If you happen to tune in to the Syrian Drama Channel these days you will hear an optimistic upbeat song that celebrates the individuals with special needs, playing repeatedly throughout the day. The programming on that channel (and other Syrian television channels) is addressing the issue of individuals with special needs at length. The occasion for this is that the 7th Special Olympics Middle East/North Africa Regional Games are being held in Syria as we speak, between September 24 and October 3, 2010. But not only that. More than one Syrian drama series this year addressed the topic of individuals with special needs.
The series titled Warāʼ aš-Šams وراء الشمس (Behind the Sun) is the most notable in this. It featured the life and the feelings of people who have Down syndrome and autism, and their families. The Syrian actor who played the role of ʿAlāʼ in that series (his real name is ʿAlāʼeddine ez-Zaibaq علاء الدين الزيبق; you can see him in the picture above on the left) has Down syndrome himself. And talented Syrian actor Bassām Kūsa بسّام كوسا brilliantly played the role of a character who has autism. This is the first time such a thing is brought to light in that manner in Syrian drama works. And as the media outlets in Syria celebrate the Special Olympics, Syrian TV is trying to bring everyone together to reflect on their experiences as they filmed (or watched) the episodes of the series. Participating in a work like this was apparently an eye opener for the actors who worked in the series, as it was also for many of the people who watched it.
The song that you will see below was recorded from the Syrian Drama Channel using a handheld smartphone. I will replace the embedded video with a higher quality one if it becomes available. The song is in the Syrian (Damascene) dialect, and as you will see, the lyrics appear in Arabic at the bottom of the screen in the video. Individuals with special needs are an integral part of the video clip, as they dance and appear to also sing along some of the words in the song. Some of the the images in the video somewhat match the meanings of the phrases in the song. When the Arabic words say 'arm in arm' or 'hand in hand' or 'we fly' for example, the folks dancing in the video are acting these meanings out in the images. But you can also refer to the table below for a transliteration of the lyrics as well as an English translation of them. The transliteration was done in an attempt to be an honest representation of the exact way the words are said in the song in the Syrian dialect.
| Together Everything is Possible | Maʿ Baʿḍ Kil Ši Biṣīr | مع بعض كل شي بيصير |
| When we're together, everything is possible | Maʿ baʿḍ kil ši biṣīr | مع بعض كل شي بيصير |
| Everything is more beautiful, everything is different | Kil shi aḥla kil shi ġair | كل شي أحلى كل شي غير |
| We build and we leave our mark | Mnebni we-mnetrok baṣmetna | منبني ومنترك بصمتنا |
We stand arm in arm and then we fly | Mnešbok īdaina w-minṭīr | منشبك إيدينا ومنطير |
| Hand in hand and we are capable | ʼĪd b-ʼīd w-neḥna mneʼder | إيد بإيد ونحنا منقدر |
Hand in hand and we became friends | ʼĪd b-ʼīd w-neḥna lfīna | إيد بإيد ونحنا لفينا |
| Hand in hand [and] life becomes more beautiful | ʼĪd b-ʼīd d-dinyi bteḥla | إيد بإيد الدنيا بتحلى |
And our future calls upon us | w-Mustaʼbalna bīnādina | ومستقبلنا بينادينا |
| Together we collect stars | Maʿ baʿḍ minlemm njūm | مع بعض منلم نجوم |
And we erase the clouds up above | w-Mnemḥi bil-ʿāli ġyūm | ومنمحي بالعالي غيوم |
| So that we get the moon to accompany us | la-Nḫalli l-ʼamar yrāfeʼna | لنخلي القمر يرافقنا |
Flying with us, hovering with us | Maʿna yrafref maʿna yḥūm | معنا يرفرف معنا يحوم |
| Hand in hand and we are capable | ʼĪd b-ʼīd w-neḥna mneʼder | إيد بإيد ونحنا منقدر |
Hand in hand and we became friends | ʼĪd b-ʼīd w-neḥna lfīna | إيد بإيد ونحنا لفينا |
| Hand in hand [and] life becomes more beautiful | ʼĪd b-ʼīd d-dinyi bteḥla | إيد بإيد الدنيا بتحلى |
And our future calls upon us | w-Mustaʼbalna bīnādina | ومستقبلنا بينادينا |
| Together we cultivate a farm | Maʿ baʿḍ mnezraʿ bestān | مع بعض منزرع بستان |
We make melodies out of a tune | Min naġmeh mneʿmel alḫān | من نغمة منعمل ألحان |
| We sing together for the future | lal-Mustaʼbal sawa minġanni | للمستقبل سوى منغني |
So that we liberate the human within us | la-Nḥarrer fīna l-ʼinsān | لنحرر فينا الإنسان |
| Hand in hand and we are capable | ʼĪd b-ʼīd w-neḥna mneʼder | إيد بإيد ونحنا منقدر |
Hand in hand and we became friends | ʼĪd b-ʼīd w-neḥna lfīna | إيد بإيد ونحنا لفينا |
| Hand in hand [and] life becomes more beautiful | ʼĪd b-ʼīd d-dinyi bteḥla | إيد بإيد الدنيا بتحلى |
And our future calls upon us | w-Mustaʼbalna bīnādina | ومستقبلنا بينادينا |
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