full song lyrics

We've translated many an Arabic folk song here on the blog performed by various artists, but the discussion on this song is so massive and the versions so numerous that it deserves its own post. "Fog al-Nakhel (فوق النخل)" is one of the most famous Arabic songs. It originated in Iraq and quickly spread throughout the Arabic world with the advent of radio and television. One of the earliest versions was performed by Nazem al-Ghazali, but there are others by Sabah Fakhri, Ilham al-Madfai, Kazem el-Saher and many others. Of course, the verses seem to be infinite. I've always tried to understand the song, which eventually led me to discussion forums discussing the lyrics and meaning. That's when I discovered the open secret that the lyrics are not actually فوق النخل, or "above the palm trees," but rather فوق إلنا خل, ie "I've got a friend above/up there" however you want to translate it. According to a discussion among posters in this forum her...

Sana Mousa is a Palestinian singer who sings mainly folk songs. Sana Musa - Your Eyes My bird, you'd say (maybe "you'd swear" in English to convey the meaning of extreme impeccability) that her eyes are like cups Cups full of coffee Your beautiful, dark eyes Oh your eyes My bird, you'd say that her teeth were coral (whitish coral I'm assuming) Coral mixed with pearl Your beautiful, dark eyes Oh your eyes سناء موسى - عيونك وعيونها يا طير وتقول فنجان فنجانة بالقهوه ممتليه يا عيونك سود وحلوه يا عيونك وسنونها يا طير وتقول مرجان مرجانة على اللولو مختليه يا عيونك سود وحلوه يا عيونك

Samira Tawfiq (also Tawfik, Toufic, Toufiq etc) is a Lebanese singer who became very popular in 70s and 80s (and was a minor obsession, for example, in Mohamed al-Maghout's "I Will Betray My Country سأخون وطني"). Her style is heavily influenced by the folk music and dialects of rural Lebanese society much like Najwa Karam in the following generation. Samira Tawfiq - Stop Coming to Our Neighborhood Stop coming to our neighborhood (my dear) And looking all around us (oh God) (here titlaffat تتلفت describes the action of wandering around the neighborhood looking at everybody kind of turning the head when something interesting, like girls for example, pass by) Are your eyes on our neighbor? (my dear) Or are your eyes on us/me? (oh God) What brought you to our neighborhood anyway (my dear) You're hiding in the alleys (my God) You won't find any brides here (my dear) Waya 3awayd al-khizrani (my God) (عويد الخيزراني is apparently a beating stick, so she's saying th...

Lena Chamamian - Before Dinner Not before dinner sir After dinner yes, yes With who can I send my greetings to you With my soul (literally "apple of the eye") or my heart? Oh lighting send them my regards whenever you strike When you were far away I used to hear your news Now that you're close I can't stop looking at you I won't die, no I won't die even if they bring the burial shroud I won't I'll go down to the Straight Street market and have a coffin made One nail made of silver and gold and the other nail of ruby The people will be amazed when they see us both in the coffin You have a apricot tree in your house and we have a peach tree in ours The apricot tree has leaned towards the peach tree (it makes a little more sense in Arabic, but to lean towards someone means to like them so it's a play on words) Quit coming and going Oh lord give us some rain, the Earth is longing (also a metaphor) لينا شاماميان - قبل العشا قبل العشا لا يا سيدي وبعد الع...

The song "Al Rozana (ع الروزانا)" is a folk song native to the region of the Levant or بلاد الشام, ie Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. The story behind it is that at the height of the intense wheat famine that the region experienced at the beginning of the 20th century, and Italian ship called "The Rosanna" was said to have been sent carrying food to the starving population of the Levant. Everybody was waiting in anticipation for the ship's arrival, but when it finally landed as the story goes in the song, it was carrying nothing but apples and grapes, on of the foods that the region was actually overflowing with at that time. The people cursed the ship for this reason. Here are the lyrics. Oh the Rosanna, the Rosanna, everything good is inside her What has the Rosanna done? God punish her! Oh the Rosanna the Rosanna, all happiness is inside her What has the Rosanna done? God punish her Hey you who are going to Aleppo, my love went with you Hey you who are carryin...

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...

For me, this was a really difficult song, and if anyone has any additional information on it, that would be greatly appreciated. As far as I can tell, it is based on an old Arabic folk song native to either Syria or the wider area of Sham that includes Iraq as well. This version sung by Ali El Aisawy is adapted for an Iraqi audience. As to the story of behind the song, I don't know. But from the words, it seems like there is a guy who is down on his luck out in the desert or in the country, maybe with his family or relatives, and they are making him doing work and not letting him hang out with girls. Any of your guesses would be as good as mine though. Ali El Aisawy - A Scorpion Stung Me in My Chest A scorpion stung me in my chest, oh woe is me How do the stung sleep? I'm afraid my nemesis will hear me, oh woe is me, and put out my candles with his hands (i translated "3aadhil" as nemesis cuz it's a person who is jealous and hates you and wants you to fail so he c...

This is part of our Syrian Debke Podcast A modern take on an old Syrian folk song. For more see the Sabah Fakhri version Bassam Bitar - Under Her Howdah Under her howdah While we fought Swords were drawn Oh woe is me Oh woe is me They took my love and went north They went afar, went afar How can I fly when I have no wings بسام بيطار - تحت هودجها(يا ويل حالي) تحت هودجها وتعالجنا صار سحب سيوف ياويل حالي ياويل .... ياويل حالي أخذو حبي وراحو شمالي راحوا لبعيد .... لبعيد راحوا كيف بدي أطير وجناح مالي ياويلي ... ياويل حالي

This is a song from the folklore of Syria. A howdah is a large saddle for a camel or elephant that has a carriage to protect the passenger (see photo). I don't actually know the story of the song, but it seems like a girl was kidnapped while riding on a camel. As to the specifics, in Syrian and Turkish folk songs, Ottoman soldiers kidnapping women is a theme that comes up from time to time, and that would be my guess as to the idea of the song. This main verse is the core of the song but of course there are usually additional verses that vary. Anyone who happens to have additional information that would be greatly appreciated. Sabah Fakhri - Under Her Howdah Under her howdah While we fought Swords were drawn Oh woe is me Oh woe is me They took my love and went north They went afar, went afar How can I fly when I have no wings صباح فخري - تحت هودجها(يا ويل حالي) تحت هودجها وتعالجنا صار سحب سيوف ياويل حالي ياويل .... ياويل حالي أخذو حبي وراحو شمالي راحوا لبعيد .... لبعيد راحوا كيف ب...