Friday, February 3, 2017

Nasri Shammseddine and a classic #flashback

Originally published 16/4/13
In the (undated) article above, late comedian and singer Nasri Shamseddine got stuck in an elevator in the tele Liban building, the episode dragged on for half an hour before he was able to get rescued. Workers asked him to sing something for them in the meantime and he improvised:
"Ya mon cher - ya mon cher,
Qu'est ce que nous allons faire.
Bayn el tabe2 wel tabe2,
In2ata3 fina el asoncer."
Which is hillarious! Why? It mixes French, with Arabic, with French-Arabic. Let me elaborate "ya mon cher" (oh dear one), "qu'est ce que nous allons faire" (what are we to do), "bayn el tabe2 wel tabe2" (in between floors), "in2ta3 fina el asoncer" (the elevator broke down, "asoncer" is the arabized version of Ascenceur or elevator)... The coolest bit is that in Arabic (or is that french?) it actually rhymes!