Me and My Culture
I can see my culture in the pyramids
And the flowing river.
I can hear my culture in a call for prayers
And a church bell every day forever.
I can smell my culture in the incense that burns
And a jasmine flower.
I can taste my culture in ful beans
And koshari, which gives me power.
I can feel my culture in the cotton plant
And in the desert sand.
I can learn about my culture through all
What is in my land.
I Can See a Culture
I can see the pyramids, I can see the Nile;
I can see monuments built in every mile.
I can see the citadel mosque and Cairo gates;
They tell me about Islamic culture and its traits.
I can see a church where Jesus may have stayed;
It bears many memories of where Mary prayed.
I can see new cities and factories of Egypt today;
They show my culture more than I can say.
I will see more and more in the future;
For all of this is part of my culture.
I Can Hear a Culture
I can hear the mo’azen call for prayers five times a day;
I know it’s time to pray, and I repeat what he will say.
I can hear a farmer playing the nay by the Nile River;
Its sounds will remain with me year after year and forever.
I can hear the folk songs of Egypt when Sayed Darwish sings;
And feel the pride of my heritage that each song brings.
I will learn and hear more in the future;
For all of this is part of my culture.
I Can Taste a Culture
I can taste the koshari, I can taste the ful;
I can taste the molokheyya, it is really cool.
I can taste mehalabeyya with raisins and nuts;
I love basboosa; please give me many bites.
I can taste the healthy oranges in every village;
And how can I forget Egypt’s lovely cabbage?
I can taste more and more food in the future;
For all of it is the taste of my culture.
I Can Smell a Culture
I can smell the flavor of the baladi bread;
I can smell the jasmines beaded on a thread.
I can smell the ta´mia and the ful beans everywhere;
I can smell the sea breeze in all the beaches we share.
I can smell the incense burning in a holy place;
I can smell the roses in spring fill all the space.
I will smell and tell more and more in the future;
For all of this is the smell of my culture.
I Can Feel a Culture
I can feel the beautiful sands in a white desert dune;
I can feel the waves of the sea like a lovely tune.
I can feel the warmth in a sunny winter day;
I can feel how happy I am when I pray.
I can feel how soft the Egyptian cotton can be;
I can feel the strength of the barks of a palm tree.
I will feel and touch more and more in the future;
For all what I feel and touch is here in my culture.
