14, 2011
*** This refers to the religious pilgrimage to the Mecca, which devout people hope to make at least once in their lifetime before dying.