full song lyrics

Updated media and translation Souad Massi - Storyteller Oh storyteller tell us a story Make it a tale Tell me about the people of old Tell me about 1001 Nights And about Lunja the daughter of the Ghoul And about the son of the Sultan I'm about to tell a story (I'm just told that this phrase--hajeetak majeetak--is what is said before you tell a story, I have no idea what it could mean) Take us far from this world I'm about to tell a story Everyone of us has a story in his heart Narrate and forget we're adults In your mind we're young Tell us about heaven and hell About the bird that never flew in his life Help us understand the meaning of the world Oh storyteller, tell it just as they told you Don't add anything, don't leave anything out We could see into your mind Narrate to make us forget this time Leave us in the world of once upon a time سعاد ماسي - راوي يا راوي حكي حكاية مادابك تكون رواية حكي لي على ناس الزمان ح كي لي على ألف ليلة وليلة وعلى لنجة بنت ال...

This song and video have been produced in solidarity with the Egyptian youth that have died and sacrificed in the continuing revolution. The title phrase of the song "ana mawgood" (أنا موجود) means "I am present," "I am here," or "I exist." I've translated it here in different ways depending on the context, and I've also translated it as "here I am" in some spots to give it a better sound in English. Let me know if you have any comments about the word choice. City Band – I Am Here I exist, but my title keeps changing My name is youth, and I am young I am willing to live a short life And I am not afraid to die Here I am I exist, and I don’t have a card or ID Put all your flaws on me Throw me on the ground and stomp all over me Keep me from making any sound But I am here Say that I’m spreading fitna (discord) and I am always undermining the stability Say that I’m a kafir (infidel) and a traitor and that I’m going to hell You are f...

Mayada el-Hennawi is a Syrian singer born in Aleppo, but in this song she is singing in the Egyptian dialect. "Toba توبة" is an exclamation that expresses regret and the lack of desire to repeat an action used to swear off an undesirable behavior so as to say "I'll never do it again" or "I swear it's the last time." Of course, Mayada begins the song by saying "never again, never again," only to explain that she doesn't believe in "never again." A song with the same title and similar theme was popularized earlier by Abdel Halim Hafez. Mayada al-Hennawy - Never Again Never again, never again, never again, never again So many people have said "I'll never love again," only to go back and write love poems and songs once more I want to be in love this once My life and my destiny are awaiting me I want to sing for joy for once I want to be happy tomorrow At least I'll have lived No matter how much I regret or fee...

This is in my opinion one of the nicest songs recorded in Arabic. The artist, Makhoul Kassouf (مخول قاصوف) often is off the radar of most Arabic music listeners, however, his music has been a major contribution to the modern Lebanese music scene, and he has often collaborated with such artists as Ziad Rahbani . "The Doors of Happiness (بواب الفرح)" was recorded at the end of the 1980s, and reflects the growing feeling of distress that by that time had become despair after more than a decade of continuous civil wars in Lebanon. It is sung by Sami Hawat (سامي حواط). Click here to download Makhoul Qassouf - The Doors of Happiness I banged on the doors of happiness so much that the planks fell off The echo hiding behind the threshold escaped The children scattered Nothing remains in the shadow of these walls Not even ruins to say there was a country here مخول قاصوف - بواب الفرح من كترما دقيت ع بواب الفرح هرهروا الخشبات فـل الصدى اللاطي ورا العتبة فلفلوا الولاد ما ضل بفي هالحيطان...

The speech in this song is highly colloquial, and some of the versions of these lyrics online seem to have a few mistakes. I've done my best to get the precise pronunciation in Arabic; the meaning in English should be more or less correct. Najwa Karam - Garden Roses The fire of love is burning me I'm thirsty And the bitterness of separation No longer waters me My heart is injured My heart is injured My darling is the lone cure that heals me from my ahhhs (of sorrow) Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Don't cry my garden roses Continue singing in his absence And when he returns from the journey Be there to decorate his door I light candles for you daily And sit by your side praying for you I convey the ah (of sorrow) from my heart to tell you about my dreams If only you could see my eyes If only you could see my eyes My eyes that have melted in your absence Oh who will carry me to you So I can tell you please hold me And you would hold like this and ask me Oh my life, do you love me?...

Ramallah Underground feat. Lethal Skillz - From the Cave Words in the Sample: They wanna starve the population, cuz when the people are hungry, they no longer think of resisting Stormtrap: I'm playing with death I wanna know what is death toll here I don't hear anything Shut off the phone Ask because nobody's been asking Be they politician or diplomat They're sittin on their chairs and discussing Puttin their heads back relaxin as the homes in Lebanon and Gaza are being destroyed It's time for us to flip off (ie give them the finger) the whole world cuz they're gonna keep talking and never do anything So what do we wanna relax and wait, I wish But it's for nothin They forgot about us a long time ago You try to hold yourself back when you see before you those who stood you up and those who carried you (???) I'm not surprised if diabolical thoughts are goin round in your head You start to call out to the world but the world's asleep And even ...

This song appeared in the play Meis al Rim (ميس الريم) written by the Rahbani Brothers and starring Fairouz. I have supplied here the video from the play, in which Joseph Nassif (جوزيف نصيف) is singing, in addition to the mp3 or a version recorded by Fairouz. I've translated the name Laur as Laura because it is the same name from the same root, referring to the Laurel tree which in Arabic can also be called شجر الغار. Here is the Fairuz version: You can click here to download it Fairuz - Oh Laura Oh Laura Your love has tormented my heart And I had given you my love and affection Don't you recall our wonderful nights together And the pledge we made to be true to each other? The night, the breeze and the wailing nightingale And the veil of melodies, as my heart loved you So many dreams of love and purity blossomed In them, days seemed like slumber The night, the dreams and the wet shore Longing, song, and the calm countryside Those were such fine days, so wonderful and pure When ...

This song and video clip are particularly interesting because they really go to the heart of what independent or at least non-corporate music in the Arab World means, and reflects cultural and musical reality of what really is the majority of the world's Arab population. This is a song and video produced by a local production company, likely recorded in the absence of much digital technology aside from the synthesizer known as the Org in Syria. The song, is based on a debke or folk song that exists in myriad forms and has many variable verses and lines that change from person to person and indeed village to village. The setting is the general area of Deir Ezzor in Eastern Syria on the banks of the Euphrates River, which has a population comprised mainly of a Bedouins and Kurds some more urbanized than others, and this cultural context gives the music of this region its particular sound. The video was in all likelihood produced and distributed as an MPEG on video CDs and comes to us...

Abdel Halim Hafez - I Love You I love you And if I forget you I hope I forget my soul And if I lose it you can keep it If you forget me So I forget you and forget your cruelness Only to miss my torment with you and find my tears remember you And then I go back to you again When you come to me the whole world comes with you And it's wish is your wish And at that time my deprivation from your love might end And I'll find you thinking of me and I of you And our eyes meeting once again And their words will be all over you even though you try to hide it (meaning she won't be able to hide her feelings) And I'd take care of you And awake in the night calling out to you And send you my soul to wake you up Get up, oh you who's preoccupied me, and experience the hell I've been through عبد الحليم حافظ - أهواك أهواك واتمنى لو انساك وانسى روحي وياك وان ضاعت يبقى فداك لو تنساني وانساك وتريني بانسى جفاك واشتاق لعذابي معاك والقى دموعي فاكراك ارجع تاني في لقاك الدنيا تجيني معاك ...

Saria al-Sawas - Oh Sheikh Oh Sheikh, cure me I can't sleep It's been more than two years that I've been in this state My love is driving me crazy, leaving me and being cruel to me He doesn't fear God and I am in this state He went away and left me by myself everyone He doesn't know what's happened to me while I've been in this state Oh Sheikh, I've come to you If only you would cure me My love did not fear God Please help me with my condition I miss his voice, I miss him Shame on him for leaving me in this state سارية السواس - يا شيخ يا شيخ عالجني النوم ما يجيني لفوق عاميني وانا بهالحالة خلي مجنني يهجر ويظلمني ولا يخاف الله وانا بهالحاله سافر وخلاني يا ناس وحداني ما يدري ايش جاني وانا بهالحالة يا شيخ انا جيتك ليتك تعالجني خلي ما خاف الله يرضيك هالحالة مشتاقة لصوته مشتاقة يا انا حرام يتركني وانا بهالحالة

The language is a bit abstract I hope it makes enough sense rendered in English Zeki Nasif - Butterfly and Flower Pick me out the prettiest flower, oh butterfly A flower that would look good arranged in the blonde girl's hair Pick one more wonderful than a child's laugh And let the lily shout to her a mawwal (song) from its heart While the sparrow sings it and translates what it said And the break of the dawn strums to her on its strings Pick one the color of marble and stories of fire (hell?) And the dark, barren soil and the aged snow And from the dream of the green valley and the bloom of the laurel And if I could describe more to you, I wouldn't tell you to pick it for me زكي ناصيف - فراشة وزهرة نقي لي أحلى زهرة يا فراشة نقي لي زهرة تلبق للشقرة على شعرها تشكيلي نقيها حلوة أحلى من ضحكة أطفال وخلي الزنبق يصرخ لها من قلبه موال والعصفور يترغلها ويترجم شو قال وشق الفجر ينغم لها عوتاره تهدي لي نقيها بلون المرمر وحكايات النار وتراب الجرد الأسمر والتلج الختيار ومن حلم الوادي ال...

Here pearl drop is code word for a teardrop I would think. Azar Habib - There's a Pearl Drop on Your Cheek There's a pearl drop on your cheek that made me search throughout the night For the secrets of love so that I may know what it's effect is The color of love in your eyes draws me closer to you My love is yours, don't be afraid of what they say Cruel, love is so cruel It's always the same It is in command of us That's what those who love say عازار حبيب - على خدك حبة لولو عخدك حبة لولو خلتني الليل بطوله فتش عن اسرار الحب تاعرف شو مفعوله لون الحب بعينيكي... بيقربني ليكي... حبي حبي وما عليكي وما تخافي شو ما يقولوا عخدك حبة لولو خلتني الليل بطوله فتش عن اسرار الحب تاعرف شو مفعوله قاسي قاسي الحب كتير ما عنده لا كبير ولا صغير امير بيبقى امير اللي بيحبوا هيك بيقولوا عخدك حبة لولو خلتني الليل بطوله فتش عن اسرار الحب تاعرف شو مفعوله

Sorry I don't have words for the mumbling poetry interspersed in this song. Ali El Aisawi - Forgive Me Forgive me Accept my apology Time wants us to be apart It's not my decision Time wants us to be apart It's not my decision Your tears rained on me But the rain did not put out my fire Your tears rained on me But the rain did not put out my fire If only you would become for a me a candle to light up my home But the days order that we separate And the order is in effect Time called me and said "today I want my revenge" It's not easy for me to hate you And when I left you it wasn't my choice I can't believe I've found you after waiting so long علي العيساوي - سامحيني سامحيني اتقبلي مني اعتذاري الزمن رايد نبتعد لا مو قراري الزمن رايد نبتعد لا موقراري ادري بدموعك مطر بس المطر ماطفا ناري ادري بدموعك مطر بس المطر ما طفى ناري ريتك تصيرين اليا شمعة وتنورين داري لكن الأيام حكمت نفترق والحكم جاري ثاري يطلبني الزمان وقال اريد ليوم ثاري انتي مو سهل اعوفك وابعدت...

Linguistically this song is pretty simple but it might need a lot of cultural explanation for the Western audience. Watching the video will also help you to arrive at the meaning. This song comes from Eastern Syria around Deir Ezzor, a rural region near the Iraq border through which the Euphrates River flows. For many in this region and the Arab world as a whole, marriage is arranged in a different fashion than is common in the West. Typically the groom asks for a girl's hand from her family, not directly from her, and often in the end an engagement is negotiated between two families on behalf of the children who may or may not know each other. The premise of the song is that some people have come to ask for a girl Nora's hand in marriage. Typically at this occasion there is some agreement made about what the bride will receive in terms of independent money, gifts, various conditions etc, and these conditions are usually set by the father and negotiated. These are an extremely ...

Updated media and translation Wahrane is the Arabic name for the city known in English of Oran on the coast of Algeria. It was the birthplace of Rai, however, when an Islamist party took power in Algeria during the mid 90s many of the musicians left the country because the government became hostile towards them. This song was recorded by Khaled after he left, and reflects the nostalgia and longing that many emigrants to France and other countries from North Africa experience, living in what is known in Arabic as el-Ghorba (الغربة) that should be understood as "estrangement," "homesicknees," or "being far away from home and out of place." There are extra verses in the live performance, which is much more recent than the album version upon which these lyrics are based. However, I don't have the lyrics for these extra verse nor do I understand them. Cheb Khaled - Wahrane, Wahrane Wahrane, Wahrane you went to hell Those who were smart ran away from you The...

Updated media and translation Abdel Halim Hafez - Dream of You I Dream of you, I dream of you And with my longing I await you And if you check up on me It would be enough for me I lived happy nights dreaming of you I dream of you I dream of you, my darling You filled my days with joy I dream of you, know since when Since the first moment I knew I loved you I've been dreaming of you, I love you And you are my first and last love And you are my life and my smile I dream of a paradise that my imagination couldn't hold before I love you I'm dreaming of you and it's as if you're right beside me all these nights I keep on loving you and talking to you, my sweetheart I call you by the most beautiful name my sweetheart As long as my life lasts my darling I'll wait for you forever my darling Night and day I will say oh my darling Nobody's told you about this longing I feel for you Some day that longing will reach you and you can experience its nights عبد الحليم حافظ...

Mansour Rahbani wrote this song for his brother and partner Assi Rahbani when he fell ill. Of course, Fairuz was the wife of Assi at that time, and to top it off, Assi's son the budding talent Ziad Rahbani was asked to compose the music. Fayrouz - The People Asked Me The people have asked me about you, my darling They've written letters and the wind took them It's not easy for me to sing, my darling When for the first time, we are not together The people asked me about you, they asked me I said "he's coming back, don't you dare blame me" I closed my eyes fearing that the people would see me hiding you in my eyes (meaning she's thinking about him and caring for him) And the wind picked up out of nowhere For the first time, we are not together He appeared in the night and said "light my way" "The night found me and put out my lamp" "Don't ask me how I found me" "My heart was my guide to you" "He who has su...

This is a legendary song from the play "Bil nisba lebukra shou (بالنسبة لبكرا شو)" composed by Ziad Rahbani and performed by Joseph Saqr. The video isn't, but the audio file I've provided is the original performed by Joseph Saqr. Joseph Saqr - Living All By Herself Without You Living all by herself without you And without your love, my boy Quit talking about your love for her The whole country is laughing at you You love her? Yeah, you love her But she couldn't care less about you Living all by herself without you Disgusted by God and your heaven What has God afflicted you with my boy? Living by herself and comfortable Seriously, soooo comfortable without you She has killer eyes, it makes no difference if you care about her She said to you "melt me with your love" and you melted and she didn't It's not the first time, before that it's happened 100 times They can't figure out what you're thinking, nor do they know what will cure you Yo...

This song is taken from one of the plays of Ziad Rahbani entitled "Nazl El Surour" or "Happy Inn" and is performed by Joseph Saqr. This song is hugely famous in Lebanon and Syria and was later performed by Fairuz. For that version click here. Tannourine is where the cedar tree reserve is found in Lebanon, one of the few places where you can still find old Lebanese cedars growing. Joseph Saqr - The Bus Upon the rumble of the bus that was carrying us from the village of Hamlaya to the village of Tannourine I remembered you, oh Aaliyah, and I remember your eyes God damn your eyes are so pretty Aaliyah We were riding the bus in this heat and dying of exhaustion One guy's eating lettuce, another guy's eating figs And there's another guy with his wife Wow, his wife is so ugly Lucky them, their minds are completely empty, the Tannourine passengers They don't know your eyes, Aaliyah They're so beautiful We were riding the bus, riding without paying Some...

Updated media and translation Zeki Nasif - The Beautiful Lady is Asking About My Heart The beautiful lady is asking me about my heart And my eyes don't know what to tell her The beautiful lady is asking me about my heart And oh how my lips long to whisper "I love her" And the question is absent in the calm of night (meaning when I am alone and she is not there to ask) Then the answer flows out in rapturous song to us The beautiful lady is asking me about the dreams of my youth Does her heart not answer? زكي ناصيف – تسألني الحسناء عن قلبي تسألني الحسناء عن قلبي فلا تدري مقلتاي ماذا تقولان لها تسألني الحسناء عن قلبي فكم تصبو شفتاي لتهمسا أحبها ويغيب السؤال في هدأة الليل فينساب الجواب أغنيات هازجات لنا الشباب تسألني الحسناء عن قلبي وعن أحلام صبايا هل لا يجيب قلبها