She spent all her days
With her head in her books
Never cared much to agonize
Over her looks
But the boys would all whisper
And motion and stare
All the girls would just mutter
That it wasn't fair
She would move onto college
And get her degree
Go to med school
And then do her residency
But a suitor came calling
When she turned sixteen
And he didn't quite care
For her frivolous dreams
And he said: Ya Aziza, ya habibi (sweetheart)
You need a hard working Husband like me
Ya Aziza, isma3eeni (listen to me)
I'll pay For you to belong to me
Her father was looking
To give her away
Her mother just listened
To what he would say
That Aziza was woman
And soon should be wed
That all of this schooling
Was ruining her head
And Baba (Dad) said
Ya Aziza, ya habibi
Come down from the clouds
And face your destiny
Ya Aziza, ya binti (my daughter)
A mother is what we expect you to be
So they painted her hands
And he gave her a ring
The women started to dance
And they started to sing
What a wonderful wedding
They said to the bride
Never stopping to think
She was broken inside
He said Ya Aziza, ya habibi
You must stay home
And raise our family
Ya Aziza, ya hayati
I want our son to
Grow up just like me

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