Treasa Ní Cheannabháin of Bearna, Conamara, Ireland wrote this song about Ali Ismaeel Abbas, "an orphaned victim of the US invasion of Iraq, who lost his family and both arms in one of the first bombings of the war. He appeared on television despite his tragedy, a smiling boy in a hospital bed. This is an anti-war song encouraging the people of Iraq to have the strength of endurance."

The quotation is from the album notes for Róisín Elsafty's new LP "Má Bhíonn Tú Liom Bí Liom"

(see www.roisinelsafty.com)

I liked the recording that Róisín's younger sisters made a year ago for a Ráidió na Gaeltachta competition for newly-composed songs in Irish. Treasa Ní Cheannabháin's daughters are all good singers and in recent years Róisín and Naisrín have both won Sean-nós (traditional unaccompanied style) singing competitions at Oireachtas na Gaeilge

(the transliteration of the chorus in Arabic is as given on Róisín's album notes. I like to use "Ya habibi Alí" in the last line of the Irish-language chorus)

ALÍ –DÍLEACHTÍN GAN BHRÍ

Mo dhíomú go deo dhaoibh, a thiarnaí Bush is Blair,
Sibhse is cúis leis an slad seo go léir,
Buamaí a' pleascadh ar fud na hIaráice,
Na mílte anois marbh 'gus an milliúin acu cráite.

[curfá – chorus – Gaeilge]
Alí, Alí , Alí, díleachtín gan bhrí,
Scuabh siad uait do mhuintir amach i lár na hoich',
Coinnigh suas do mhisneach, Coinnigh suas do chroí,
Ó Alí, Alí , Alí, díleachtín gan bhrí,

D'inis sibhse bréaga, ó d'inis sibh mo lean,
Go raibh airm ollscriosúil ag Saddam Hussein,
Sceoin agus eagla ar mhúintir na hIaráice,
Gealltanas saoirse is saol breá in am dhóibh.

[curfá – chorus – Araibise]
Alí, Alí, Alí, yatim soghuir miscín
Atúlú cúlu ahlek finús aléil taweel,
Khala andak amal, Khala andak rua,
Ya habibi Ali, yatim soghuir miscín

D'ionsaigh sibh tír ársa, bhí lag gan aon bhrí,
Théis dhá chogadh mór 'gus na smachtbhannaí,
Daonlathas a' teacht aniar ar bhord B-52,
Níl saoirse ná suaimhneas ag Iaráicigh níos mó.

[curfá – chorus – Gaeilge]

'Sí an ola bhí uaibhse, is níl maith dhaoibh a shéanadh,
Ach beidh sibh go brách a' sciolladh bréaga,
An Iráic ar fad scriosta 'gus scaipeadh trína chéile,
Ach an té a thacaigh libhse nach orthú a bhí an díth céille.


[curfá – chorus – Araibise; curfá – chorus Gaeilge]

Quick summary/translation:

Chorus: Ali, orphan without cause ["gan bhrí" could also mean "without strength" but I think the author wants to comment on Ali's courage not his fragility?/ does "yatim soghuir miscín" throw any light on this question?]/They swept up your people in the middle of the night/Keep up your courage, take heart, orphan Ali

Verses:
Shame forever on you, Lords Bush and Blair/You're responsible for this devastation/Bombs exploding all over Iraq, thousands dead and millions grieving/

You told a lie, you did, alas/that Sadaam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction/The people of Iraq live in terror and fear/They deserve a promise of freedom and good life.

You attacked an ancient land which was weak and without strength/After two big wars and the Sanction policy/Democracy comes from the west on board a B-52/The Iraqis know no peace or rest

It's oil you wanted; it's useless for you to deny it/Yet you keep telling lies. Iraq is torn apart/Anyone who would support you must be lacking any sense