Title: salaktu tarīqī (I chose my path)

Interpret: Abu Bakr al-Iraqi أبو بكر العراقي, Mishāri Rudām مشاري ردام, Abu Hajar al-Hadrami أبو هاجر الحضرمي

Componist: Abu Bakr al-Iraqi أبو بكر العراقي

Year: 2008, 2014

This nasheed was first sung by Abu Bakr al-Iraqi, an insurgent fighter from Iraq. It became more and more famous when a new version by Abu Hajar al-Hadrami with some changes in the lyrics was published in 2009. Since then it is being sung by many fighters of various organizations world-wide. A new version following a different rhythm hit the internet in 2014, sung by Mishari Rudām.

(Abu Hajar al-Hadrami)

New version by Mishari Rudām



► Download SRT-File containing translation

Phonetics

salaktu tarīqī wa lā lan ahīd, azamtul masīra bi azmin hadīd

wa waddā’a dunyāya qalbun anīd, tawajjaha ṭarfī li ardil usūd

arāni ayā dāra ahlit tuqā, ilaykum ahinnu ilal multaqā

wa fīkum atūqu ilal murtaqā, li jannāti rabbin ghafūrin wadūd

fa wadda’tu ummī wa dam’ī jarā, alal khaddi raqrāqa ballath -tharā

fa ḍajjat bukā’an qubaylas -surā, wa qultu liqāna bi daril khulūd

faqālat bunayya fu’ādī haramta, minal unsi fid -dāri lamma kabirta

a tadhkuru zawjan jamilan aratta, a tadhkuru laylan hadithal judūd

faqultu aya ummu kayfal hanā, wa ikhwanuna fi khidammil ‘anā

fatabban hayāti hayatash -shaqā, idha lam akun min ubaatil junūd

wa sayyartu rahli bi rakbin jalīl, ilal qudsi yamdī anāras sabīl

wa qāla rifāqi a takhshar -radā, wa khawdal hurūbi wa ayshush -shaqā

faqultu hanaa’i bi safkid -dimā, walakinnani qad dhakartul wadūd

tadhakkartu ummī aya qawmu hal, ulāmu wa ba’di an ba’dir -tahal

qad kanat hayāti wa kuntul amal, fa wadda’tuhā wa hiya tarjul wu’ūd

laqad bi’tu qalbī bi ardil hafar, wa sirtu bi jismi li alqal qubur

fala khayra fil ayshi baynal hufar, sa amdi wa darbī dimāun quyūd

ramāni aduwwul ilāhil la’īn, warā’a jidarin qadīmin dafīn

fa admar -raṣāṣu fu’ādis -sakhīn, wa sālat dimā’i bi ardi tasūd

wa hashraja sadrī wa zādan -nizā’, fawadda’tu sahbī wa aradas sirā’

sa alqā ilāhī wadā’an wadā’, wa ṣirtu shahīdan fa yā las -su’ūd

alā ablighū ummi anni shahād, bi ardil jihādi fatiyyun shahīd

ajāba ilāhi du’ā’ī wahīd, fa-ballaghanī rabbi ma qad urīd

a haqqan sa alqahumus -shuhadā, wa uṣbihu ḥayyan wa arjŭ a’ŭd

Lyrics and Translation

سَلَكتُ طَريقي وَلا لَـن أحيد *** عَزَمتُ المَسيرَ بِعَزم الحديــد

I chose my path and I won’t give up

I determined my way with firm will like iron

وَودَّعَ دُنـيـايَ قَــلـبٌ عـَنيد *** تَوَجَّهَ طَرفـي لأرضِ الأســـود

A stubborn heart left my world

My glance turned towards the land of lions

أرانـي أيـا دارَ أهـلِ الـتقـى *** إلـيـكُـم أحـنُّ إلـى المُـلـتَـقــــى

Show me the land of pious people

Towards you I tend, to the encounter

وَفـيكُم أتوقُ إلى المُـرتَـقـى *** لـِـجَـنَّـةِ رَبٍّ غَــــفـــــورٍ وَدود

And among you I yearn for the ascendance,

to the Paradise of my Lord, the Forgiver, the Loving One

فَودعتُ أمّي وَدَمعي جَرى *** على الـخدِّ رَقراق بَلَّ الثَّــــرى

I parted my mother, my tears pouring down

the cheek, moistening the ground

فََضَجَّت بُكاءً قُـبَيل السُّـرى *** وقُـلـتُ لِـقـانا بِـدار الـخُـلـــــود

We started crying short before the parting

I said “our meeting is in the place of eternity”

فـقـالت بُنيَّ فـؤادي حَرَمتَ *** مِـن الأنـسِ فِي الـدار لـما كبرت

She said “my son, my heart you deprived..

from amiability when you grew up”

أتَـذكُر زَوجاً جَـمـيلاً أرَدتَ *** أتـذكُـرُ لَـيـلاً حَـديـثَ الـجـُـــــدود

“Do you remember a beautiful wife you wished?”

“Do you remember a night, (spent) talking about ancestors?”

فـقـلتُ أيـا أمُّ كَيفَ الـهَـنـاء *** و إخــوانُنـا فـي خِـضَـمِّ العَنـاء

I said “mother, how can we accept happiness…

while our brothers are in deep suffering?

فـتبّاً حـياتي حـيـاةَ الشـقــاء *** إذا لـم أكـن مــن أبـاةِ الـجنــود

My life shall perish, life of distress

If I don’t become from the proud soldiers of the army

وسيّرت رحلي بركبٍ جليل *** الي القدس يَمضي أنار الـسبيــل

So I took my trip in a delightful caravan

moving to Jerusalem, lightening the path

تَـذكَّرتُ أمـي وقَـلبي العليـل *** فَـهَـلَّـت دمـوعـي تبُـلُّ الخــــدود

I remembered my mother, my heart being ill.

So my tears started moistening the cheeks.

وقـال رِفاقي أتَخـشى الرَّدى *** وخَوضَ الحُروبِ وعيشَ الشّقى

My companion said “do you fear death,

diving into wars and a rough life?”

فَـقلتُ هَـنائي بسَفـك الـدمـاء *** ولـكنّنــي قــد ذَكـَـرت الــــودود

I said “my delight is with the spilling of (my) blood”

But I remembered al-Wadood (the Loving One)

تَـذَكَّـرتُ أمّـي أيـا قـومُ هَــل *** ألُامُ وَبَعضي عَن بَعضي إرتَــحَل

I remembered my mother. O nation, am I’m blamed

if parts of me left other parts?

قَد كانَت حَياتي وكُنتُ الأمَل *** وَوَدّعتُها وهـي تَرجـوا الوُعــود

She was my life and I was the hope.

I parted her while she was requesting promises.

لَقَد بِعتُ قَلبي بِأرضِ الحَفَر *** وسِـرتُ بِجِسمـي لِألقـى الـقُـبُـــر

I sold my heart in the land of ditches

And run with my body to meet the graves

فَلا خَيرَ في العيش بينَ الحُفر *** سَأمضي وَدَربي دِماءٌ قُيـــود

There is no good in a hollow life

I will walk, and my path is (of) blood and chains

رمـانـي عــــدوا الإلـه اللـعين *** وراء جـــدار قـــديـــم دفـــيـــن

The cursed enemy of God fired at me

behind old hidden walls

فأدمى الرصاص فؤداي السخين *** وسالت دمائي بأرضي تسود

The bullet drained my warm heart

And my blood flowed, spreading on the ground

وحَشرَجَ صَدري وزاد النِّزاع *** فودَّعت صَحبي و أرض الصِّراع

My chest hastened, and the death struggle increased

I parted my companions and the place of combat

سـألـقـى إلـهـي وداعــا وداع *** وصِـرتُ شـهيداً فَيالَ السعود

I’m going to meet my Lord, farewell, farewell!

I attained martyrdom, what a joy!

ألا أبـلِغـوا أمـي أنـّي شَـهـيـد *** بـأرض الجهاد فــتــيٌّ شـديــد

Reach the news my mother, that I am a martyr

in the lands of Jihad, a youthful martyr.

أجـاب إلــهي دعـائـي وحـيـد *** فـبـلَّـغَـنـي ربِّـي مـا قَـد أريــــد

My God accepted my prayers, he’s the One

My Lord granted me what I’d been longing for

فيا فَرحتي بعد هذا العناء*** ويا لَهفتي بعد هذا الشقاء

My joy after this suffering!

My desire after this hardship!

احقا سألقهم الشهداء *** واصبح حيا وارجو اعود

Will I really meet them martyrs,

then become alive and wish to return?