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BACKGROUND:

In 1981, [Lebanese musician Azar] Habib recorded "Miin Ma Kenti" (Whoever you are) ... in Arabic for his Ya Malaki album; the tape eventually made its way to Sweden. Nineteen years later, Swedes Patrik Nyberg, Johan Gröndahl and Pet Bagge noticed that the lyrics sounded like Swedish. With this in mind, they published an mp3 file and a text file with the "misheard" lyrics on their website. Shortly after this, another Swede, Martin Holmström, decided to make a flash video of the song, which he published on his site. It has been seen by millions of people around the world.

Here are YouTube links to the original song and misheard-Swedish version.

QUESTION:

How do the Swedish "misheard" lyrics correspond to the original Arabic? And what do they (the Swedish) mean?


NOTE: for a translation of the Arabic, see the question that inspired this one.

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  • 1
    I thought all these misheard memes started around year 2000 something. I believe the original is the same Lebanese artist, most famously "Ansiktsburk" featuring lots of lyrics about hats: "Han fick vad han ville för hatt", "tjofiddelittan hatt", "när hatten blivit färdig" etc. Hats are the recurring theme.
    – Amarth
    Commented Nov 24, 2022 at 18:53

1 Answer 1

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My "translation", below, is based on the following sources:

  1. Arabic transliteration (Google search: scroll to the bottom of the lyrics and click "Show in Roman characters")
  2. Swedish lyrics (Subtitles in YouTube video)
  3. English translation of Swedish (Description of same YouTube video)

There are other versions of this here and here.

ARABIC TRANSLITERATION                    SWEDISH "MISHEARD" VERSION                     ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF SWEDISH
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

wayn ma knt takuni                        Vinna kinky roligt                             Winning kinky funny
mayn ma knt takuni
habytik... habitik...                     Hatten är din                                  The hat is yours, the hat is yours
habytik... habitik...                     Hatt-baby, Hatt-baby                           Hat baby, hat baby
bieaqli wajnuni                           Den hatten lever så roligt                     That hat is living so funny
bieaqli wajnuni
habytik... habitik...
habytik... habitik...
bihali bikhiali...                        Det här är förjävligt                          This is wretched
bifakri bibali...                         Det tycker vi blir bögigt                      We think that becomes gay
biqalbi waeyuni...                        Det alltid var roligt                          It always was funny
habytik... habitik...
'awal kalimat 'iilay hakaynaha            Cool kille med läsk i hand                     Cool guy with soda in hand              
buedana bifkari, ma biansaha...           Ja, det tycker vi - nånting sött               Yes, we think so, something sweet
'awal kalimat 'iilay hakaynaha            
buedana bifkari, ma biansaha...
qulati hibiyatak walawlaha                Välte hatten i Berts cola-au-lait              Tipped the hat in Bert's coke-au lait
qulati hibiytuk waluulaha...
ma jan jinawni w hibiatik...              Men sen visste nog du, att baby                But then you probably knew that baby
ma jan jinawni w hibiatik...
ma jan jinawni w hibiatik...
ma jan jinawni w hibiatik...
habytik... habitik...
habytik... habitik...
law ma qulti hbytyni                      Låna LP:n "Hatten är din"                      Borrow the LP "The hat is yours"
ma atahaniti w hanitayni                  Man kan klä ut sej och hångla i TV             One can dress up and make out on TV
law ma qulti hbytyni
ma atahaniti w hanitayni                  Man kan knarka och hamna i TV                  One can do drugs and end up on TV
e duniyiy jadidat laqini                  Hatten är visst det din, din!                  The hat is certainly yours, yours!
e duniyiy jadidat laqini
qalbik bayti w qalbi baytik               Alla vet varför och allt blir perfekt          Everyone knows why and everything becomes perfect
qalbik bayti w qalbi baytik
qalbik bayti w qalbi baytik
qalbik bayti w qalbi baytik
habiytk habyatik...
habiytk habyatik...
wayn ma knt takuni                        Limma skinkbit, cooligt                        Glueing ham piece, cooly
mayn ma knt takuni takuni                 Limma skinkbit, cooligt, cooligt               Glueing ham piece, cooly, cooly
habytik... habitik...
habytik... habitik...
bieaqli wajnuni                           Hatten lever så roligt                         That hat is living so funny
bieaqli wajnuni                           Ja, hatten level så roligt                     Yes, that hat is living so fuuuuuunnyyyy
habytik... habitik...
habytik... habitik...
bihali bikhiali...                        Vi har det förjävligt                          We have got it wretchedly!
bifakri bibali...                         
biqalbi waeyuni...
habytik... habitik...
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  • Well done, I gotta take my hat off for this. It is yours now. Commented Aug 26, 2020 at 4:57
  • 1
    @BjørnKjos-Hanssen Hatten är min!
    – Aaron
    Commented Aug 26, 2020 at 5:06

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