“My treasure and all that I have, the life of my heart, the light of my eyes.”
These opening lines from Amr Diab’s 2003 song Ya Kanzi capture the intimate and all-encompassing nature of our Arabic word of the week, kanz.
Translated simply as “treasure,” kanz carries far more weight than a reference to material wealth. In Arabic, it signifies something very precious, often hidden, something that inspires admiration and longing.
In Diab's song, a loved one is described as a treasure, reflecting the word’s emotional resonance. It is something cherished above all else in the heart and life.
The word kanz comes from the root kaa-noon-zay, which means to store, hoard or protect. Traditionally, a kanz refers to wealth or valuables kept safe, sometimes buried, sometimes hidden.
But it is also used metaphorically in Arabic to describe knowledge, wisdom or spiritual insight. The Quran mentions kanz in the context of hoarding gold and silver, warning against withholding wealth from those in need.
Kanz has long a
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