Cradle of Civilisation (feat. Mai Khalil)

Song Cradle of Civilisation (feat. Mai Khalil)
Artist Lowkey
Album Soundtrack to the Struggle...

Lyrics

[ti:]
[ar:]
[al:]
[00:00.17]
[00:08.56] If my mother got angry or frustrated with me, she'd say..."oh, esh ked? heluwa el hurriya"
[00:14.74] ...and the basic translation of that is "Oh,how beautiful is freedom"
[00:22.92] But where is freedom
[00:33.40] Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
[00:46.46] Where is our freedom?
[01:53.22][01:50.39][01:47.65][01:41.29][01:38.44][01:35.66][00:41.67][00:38.67][00:36.05][00:29.75][00:26.87][00:24.12] Oh, esh ked? heluwa el hurriya
[00:48.27] This is for Baghdad, the place of my mothers birth
[00:51.05] The cradle of civilization, for what it’s worth
[00:53.82] The land I’ve never seen, culture I’ve never known
[00:56.67] Iraq is in my heart, my blood, my flesh and bones
[00:59.85] The air I’ve never breathed, fragrance I’ve never smelt
[01:02.58] The pride I never had, the nationality that I never felt
[01:05.53] Saddam was bad, are the American’s even more so?
[01:08.26] They made me groan like I was missing part of my torso
[01:11.34] But I never picked up a grenade in my garden
[01:14.38] I never saw people I love die starving
[01:17.41] I never saw my family die through many years of sanctions
[01:20.40] While the ruler’s family lived in palaces and mansions
[01:23.22] Never had a family member kidnapped for a ransom
[01:26.15] Never lost a friend to violence that was random
[01:29.17] Bombings, occupation, torture, intimidation
[01:32.02] A million dead people doesn’t equal liberation
[01:44.98] Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
[01:54.74] Listen!
[01:57.99] Where is our freedom?
[01:59.53] Forget division based on ethnicity or religion
[02:02.11] Whether you Sunni, Shia, Kurdish or Christian
[02:05.27] Pain is still pain if you’re a person that’s missing
[02:08.22] We all deserve a life in this earth that we live in
[02:11.27] Is there enough words that can say
[02:13.94] How deeply Baghdad is burnin' today
[02:16.89] And it’s not about pity, hands out or sympathy
[02:20.01] It’s about pride, respect, honour and dignity
[02:23.05] Babies being born with deformities from uranium
[02:25.80] Those babies aren’t just Iraqi, they’re Mesopotamian
[02:29.39] What I view on the news is making me shiver
[02:32.02] Cause I look at the victims and see the same face in the mirror
[02:34.72] This system of division makes it harder for you and me
[02:38.03] Peace is a question, the only answer is unity
[02:41.27] So many dreams about this place that I’ve never seen
[02:44.25] The place my family had to leave in the 70’s
[03:04.69][03:01.87][02:59.17][02:52.83][02:49.98][02:47.40] Oh, esh ked? heluwa el hurriya
[02:56.57] Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
[03:09.84] Where is our freedom?
[03:11.25] It rains white phosphorus in Fallujah
[03:14.02] This is for those that won’t live to see the future
[03:16.89] Sorry that I wasn’t there, Sorry that I couldn’t help
[03:19.95] I’m sorry for every tear, Sorry you’ve been put through hell
[03:23.03] Still I feel like an immigrant, Englishman amongst Arabs and an Arab amongst Englishmen
[03:28.68] Like I said they never gave me the culture
[03:31.42] But they did give me Kubdad Haleb,Hakaka and Dolma
[03:34.75] Ana isme Kareem
[03:37.11] Wa ohmre thalatha wa-’ishrun
[03:40.72] Umi min Baghdad, wa abuya min Dover
[03:43.86] And that’s the combination that I carry on my shoulders
[03:47.08] Still I rep, till my death, till they kill and steal my flesh
[03:49.87] From now all the way back to Gilgamesh
[03:53.15] Such a villianized and criticized nation
[03:55.50] You will always be the cradle of civilization
[04:16.50][04:13.54][04:10.88][04:04.73][04:01.71][03:59.00] Oh, esh ked? heluwa el hurriya
[04:08.23] Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
[04:21.28] Where is our freedom?
[04:23.18] In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me
[04:28.73] In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me
[04:34.87] In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me
[04:41.74] I can still feel you calling me
[04:44.65] I can still feel you calling me

Pinyin

ti:
ar:
al:
[00:00.17]
[00:08.56] If my mother got angry or frustrated with me, she' d say..." oh, esh ked? heluwa el hurriya"
[00:14.74] ... and the basic translation of that is " Oh, how beautiful is freedom"
[00:22.92] But where is freedom
[00:33.40] Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
[00:46.46] Where is our freedom?
[01:53.22][01:50.39][01:47.65][01:41.29][01:38.44][01:35.66][00:41.67][00:38.67][00:36.05][00:29.75][00:26.87][00:24.12] Oh, esh ked? heluwa el hurriya
[00:48.27] This is for Baghdad, the place of my mothers birth
[00:51.05] The cradle of civilization, for what it' s worth
[00:53.82] The land I' ve never seen, culture I' ve never known
[00:56.67] Iraq is in my heart, my blood, my flesh and bones
[00:59.85] The air I' ve never breathed, fragrance I' ve never smelt
[01:02.58] The pride I never had, the nationality that I never felt
[01:05.53] Saddam was bad, are the American' s even more so?
[01:08.26] They made me groan like I was missing part of my torso
[01:11.34] But I never picked up a grenade in my garden
[01:14.38] I never saw people I love die starving
[01:17.41] I never saw my family die through many years of sanctions
[01:20.40] While the ruler' s family lived in palaces and mansions
[01:23.22] Never had a family member kidnapped for a ransom
[01:26.15] Never lost a friend to violence that was random
[01:29.17] Bombings, occupation, torture, intimidation
[01:32.02] A million dead people doesn' t equal liberation
[01:44.98] Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
[01:54.74] Listen!
[01:57.99] Where is our freedom?
[01:59.53] Forget division based on ethnicity or religion
[02:02.11] Whether you Sunni, Shia, Kurdish or Christian
[02:05.27] Pain is still pain if you' re a person that' s missing
[02:08.22] We all deserve a life in this earth that we live in
[02:11.27] Is there enough words that can say
[02:13.94] How deeply Baghdad is burnin' today
[02:16.89] And it' s not about pity, hands out or sympathy
[02:20.01] It' s about pride, respect, honour and dignity
[02:23.05] Babies being born with deformities from uranium
[02:25.80] Those babies aren' t just Iraqi, they' re Mesopotamian
[02:29.39] What I view on the news is making me shiver
[02:32.02] Cause I look at the victims and see the same face in the mirror
[02:34.72] This system of division makes it harder for you and me
[02:38.03] Peace is a question, the only answer is unity
[02:41.27] So many dreams about this place that I' ve never seen
[02:44.25] The place my family had to leave in the 70' s
[03:04.69][03:01.87][02:59.17][02:52.83][02:49.98][02:47.40] Oh, esh ked? heluwa el hurriya
[02:56.57] Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
[03:09.84] Where is our freedom?
[03:11.25] It rains white phosphorus in Fallujah
[03:14.02] This is for those that won' t live to see the future
[03:16.89] Sorry that I wasn' t there, Sorry that I couldn' t help
[03:19.95] I' m sorry for every tear, Sorry you' ve been put through hell
[03:23.03] Still I feel like an immigrant, Englishman amongst Arabs and an Arab amongst Englishmen
[03:28.68] Like I said they never gave me the culture
[03:31.42] But they did give me Kubdad Haleb, Hakaka and Dolma
[03:34.75] Ana isme Kareem
[03:37.11] Wa ohmre thalatha wa' ishrun
[03:40.72] Umi min Baghdad, wa abuya min Dover
[03:43.86] And that' s the combination that I carry on my shoulders
[03:47.08] Still I rep, till my death, till they kill and steal my flesh
[03:49.87] From now all the way back to Gilgamesh
[03:53.15] Such a villianized and criticized nation
[03:55.50] You will always be the cradle of civilization
[04:16.50][04:13.54][04:10.88][04:04.73][04:01.71][03:59.00] Oh, esh ked? heluwa el hurriya
[04:08.23] Close my eyes, I can still hear my ummi saying
[04:21.28] Where is our freedom?
[04:23.18] In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me
[04:28.73] In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me
[04:34.87] In my sleep, in my dreams Motherland I can still feel you calling me
[04:41.74] I can still feel you calling me
[04:44.65] I can still feel you calling me