Ramallah Underground feat. Lethal Skillz - From the Caveمن الكهفMin il Kaheff

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 if it woke up it wouldn't hear what you're sayin

Here, it's like you can't win (literally, "one day's yours, a hundred are against you" this refers to the expression in Arabic يوم ليك يوم عليك which roughly translates as "win some, lose some")
There's barriers all around you, your wrists in handcuffs
Tell me what did you do?
I don't wanna hit the wall, I wish
But I am, just like this
My life is a bicycle tire
And now the chain is slipping
The time has come to hit the gas
Start pullin, start spreadin words in every direction
Because my words are my weapon

Boikutt:

One by one, two by two, three by three
They're wiping us out
Let's get down to the shelters before they see us
They bombard us wherever we go, but they could never push us out
We stand strong to the last moment when they're missiles hit us

And the Arab leaders have abandoned us, they left us and ran to our enemy
Cuz they couldn't help us
They promised us with the future, but look where they've brought us?
2007 and the world is marching on and they've blown us up
They starved us, they wanna make us forget
For years we kept building and they suddenly came and destroyed us like that
Threatened us, tried to scare us, poisoned us with democracy
They didn't even let us live a normal life
They put us on a fuse and detonated us
Demolished us and wiped up our blood
All that and they still haven't rid us of our woes

Chorus:

I try to ignore it, but politics keeps pulling at me
I tell it "go away, I don't wanna"
It tells me "I'm a part of your life, you cannot resist me"

Ramallah Underground - من الكهف

بدهم يجوعوا الأهالي لأنو الناس لما يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا بالمقاومة

نازل العب بالموت , بدي اعرف ايش عدد الموت هون
مش سامع ولا صوت, اطفي التلفون اسأل لأنو ولا حد سائل
سواءاً سياسي أو دوبلوماسي , قاعدين ع هالكراسي وبتحدثوا
بروحوا بحوطوا روسهم و بتمددو , والبيوت في لبنان و غزة عم يتهدموا
اجا الوقت نرفع بعبوص لكل العالم لأنو راح يضلو يحكي وعمرو ما حيعمل
فئيش بدنا نضلنا نقنع و نستنا بتمنى , بس عالفاضي من زمان نسييو عنا
ساعة بتمسك حالك لما تشوف قدامك , اللي قامك واللي شالك
مش مستغرب اذا افكار جهنمية عم بدور ببالك
نازل بتنادي عالدنيا بس الدنيا نامت , وحتى اذا قامت ما حتسمع كلامك
ها ما حتسمع كلامك!!!!!
هون يوم معاك مية عليك , حواجز حواليك , كلبشات ع ايديك
قولي شو سويت , مابدي فوت بالحيط ياريت
بس انا فايت هيك هيك , حياتي عجل بسكليت
وهلأ فلت الجنزير اجا الوقت ادعس بنزين
ابدا شد ابدا مد حكيي , لكل النواحي , لأنو كلماتي سلاحي.

بدهم يجوعوا الأهالي لأنو الناس لما يجوعو ما بوعودو يفكروا بالمقاومة

11 22 33
عم يمحونا,هات لننزل عال ملاجئ قبل ما يشوفونا
بقصوفونا وين ما روحنا بس بحياتهم ما بطحونا
صامدون لأخر لحظة لصواريخكم ايصابونا
و رؤساء العرب سابونا تركونا و هربوا لعند عدونا
لأنو ما قدروا يعدونا , وعدونا بالمستقبل بس شوف لوين جابونا
2007 عالم بمشي دوغري و احنا فجرونا , جوعونا,بدهم ينسونا
قعدنا سنين نبني و اجو فجأة هيك هدونا , هددونا و خوفونا
بالديمقراطية سممونا,حتى نعيش حياة طبيعية ما خلونا
حطونا عخط النار ونسفونا دمرونا نشفولنا دمنا
كل هاد و لسا ما خلصونا من همنا.

بحاول اطنش بس السياسة بتشدني
بقولها افلتي ما بدي
بتقولي انا جزء من حياتك
مش حتقدر تمشي ضدي.

Lyrics transcription from here

Mira Awad - Our Relationshipميرا عوض - علاقتناOlaqatuna

Mira Awad (Arabic ميرا عوض Hebrew מירה עווד) is an Arab-Israeli. Her father is a Palestinian from the Galilee and her mother is Bulgarian. In recent years, she has become famous and controversial as the first person of Arab descent to represent Israel in Eurovision, singing in Arabic. This, of course, was controversial for both Israelis and Arabs, since some Israelis see non-Jews as non-Israeli, while many Palestinians felt that Mira was being used as a token to falsely portray Israel as a pluralistic society. Still, other Arabs and Palestinians outside of Israel were outraged because Mira is an Arab with Israeli citizenship, pointing to tensions between Arabs and Palestinians descended from families that remained in Israel.

This song, sung in Modern Standard Arabic, is one of the most lyrically strange songs available on the site. Reader SimplyME has provided us with more info. Mira reportedly writes her own songs.

Mira Awad - Our Relationship Our relationship has bonds of blood It has bleeding blonds A philosophical bleeding A bleeding that has beauty

Our relationship has closeness, and distance
It is full of contradictions
Contradictions that make me find beauty in the bleeding

Our relationship has a connection of birth
It has a connection of miscarriage (or abortion??? the word used here إجهاض is normally the translation for "abortion", which in Arabic is a "forced miscarriage. I guess miscarriage makes sense here in a metaphorical sense, but this is the first time I have ever seen this word used metaphorically. This is extremely provocative language for an Arabic song)
A miscarriage of ideas
A miscarriage with spirituality

Our relationship is full of death, full of life
It's full of madness
Madness that makes me find spirituality in the miscarriage

ميرا عوض (מירה עווד) - علاقتنا

علاقتنا فيها ربط الدم
فيها روابط نزيف
نزيف فلسفي
نزيف ذي جماليات
علاقتنا فيها قرب فيها بعد
فيها تناقضات
تناقضات تجعلني أجد في النزيف جماليات

علاقتنا فيها صلة ولاد
فيها صلة إجهاض
إجهاض فكري
إجهاض ذي روحانيات
علاقتنا فيها موت فيها حياة
فيها جنونيات
جنونيات تجعلني أجد في الإجهاض روحانيات

Fairuz - Oh Lauraفيروز - يا لور حبكYa Laure Hubbuki

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 the melodies sang of loyalty and devotion

فيروز - يا لور حبك

يا لور حبك قد لوّع الفؤاد
وقد وهبتك الحب والوداد
ألا تذكري ليالي الصفا
وعهداً عهدناه على الوفا

الليل والأنسام والبلبل الشاكي
وسترة الأنغام والقلب يهواكِ
كم أزهرت أحلام بالحب والصفا
ظهرت بها الأيام مثل الغفا

الليل والأحلام والشاطئ النادي
والشوق والأنغام والموطن الهادي
يا طيبها أيام أحلى من الصفا
وتنشد الأنغام على الوفا

Makhoul Qassouf - If Only the Moon...مخول قاصوف - ريتو القمرReito al Amar

Recorded in 1982, sung by Sami Hawat (سامي حواط)

Makhoul Qassouf - If Only the Moon... If only the moon would come down as bread Upon our houses and our fields On wrecked homes On tired hearts Weariness has returned All of the poems are sleeping And the months bleed months

There's nothing left on the roads except sand and discarded plastic bags
On the mouth of the plains is a pile of bombs
A pile of stone and rain
Columns, like the people, bent over leaning

We've become images dried on the walls
And we fear the distance
We've become like this sound, echoing off water
They said it was done and the storm had passed
The morning has grown old
The darkness is still like swords on our necks
And the morning still has not come

It's early, my friend
Look at the black sky and the night crawling along its borders

If only the moon would descend upon the abandoned barricades
And lay mines of light in our hands so that we can blow up the graves
And meet the night head on in the squares
And the stones of the buried streets would awaken to our cries and rise up

مخول قاصوف - ريتو القمر

ريته القمر
ينزل خبز تنور
ع بيوتنا
ع حقولنا و يدور
ع بيوت خرباني
و قلوب تعباني

رجع الضجر
كل القصايد غافيه
و شهرْ ينزُف شهرْ

ما ضَّلْ عا الطرقاتْ
غير الرمل و كياسْ مشلُوحة
ع تمّ السهل
كومة قنابل
كومة حجارْ و شتي
عواميدْ مثل الناسْ
. . . عمْ تتكي تكي

صرنا صورْ
يبست على الحيطان
و نخاف المدى
صرنا متل هالصوت لميّ يرجّع صدى
قالوا خلص و العاصفة راحت
صار الصبح ختيار
بعدها العتمة سيوف
فوق رقابنا
بعده الصبح ما صار

بكير يا رفيقي
ليك السما سودا
و الليل عم يزحف على حدودها

ريته القمر
ينزل على متاريس مهجوره
يلغم ايدينا نور
نفجر فيها القبور
نهجم ع وجه الليلْ بالساحات
نخلّي حجارْ الشارع المقهور
تُوعى على صرخاتنا و تثور

Lyrics transcription from here

Abdel Rizzaq al-Jabbouri - Truck Driverعبد الرزاق الجبوري - المرهدنEl Murahdan (Ya Shofeer al Qamara)

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 posted by a youtube user seeking to ridicule the singer and his sensibilities, which he deems "shawi", a derogatory term somewhat analogous to the term "redneck" in English. The poster has inserted these little text comments into the video and I highly doubt they are part of the original since they are mocking. You'll find it posted here, but I have reposted it since the disabled embedding. There's also an alternative version, posted by the same guy here. It has essentially the same scenes but different shots, and also features a shot of Abdel Rizzaq singing on the bridge over the Euphrates.

For many Syrians, especially ones that own computers and post on youtube, this brand of music is seen as backward, silly, and almost embarrassing because it uses a rural dialect featuring rural themes and lacks all the refinement of more professionally produced music that seeks to emulate Western techniques and aesthetics.

However, for the open-minded listener this clip may very well be better than the commercial pop marketed by record labels precisely because it lacks that superficial, processed, bubble gum flavor. The video, if lacking production quality, is also a breath of fresh air because it shows the real, undoctored setting of the song, the bleak dusty roads of these small East Syrian towns. Of course, the video features a clip from a performance, likely at a wedding, with men and women dancing, at times together while other times men dancing with men and women dancing with women. Finally, the director has also put to use these local limited resources by parading a huge flock of sheep through the background of the final scene. Imagine how much it would cost to put a flock of sheep in a modern American music video (provided that you wanted to) and you can see how this song utilizes local characteristics and assets before judging its value.

The artist, Abdel Rizzaq al-Jabbouri has since recorded a more hi-fi version with a cleaned up, in my opinion bland, accompaniment for Gulf television. You can see it here on youtube, however, I prefer the original recording.

I haven't been able to provide the lyrics to all the available verses of this song, which may be infinite, but here we have all but one of the verses to the song in the video. Of course, the information for the translations is not all my own. I have consulted an Arabic discussion forum in which members explain and debate the meanings of obscure, extremely local words and phrases found in Arabic folk music. You can find the original postings here.



Abdel Rizzaq al-Jabbouri - Truck Driver

عبد الرزق الجبوري - المرهدن, يا شوفير الغمارة

We're going to do this song line by line because it needs a lot of explanation:

Did you find the pretty girl for me Mr. Truck Driver? (see note)

ما شفت لي المرهدن (المزيون) يا شوفير الغمارة

She's going east of al-Mouhassan taking al-Ashara road (see note)

يمشي شرق الموحسن وقاضب درب العشارى

In the song he uses the word مرهدن (muhrahdan)or other words indicating that a girl is beautiful. For those interested, مرهدن is a very particular word. According to a poster on youtube.com it refers to a girl wearing a certain kind of dress native to East Syria and Iraq. I couldn't find a picture online, but it would be typical village dress of such places as Deir Ezzor. Anyway, المرهدن walks with رهدنة, which is a slow, feminine walk that is very attractive somehow refers to the movement of her dress from what I can infer. This song, which exists in many forms is often called المرهدنة

However, I am calling this song by it's other title when translating to English because it makes more sense, which is يا شوفير الغمارة (ya shofir al-qamara), a term that means truck driver or perhaps a better translation is trucker. The kind of truck in question الغمارة (sometimes pronounced القمارة) is like a pick-up truck or the front half of the tractor trailer. See the video for pictures of trucks.

In the second line there الموحسن (al-Mouhassan) and العشارى (al-Ashara) are locales found in the region of East Syria roughly between Deir Ezzor and al-Aboukmal. Much of the video seems to be filmed at the locale mentioned in the song, as you can see at the beginning the sign marking al-Mouhassan and the arches over the highway where they come to a T.

God damn money and this luck of mine

يلعن أبو المصاري لبو الحظ اللي رماني

All of them blamed me when they knew I wasn't from here (see note)

كلهم عالوا عليا من عرفوني اجنيباني

The first line is pretty straight forward. The second line contains this word اجنيباني (jnebani) which is similar to the idea of a foreigner but on a much smaller scale. If someone is اجنيباني it really means there are just from a different village or city, which on the village scale might seem like the guy is foreign, foreign enough to refuse marriage anyway.

They want a high dowry so I'll find me a loan (see note)

يريدون سياقه غالي تا شوف لي دبارة

Half from the Abraz boys and the rest from the Baqara (see note)

نص من عيال الأبرز والباقي من البقارة

Apparently سياق(siyaq, or could be siyagh) refers to the "bride-price" or المهر here. This is the amount to be paid to the bride and her family to secure an engagement. So when he says he needs to get a دبارة (dabbara) it means he needs to arrange the necessary funds to uphold his end of the marriage contract.

In the next line, I suppose he is saying where he could get the funds from. The term عيال الأبرز (ayyal al-abraz) is the nickname of the tribe al-3aqidat (العقيدات) and البقارة (al-baqqara) is the name of another tribe in the area.

There is another verse, but I can't make it out and could not find it recorded anywhere online.

Sara Al Hani - If I Had to Chooseسارة الهاني - لو خيرونيLaw Khayarouni

المتصفح الذي لديك لايدعم مشغل الأغاني. دبر حالك و روح نزل البرنامج أو .<A HREF="http://server5.sm3na.com/452/Sm3na_com_Law_Khayarouni.rm">اضغط هنا</A> لسماع الأغنية.

لو خیّرونی If I had to choose لو خیّرونی ما بین عیونی وبین هواک أسیب عیونی If I had to choose between my eyes and your love.. I'd give up my eyes اختار حبیبی أروح معاک الاحبیبی I would choose my love and go with you کل الانا عایزة من الدنیا لؤاک All I want in this life is to be with you

لو قالولک تبعد عنّی خلیها النهارده
If they told you to leave me.. Well you can do it today
عیّشنی اللیلادی حبیبی وانا بالیلة هارضة
Make my live for tonight.. and I will be satisfied with it
انا من امتی بحبک وانت ولا بحال
I've been in love with you for a long time, but you don't know how I feel
نفسی احکیلک عاللی ف قلبی واللی شاغللی بای
I wanna talk to you about my feelings and what I am thinking of

Tamer Ashour - It Looks Like It's Goneتامر عشور - باينه ضاعBaynu Daa

Tamer Ashour - It Looks Like It's Gone I'm afraid to get close Someone listening is coming from afar Coming to shatter our beautiful hopes And I'll live alone afterwards Today is the day that we had never considered Whenever our eyes meet I go back in time And I remember the word that made us fall in love and tenderness I feel sorry for myself, my heart's torment is increasing

Oh, we dreamed of everything, except we never dreamed of this
We never once said that our love might someday be lost
The dream that's beginning was I love you's end turns out to be goodbye
We said that throughout our days all the other loves would be jealous of us
My dream was that I would die beside after many years
But that dream in a moment changed, or it looks like it's gone

Do you hear my heart begging to you stay here with me?
My hunger for you would never die
What should we do?
Our farewell is knocking at the door, my darling, it's calling us
Try to get used to it and I'll adjust
Don't you dare forget me
Please remember that I'll remember you every day
Take care
Our fate is to be separated
It's our destiny

تامر عشور - باينه ضاع

خايف قرب جاي علينا سامع من بعيد
جاي يكسر احلي امالينا واعيش بعده وحيد
هو اليوم اللي احنا حبيبي ما عملناش حسابه
كلما عيني تيجي في عينك برجع بالزمان
وافتكر الكلمة اللي مالتنا بالشوق والحنان
ترجع تصعب نفسي عليا قلبي يزيد عذابه

أة حلمنا بكل حاجة الا ده ما حلمنا بيه
عمرنا في مرة ما قلنا ان شوقنا تروح عليه
والحلم اللي بدايته بحبك تبقي نهايته وداع
قلنا هنفضل طول ايامنا حاسدنا العاشقين
كان حلمي اني اموت وانا جنبك بعد سنين جايين
بس الحلم في لحظة اتغير ولا باينه ضاع

سامع قلبي بيطلب منك تبقي قصاد عنيه
انا عمري ما بشبع منك بس هنعمل ايه
والله وداع بيدق علي بابنا حبيبي ينادينا
عود نفسك وانا هتعود واياك تنسي يوم
خليك فاكر ان انا فاكرك دايما كل يــــــــــوم
خد بالك منك ده نصيبنا فراق مكتوب علينا

Somaya - Beating Around the Bushسمية - لف ودورانLiff wa Dawaran

Leff wa Dawaran لف ودوران is an Arabic expression that means the equivalent of "beating around the bush" or not directly saying what you want to say.

المتصفح الذي لديك لايدعم مشغل الأغاني. دبر حالك و روح نزل البرنامج أو .<A HREF="http://dc150.4shared.com/download/123416402/dace5439/somaya-lf-wdwran.rm?tsid=20090806-183414-a86ec668">اضغط هنا</A> لسماع الأغنية.

Somaya - Beating Around the Bush What's with you man Let me go No matter what you say I won't come back to you You're causing a problem for me Do you remember me saying that I would come back?

I don't wanna beat around the bush
I know that your eyes wander (meaning, he's looking at other girls)
So you think that when you try to trick me I'll be happy with you

Frankly, you're fooling yourself
If you're gonna lie, lie well
Go act and try to fool somebody else
I feel sorry for you

As far as I'm concerned, I've removed you from my mind
Actually, what happened to me with you was too hard for me to forget
Oh my God, you're coming back again
Saying insincere sweet nothings and I don't understand them

This is how I feel
Stop talking nonsense
Wake up my darling and listen to me
Why are you making this into an ordeal?
Stop doing this with me and go, it's enough
Oh, spare me

Are you seriously coming to try to make me feel sorry for you?
I'm standing here before you stunned
How can you think that so easily I'll cave and soften towards you
You're lying to yourself
And I'm more than capable of repelling you and keeping up with you
I know all your words in full
So let's go, you poor boy

سمية - لف ودوران

مالك خيالتني ياعم حلني ده مهما قولتلي
مش هسمع
عامل لي مشكلة متهدى مش كده فاكرني قال كده
قال انا هرجع
لف ودوران انا مش عايزة انا عارفة ان انت عنيك زايغة
ومفكر لما هتخدعني انا هفرح بيك
بتضحك على شكلك بصراحة
اكدب بس اكدب بنصاحة
روح مثل واضحك على غيرى
انا صعبة عليك

انا بالنسبالي شيلتك من بالي
اصل اللى جرالي معاك اصعب من اني انساه
اه منك ياني راجع من تاني بتقول لي كلام حلو مزوق وانا مش فهماه
مالك خيالتني ياعم حلني ده مهما قولتلي
مش هسمع

انا قلبي هيدادي بلاش كلام فاضي اصحالي ياحبيبي
واسمعني
عاملها ليه حكاية بلاش كده معايا وروح كده كفاية
اه وارحمني
جاي بتتمسكن معقولة
انا واقفة قصادك مذهولة
ومفكر قال ايه بسهولة هضعف وهلين
تبقي انت بتكدب على نفسك
وانا قادرة اصدك وانافسك
ده انا حافظة كلامك بالملي يلا يا مسكين

Wahida Khalil - Who Are You Blaming, My Heart?وحيدة خليل - عليمن يا قلب تعتبAlayman Ya Galob Taeteb

You'll notice an exceedingly high percentage of the accompanying musicians wearing dark sunglasses. This is because in Baghdad there was a music school for the blind in the large Baghdad Jewish community, which produced scores of talented musicians and composers.

Wahida Khalil - Who Are You Blaming? Who are you blaming, oh heart, who are you blaming Who was it that you loved and tried and believed in Love is not faithfulness, only abandonment and betrayal Who are you blaming, oh heart, who are you blaming

Stop blaming and quit criticizing
Did you think you were in love with an angel (???)
Remember this shock and consider
You loved him and he loved you
And you were faithful to him and he was not faithful to you
Who are you blaming, oh heart, who are you blaming

Stop blaming he who is gone
He gave me sorrow while I gave him pureness
I started to reach him but he rejected me and cut me off
He cut the chord of love, that guy that I had loved
Who are you blaming, oh heart, who are you blaming

وحيدة خليل - عليمن يا قلب تعتب

عليمن يا قلب تعتب عليمن
هويت وجربت وامنت بيمن
ماللحب امانه .. بس هجر وخيانه
عليمن يا قلب تعتب عليمن

لا تعتب بعد واترك عتابك
اظن ملوّك هل كانوا احبابك
اذكر صدمتك واحسب حسابك
هويته وكان يهواك .. وفيت وما وفى وياك
عليمن ياقلب تعتب عليمن

لا تعتب بعد منهو اللي يوافي
سقاني الكدر وانا اسقيته صافي
بديت وصله وهو يصد ويجافي
قطع حبل المودة .. ذاك اللي كنت اوده
عليمن يا قلب تعتب عليمن

Lyrics transcription from here

Lamea Tawfiq - This Boyلميعة توفيق - هذا الحلوHatha al Halew

So here I have translated "helw (حلو)" "pretty" or "pretty person" as "boy" because it is a woman singing. However if a man were to sing this song, and it seems to be written from the persona of a man, it should be translated as "girl" I think.

Lamea Tawfiq - This Boy This boy is killing me auntie I love him so much and I want to tell him So how can you not understand me, auntie? My whole soul is with him Oh auntie, auntie

This boy is killing me and I want him
My heart has suffered while my soul is his hands
I can't bear being far from him
So how can I give my heart patience (to bear it)
When the fire of passion is burying it
My whole soul is with him
Oh auntie, auntie

He's inflicted me with sadness
His light is much more beautiful than the moon
I'm lost in my love, auntie
So how can I give my heart patience
When the fire of passion is burying it
My whole soul is with him
Oh auntie, auntie

Oh woe is me, oh the pain of my love
I've been so sleepless over him
The color has fled from my face, I've run out of strength
So how can I give my heart patience
When the fire of passion is burying it
My whole soul is with him
Oh auntie, auntie

لميعة توفيق - هذا الحلو

هذا الحلو قاتلني يا عمة
فدوه شقد احبه واريد اكلمه
وانتي شلون عمتي
بيه ما افتهمتي
وروحي كلها يمه
يا عمة يا عمة

هذا الحلو قاتلني واريده
عذب مهجتي والروح بايده
ومااصبر بعد عنه بعيدة
وقلبي شلون اصبره
ونار العشق قبره
وروحي كلها يمه
يا عمة ياعمة

هو بالحزن باليني بلوة
احلى من القمر وشويه اضوه
توه بالعشق يا عمة توه
قلبي شلون اصبره
ونار العشق قبره
وروحي كلها يمه
يا عمة ياعمة

اه من العشق منه يا ويلي
يما عالولف سهران ليلي
عمة انخطف لوني انهدم حيلي
وقلبي شلون اصبره
نار العشق قبره
وروحي كلها يمه
يا عمة يا عمة

Lyrics transcription from here

Afifa Iskender - It Burned my Soulعفيفة إسكندر - حرقت الروحHaragat al Rouh

Afifa Iskender - It Burned my Soul It burned my soul when we parted I cried and drowned them in my tears What did my heart say when we parted It burned my soul when we parted As I bid them farewell I say how can I forget them My heart, for God's sake go with them I would rather die than us be apart

I want those who left me to come back from the journey
I want to give them part of my soul as a keepsake
I've experienced every kind of affliction

عفيفة إسكندر - حرقت الروح

حرقت الروح لمن فارقتهم
بكيت ومن دموعي غرقتهم
إيش قال القلب لمن ودعتهم
حرقت الروح لمن فارقتهم
اْودعهم واْقول إشلون اْنساهم
ياقلبي لخاطر الله روح وياهم
اْريد الموت اْنا وماريد فرقاهم
اْريد اللي فارقوني بعد مشوار
اْريد اْنطيهم الدلال تذكار
واْنا بكل المصايب جربتهم

Lyrics transcription from here

Salima Murad - You Branch of Basilسليمة مراد - يا نبعة الريحانYa Nebaet al Rihan

This is a hard song to decipher for me for a lot of reasons, but I've done my best here to convey the meaning. The phrase "branch of basil (نبعة الريحان)" refers to the beloved of the poet, and this is intended to mean that she is pretty and sweet-swelling, basil being a sign of perfume in Iraq. In addition, basil is known to be a cure-all of sorts, and I think in calling the lover a branch of basil, the poet is demanding a cure for his love, describing himself as "walhaan (ولهان)" a word meaning in love with the connotation of being mad or sick in love. Of course, the cure for this sickness is to be with his love, the branch of basil.

Interestingly, the song, written by Abdel Karim al Alaf (عبد الكريم العلاف), is being sung from the persona of a man, even though the original performer, Selima Murad, is a woman.

Selima Murad or "Selima Pasha" herself is a unique figure in Arabic music history, as she was one of the early great figures of Iraqi music and also Jewish. However, unlike most of Iraq's formerly large Jewish population, she did not leave Iraq in 1948 after the founding of Israel and remained in Iraq until her death in 1975. The composer of this song, Shalekh (Saleh) al Kuwaiti (صالح الكويتي) was also an Iraqi Jew. Selima Murad was married to the great Iraqi singer, Nazem al-Ghazali.

Selima Murad - You Branch of Basile You branch of basile, take pity on the one who's infatuated with you My body has become emaciated, my soul has melted, and my bones are showing I no longer know what to do about this sickness inside of me My condition is difficult and there's not a person who knows the cure

The day I loved I went crazy
I've been confused, I don't know what my crime was

I haven't committed any crimes except loving the loved
It's not a crime for me to repent from and ask for forgiveness

سليمة مراد - يا نبعة الريحان

يا نبعة الريحان حني على الولهان
جسمي نحل والروح ذابت وعظمي بان

من علتي اللي باحشاي ما ظل عندي راي
دائي صعب ودواي ما يعرفها انسان

يوم الذي حبيت يا منيتي جنيت
حاير انا تميت ما ادري ذنبي أيش كان

ما عندي كل ذنوب إلا هوى المحبوب
لاهو ذنب لاتوب واتجبر الرحمن

Nazem al-Ghazali - Coming Out of Her Father's Houseناظم الغزالي - طالعة من بيت أبوهاTalia Min Bayt Abua

This is a song about a guy flirting with a very pretty girl who is flirting back by rejecting him arrogantly

Nazem al-Ghazali - Coming Out of Her Father's House Coming out of her father's house on her way to the neighbor's house She passed by and didn't say hi to me Perhaps this pretty girl is upset

I told her, "my dear, give me some water I'm thirsty"
She said, "go away you poor boy, our water does not quench the thirsty"

I told her "my dear, then show me your height" (meaning her pretty stature)
She told me "go away my poor boy, my height is a branch of basile" (I know this makes sense, I can't figure out how to translate it a way that makes sense. Basile was once warn by women as a perfume, although less so today, in Arabia. This line means she is tall, pretty and sweet, and not for him)

I told her "my dear, then show me your eyes"
She told me "go away my poor boy, my eyes are as pretty as the gazelle's"

ناظم الغزالي - طالعة من بيت أبوها

طالعة من بيت ابوها رايحة لبيت الجيران
فات ما سلم عليا يمكن الحلو زعلان

قلت لها يا حلوة ارويني عطشان مي اسقيني
قالت لي روح يا مسكيني مينا مايروي العطشان

قلت لها ياحلوة ارويني على طولك فرجيني
قالت لي روح يامسكيني طولي نبعة ريحان

قلت لها يا حلوة ارويني على عيونك فرجيني
قالت لي روح يا مسكيني عيوني عيون الغزلان

Mohamed Nour - A, B Boobayeمحمد نور - ألف بيه بوبايهAlif Be Bubaye

This song is included in our Syrian Debke Podcast as well



Mohamed Nour - A, B Boobaye
محمد نور - ألف باء بوبايه

This is a song that really requires explanation rather than translation since it doesn't make much sense.

الف باء وبوبايه قلم رصاص ومحاية
انا بغني على المايك واسعد بيعزف ورايا

This is the crux of the song, which is kind of like a little game. The form usually employed is as follows:

الف باء وبوبايه قلم رصاص ومحاية
انا بكتب على اللوح وبتكتبوا ورايا

In the standard version, the line is something like "A, B, pencil and eraser, I write on the board and you write after me," as if to be a classroom type game. But the singer instead sings "I sing on the mic and Asaed plays after me," indicating that they are playing this kind of game with music, in this case debke songs. In the song when you hear "Asaed (أسعد)" or "Abu Suoud (أبو سعود)" he's referring to his accompanying musician.

So what they proceed to do in this framework is choose a letter, then a word that starts with that letter that refers to a particular line from a debke song, then they sing that line putting whatever embellishments they may choose. I'll explain each section best I can though it's not important for enjoying the song.

حرف التاء .. تع بورد
تع بورد تع بورد تع بورد تع

The letter "ta," "ta3 bourid"

"ta3 bourid (تع بورد)" means "come cool off" and is like the kind of thing a vendor of cold juice might be calling out in the street on a hot summer day.

حرف الواو

ويلي من العشق يا ويله عزبتني بنت الليل
كل يوم اسهر بمقصف كتر السهر هد الحيل

The letter "waw," "weeli"

He says "weeli (woe is me) from love, the girl of the night tormented me" then he says that he has stayed up every night thinking of her to the point that he doesn't have the energy to work or do anything.

حرف الواو .. وردة

وردة وردة على القطن تعالي واريد اشوفك بالنوح الشمالي

The letter "waw" (again), "warda"

"warda (وردة)" means a flower or rose, and he compares the girl to a flower and says he wants to see her.

حرف الهاء .. هاجر

هاجر فوق الرعوشي حوشي جدياتك حوشي
بكرا يعلم حب الديس وان شاش الهوى شوشي

The letter "he," "hajer"

Hajer is a name, like Hagar from the Torah. This line is hard to crack, he's courting Hajer but the lines are really weird, they are just for rhyme mostly I guess.

حرف الواو .. وعدتينا

وعدتينا تحت التينا وما جيتينا
وطلبنا بوسة من خدك ما عطيتينا

The letter "waw" (again), "wa3edtina"

"wa3edtina" means something like "you promised to meet us," and he's saying basically that they had a date, to meet under a tree and she didn't come. Then he says "I asked to kiss your cheek and you didn't let me."

حرف العين

عاشق لبنت البيتي وانا ابن الفلاحي
لا تخليني روح ليكي هيي قليبها مرتاحة
مليتيلي قلبي جراح
يا جميل رد ما برد يا هنا ردي ما بدي

The letter "3ayn", "3ashiq"

"3ashiq" means in love and he says that he is in love with a girl from a well-off family and that he is the son of a farmer. Then something that is hard to understand. Then he says "you filled my heart with wounds."

حرف الغاء .. غسل وشك

غسل وشك يا قمر بالصابون وبالحجر وينك يا أسعد
مشط شعرك يا أسعد والمشط الحلو انسكر وينك يا وينك يا أصلع

The letter "gha (ie ghayn)", "ghassel wishak"

This one especially is meant to be humorous and he inserts his own variation. He says "wash your fash, you moon (meaning pretty face), with soap and stone" then he says "where you at Asaed" meaning that the line is intended for his buddy Asaed. Then he says "comb your hair, Asaed, and the comb would break, where you at baldy." Normally in place of "baldy" he would say something like "moon" again, but he is using this line to make fun of his buddy I guess.

حرف الدال

ده ده دونك على ام البرقع ودونك
الله الله يا الله تحمي حسن نصر الله

The letter "dal," "dahdunek"

"dahdounek" doesn't have a clear meaning, it's the name of a debke song. He is addressing a woman referring to "the one in the burkah." In the following line he says "God, oh God, please protect Hassan Nasrallah," who is the political leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Ozeina al-Ali - If Onlyأذينة العلي - يا ريتكYa Reitek

Yemmi (يمي) means Jembi (جمبي) in this case, ie "next to me." In no way is he singing to his mother.

Ozeina al-Ali - If Only You Would Come to Me If only you would come to me So I could tell you all my problems and worries I planted you as a rose in my veins But it turns out you're already part of my blood Never have you felt for me Nor have you loved me or cared about me I've been fooling myself for so long And it looks like I've sacrificed with my own blood

I used to cry at night in your absence
I wouldn't calm down until I smelled your clothes
I've been waiting for you for so long (literally, by your door)
And I've suffered while missing you, waiting

Oh world, gather up my wounds
You will never be happy in my absence
When you come back and knock on my door
I swear on my life, upon what I've suffered
I won't forgive you as long as I live

Turns out you've left me
Put out your fire oh world
I thought you were my true love
But it turns out your promises were all a mirage

أذينة العلي - يا ريتك لو تيجي يمي

يا ريتك لو تجي يمي
واسمعك كل صدى همي
زرعتك وردة بعروقي
وأتاري انت من دمي

بعمرك ما حسيت بحالي
ولاحبيت ولاعندك غالي
صارلي زمان عم اخدع حالي
وتاري ضحيت بدمي

كنت الليل ابكي على غيابك
ما ارتاح تاشم تيابك
صارلي زمان والله عبوابك
والشوق دايب على بوابك

يادنيا جراحي لمي
ماراح يوم تهنى بغيابي
وراح ترجع وتدق بوابي
وحياتك وحياة عذابي
ما بصامح الا على دمي

وتاري وتاري ياهاجر قليبي وتاريه
طفي نارك يادنيا وتاريه
كنت مفكرك وفي ياولفي
خاين وعودك كلها سراب

Saria al-Sawas - Just Listen What I Sayسارية السواس - بس اسمع منيBas Esma Menni

This is part of our Syrian Debke Podcast

This is modern Syrian debke of a Bedouin variety, that managed to surpass professional manufactured Arab pop in Syria and the Gulf during 2008-09.

Saria al-Sawas - Just Listen What I Say Just listen what I say, you who's driving me mad I'm suffering and you're happy with it Listen, just listen, you whose eyes are crying It's as if you aren't listening God give me patience

Layla oh Layla oh Omm Guthayla (Omm Guthayla might be a specific nickname for a girl with a particular physical feature but I can't figure it out)
How can I reach your heart?
What is the means?

We don't take our lovers from among our relatives anymore (this is a feature of the current generation of rural Syrian society that would differentiate them from previous generations, and refers to the fact that it has become less common for marriages between cousins to be arranged by their families)
We don't take anyone except the ones we like
And there couldn't be anything better

سارية السواس - بس اسمع مني

بس اسمع مني ياللي مجنني
أنا المتعذب وانت المتهني
اسمع بس اسمع ياللي عينك تدمع
كانك ما تسمع الله يصبرني

ليلى وياليلى اه يا أم قديلة
شلون اوصل قلبك
شنو هالوسيلة

ياحبايبنا وياحبايبنا
بطلنا ناخد من قرايبنا
واحنا ما ناخد الا اللي يعجبنا
وأروع ما يكونا

Omar Souleyman - A Proposalعمر سليمان - خطابةKhataba

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 part of a marriage agreement in Shari3a, Muslim law, because she will likely have no other way to obtain her own property and in the event of divorce this is especially bad because the law does not guarantee that she will receive money from her husband. Anyway, Nora's father agrees to the engagement, on four conditions for the wedding as stated: a ride in a Mercedes that has never been ridden in on their wedding day, 1 kilo earrings made of gold, a honeymoon in Damascus and Paris, and a wedding dress made in London. Of course these are outlandish requests, especially between people of this region who live a rural life generally on a few hundred dollars a year. Therefore, we can say that the song is a facetious, light-hearted song intended for dancing at parties such as engagement parties etc.

"Khattaba (خطابة)" was a huge phenomenon in Syria and the Arab world and launched Omar Souleiman to fame in this region, which has in the past few decades developed a sort of indie Debke music scene (debke is the "traditional" dance music of the region, however now they are making it with drum machines and keyboards). Since then, he has developed a cult following in the Europe and the United States, appreciated for the energy and originality of his songs which are unlike anything ever heard in the West. He is a favorite of prominent musicians such a Blur and Gorillaz' Damon Albarn as well as Bjork.

Omar Souleiman - A Proposal This chorus and the first verse are sung from the perspective of the groom's party: A marriage proposal, a proposal, we've come to make a marriage proposal We want to become related to you in accordance with God's law and book (ie Shari3a and the Qur'an, which means going through the traditional formalities of negotiating conditions of the marriage between the two families etc.)

We've drank your coffee and have been honored by your hospitality (this is a loose translation of the second half, but this is something you have to say to show respect to your host in Arab hospitality, who is likewise obliged to serve you coffee to express hospitality)
We have a request from you, we've come to ask for Nora's hand

The rest of the song is sung from the point of view of the father of the prospective bride:

Nora is yours without paying a tribute (sometimes when a girl is to be married is on a condition that the family of a groom pay a sizable sum of money. this is designed as a way to make sure the groom has enough money to provide for the girl, but also is often a manifestation of greed on the part of the parents who want to marry up)
However I have four conditions on behalf of the girl

The first is a Mercedes taxi that has never been ridden in before (i.e. on the wedding night, the word here for the Mercedes is "shabah شبح" which literally means a "phantom car," the term used by some European car companies to market their high end luxury cars in the Arab world. From what I've read, the word has come to refer specifically to the S Class Mercedes Benz which is very popular in the Gulf. In east Syria this word could mean a Mercedes or just a really fancy car, the point is it is a ridiculous request for people of that social class)
(We also want) a kilo of gold in her ear at the engagement party (ie 1 kilo gold earrings)

We want a honeymoon in Damascus and Paris (in east Syria, Damascus is a pretty expensive and luxurious place)
(We also want) a wedding dress made in London provided by the groom

عمر سليمان - خطابة

خطابة خطابة جيناكم خطابة
نريد القرب منكم بشرع الله وكتابه

قهوتكم مشروبة بالعز مديورة
النا طلب عندكم جينا نخاطب نورا

خذ نورا عطية ما الها جزية
عندي اربع شروط من حق النبة

الشرط الاول تكسي شبح مي مركوبة
كيلو ذهب باذنها بيوم الخطوبة

بدنا شهر عسل بالشام وباريس
اللبس من لندن مطلوب من العريس

Cheb Khaled - Oran, oh Oranشاب خالد - وهران وهرانWahrane, Wahrane

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 They remain confused in their exile And that exile is hard and traitorous

My happiness is with the children of el Hamri (a district of Oran)
Children of the city and Sidi el Houari (a neighborhood in Oran where Khaled was from)
I spent my youth with them
My art is for them as long as I live

How beautiful are the nights my country
The flutes and drums echo
Oh those who are going to her
Ask them to take care of my country

I'll never forget my countr
My land and the land of my ancestors
I asked my family about the people
Seems they've left their religion and turned to the bottle (litearlly, followed the cup)

A dozen cups on the table
Drank ten of them with no effect
Sorry for the the empty space
Her beauty was a wondrous beauty

Sadness entered in my heart
And so I cry and call out

خالد - وهران وهران

وهران وهران رحتي خساره
هجروا منك ناس شطارى
قعدوا في الغربه حيارى
و الغربه صعيبه و غداره

يا فرحي على اولاد الحمري
اولاد مدينه و سيدي الهواري
عديت معاهم صغري
لهم فني طول عمري

ما احلى صهريات بلادي
القصبه و القلالي صادي
يا اللي ماشين ليها غادي
وصوا يتهلوا في بلادي

عمري ما ننسى بلادي
أرضي و أرض اجدادي
وصيت اهلي على الناس
تركوا دينهم و تبعوا الكاس

يا الزينه بالكاس و المايده
راه عشره بلا فايده
وعدي على الطحطحه وعدي
كان زينها زين الودادي
رجعت غمه في فؤادي
وليت نبكي و ننادي

George Al Rassy - My Heart is Deadجورج الراسي - قلبي ماتAlbi Mat

George Al Rassy - My Heart is Dead My darling, my heart is dead And the separation has made me crazy What is the value of this life when you are not here before my eyes It's starting to seem like my heart is missing You made it forget how to feel and tortured it to death

From the day you took your love away from me the world is dark
It would destroy my heart if this separation went on

I still have hope though that my heart has not been killed
My darling, my life, I want you

I've lost my passion
And the abandonment has wasted my time
My heart has also been true to you
I haven't stopped caring for you for a moment
My darling I want to see you
I want you to come back right away
Even if your conditions have become harsh
Don't lose this love

جورج الراسي - قلبي مات

يا حبيبي قلبي مات
و البعد سبّب جنوني
شو قيمة هالحياة
وانت غايب عن عيوني
أنا قلبي بحضوره
صاير متل الغياب
نسّيته شعوره
دوّبته من العذاب

من يوم هواك عنّي غاب
صارت الدّنيي سواد
يا هلاك يا عذاب
قلبي لو طال البعاد

باقي في عندي أمل
إنّو قلبي ما انقتل
يا حبيبي ... يا حياتي ... بدّي ياك

غرامي منّي ضاع
والهجر ضيّغ زماني
ما بعمره قلبي باع
لحظة ما تغيّر حناني
يا حبيبي بدّي شوفك
بدّي ترجع قوام
لو قسيت ظروفك
لا تخسر هالغرام