Arabs are especially unique in the way we express love. We’ve found various ways to make death, coffins and graves sound romantic. Yes, ROMANTIC.
This is a #TrueArabLoveStory, and our Halloween special:
1. Tebhasheeli: “Dig my grave”
This is especially common when playing with an adorable child and you just want to spoil them with all those cheesy phrases.
But it’s just like a lot of those nursery rhymes: the melody is sweet, the meaning is not.
2. Raytak tkaffeni : “May you put me in the coffin
Nothing says “I love you” more than asking your lover to wrap you inside a coffin then burying you. Just don’t…read into it too much.
3. To’borny : “May you bury me”
Probably the most famous saying of them all. Somehow, asking someone to “bury you” can also mean that you love them to the moon and back.
But, what it really means is you love this person so much that you’d want to die before ever losing them.
4. Bmoot feek: “I die in you”
Trust me my friend; you ain’t good for them dead… unless they don’t really love you back.
5. Allah yekhod min omre w yaa’teek: “May Allah take years from my life … and give them to you”
This is one you’ve probably heard from your aging grandmother who just wants to see you live a long life. But it is common among lovers, too. Why can’t God just give us both more years? Why, oh why.
6. Tatla’ ala qabri: “May you walk on my grave”
Yes please! Tell me again how you want me to put you in a coffin, then bury you, then walk back and forth on your grave. I swoon.
7. Teshkol aassi: “May you always put flowers on my grave”
This very Syrian saying is another example of how Arabs find love in death. The Myrtle plant or الآس is an evergreen plant commonly put on grave. But in this morbid saying it means: “I love you so much that I wish to die so you can visit my grave and lay Myrtle on every day!”… er… yes, me too?
8. Ya rab yoomi qabel yomak: “May my death day come before yours”
The classic reply to this death wish would be: “no my darling, I hope it is me first.