Above the Palm Trees/I've Got a Friend Up Thereفوك النخل\فوق إلنا خلFoug El Nakhel/Foug Ilna Khill

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 here, the original composers had intended the song to be فوق النا خل (Fog ilna khell). The story behind the song is that there is a poor young man in love with a girl that belongs to a rich family, after seeing her on their big house's balcony and exchanging glances. The song became "Foq al-Nakhel (فوق النخل)" because even though it makes the meaning quite strange, the audiences liked it better, according Sabah Fakhri and others. This explains the lyrics:

I've got a friend above
I don't know if that's the shine of your cheek or a shine above (ie the moon)
I swear I don't even want her
It's ruining me/It's causing me a problem

فوق إلنا خل فوق يابا فوق النا خل فوق
مدري لامع خدك يابا مدري لامع فوق
ولله ما ريده باليني بلوة

That is pretty much the standard chorus and after that the versions diverge greatly. I'll try to add as many versions as I can here, hopefully with the help of the readers, since lyrics are surprisingly scarce.

First and foremost is the Nazem al-Ghazali (ناظم الغزالي) version:

ناظم الغزالي - فوق النخل (فوق إلنا خل)

I have no hope for my soul, you're still my beloved
Everyone gets to be with you and my destiny is to be abandoned by you
I swear she's torturing me and she has no interest in me

مالي امل بالروح يبا بعدك حبيبي بعدك حبيبي
وصلك صفى للناس يبا هجرك نصيبي
والله معذبني وماعنده امروه

Here's the version by Sabah Fakhri (صباح فخري), the legendary Syrian singer hailing from Aleppo. I haven't included the lyrics for "albulbul nagha", which he usually performs alongside "foug al nakhel".



It contains this additional verse:

Oh river, go say hi to them for me
The separation is hard for me
I miss them

بالله يا مجرى الماي يابا سلم عليهم
صعبان الفرقه علي يابا اشتقنا إليهم

Here is the Kazem el-Saher version I found on youtube.com. I'd like to point out that Kazem days no say "yaba" rather he uses "3ayni" which means about the same thing: nothing.



Here is an Ilham al-Madfai (إلهام المدفعي) version. Note the excessive palm trees in the video.



Here's some new verses, I'll do my best:

Your cheek shined, my love, and lit up the country
I can't make my soul patient or bear this separation
I swear she's torturing me with her beautiful eyes

All the faces pass, and my eyes are only on yours
May the lord give you my love
I swear she's torturing me and she has no interest

خدك لمع ياهواي وأضوى على البلاد
مقدر أصبر الروح واتحمل البعاد
والله معذبني بعيونه الحلوة

كل البلام تفوت يابه عيني على بلمك
ومن الهوى والروح ربي يسلمك
والله معذبني وما عنده مروة

There's more versions available, but I don't really have lyrics for them.

Here is a stupid version by Dania (دانيا)



Here is George Wassouf (جورج وسوف)



Here is Palestinian band Zaman (زمان) with a flamenco version

Mayada el-Hennawi - Never Againميادة الحناوي - توبةToba

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 feel sorrow

So what am I afraid of?
What am I afraid of?
I can hear my heart calling him
Why am I afraid of falling in love when it's my destiny (literally "written on my forehead")
I'll be with him, fall in love, adore him, and feel for him

Who has ever encountered love without drowning in it?
Who has ever been burned by love, swore it off and never came back to it? (meaning they always come back)
Who? Who?

ميادة الحناوي - توبة

وتوبه ...توبه توبه .... توبه توبه ...
ياما قالوا من الحب توبه
و رجعوا تانى قالوا فيه شعر و أغانى
بس اعيش الحب نوبه يا زماني و قسمتى مستنيانى

نفسى أغنى للفرح مرة
نفسى يجى هنايه بكره
اسمي عشت مهما ندمت ولا حزنت
اسمى عشت اسمي عشت

طيب خايفة ليه ؟
انا خايفة ليه ؟
سامعه قلبى يناديه
خايفه ليه من الهوى و الجبين مكتوب عليه
انى اقابله و ادوب فى حبه و اعشقه و احس بيه

وهو مين صادفه الهوى فى دنيته ما غرقش فيه
و لا مين جرحه الهوى و حلف يتوب ما رجعش ليه
مين ؟ مين ؟

Fouad Ghazi - I'll Plant You a Rose Gardenفؤاد غازي - لزرعلك بستان ورودLazraa lik Bustan Wuroud

Updated lyrics, translation and info

Fouad Ghazi is a Syrian singer from the Hama province. He was very popular during the 1980s and was known for his distinctly "mountain (jabali)" style of singing typical of the Syrian coast. Although he withdrew from the spotlight during the nineties, his music remains popular today. "Rose Garden (بستان ورود)" is arguably his most famous work.

Fouad Ghazi - I'll Plant You a Rose Garden I'll plant you a rose garden And a little tree to give you shade And spin for you from the light of the sun A bracelet to adorn your hand

And I'll bring you from the farthest sea
The prettiest pearl you can find
And I'll steal for you from around the full moon
The most beautiful star and keep it

And I'll build you a lofty palace
And carry you on my wings
And spin for you from the light of the sun
A bracelet to adorn your hand

If you want pearls and corals
I'll bring you a whole chest-full
And if you want the hat of a fairy
I'm not gonna tell you no, no no

And if you want, oh willow branch
I'll hide you in my eyes (meaning he'll watch over her)
And spin for you from the light of the sun
A bracelet to adorn your hand

My beauty, there's a secret in your eyes
Enchanting me and melting me (i.e. making me fall in love)
Words stronger than pearl
My love for you is always keeping me up

Being near you is bitter and so is being close
And so is the myrrh tree in your eyes (I think referring to the tree in keeping with the theme of nature imagery)
I'll spin for you from the light of the sun
A bracelet to adorn your hand

فؤاد غازي - لأزرعلك بستان ورود

لزرعلك بستان ورود
وشجره صغيرة تفييكي

واغزلك من نور الشمس
اسواره تزين ايديكي

و رح جبلك من ابعد بحر
احلا درة بلائيها
و اسرئلك من حول البدر
اجمل نجمة و خبيها

و عمرلك بالعالي قصر
و عجناحاتي وديكي
واغزلك من نور الشمس
اسواره تزين ايديكي

لو بدك لولو ومرجان
راح اجيبلك خزنه بحالها
ولو بدك طاقية الجان
ماني راح اقولك لا لا لا

ولو بدك ياغصن البان
جوه عيوني بخبيكي
واغزلك من نور الشمس
اسواره تزين بايديكي

يا حلوة بعيونك سر
ساحرني ومدوبني
كلماتك اقوى من الدر
وحبك دوم مسهرني

قربك مر وبعدك مر
ومر المر فى عنيكي
لغزلك من نور الشمس
اسواره تزين بايديكي

Lyrics transcription from here

Lena Chamamyan - Before Dinnerلينا شماميان - قبل العشاQabl El Isha

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 العشا ايه وايه

مع مين ومع مين ارسلك سلام مع مين
يامهجة العين ويا كبد الحشا مع مين

يا برق سلم عليهم كل ما تلمع
كنتو بعيدين و باخبار إلكم نسمع
صرت قريبين وما تطليع ما نشبع

ما موت وما موت ولو جابو الكفن ما موت
لانزل عسوق الطويل وفصل التابوت
مسمار من فضة ودهب ومسمار من ياقوت
وتتعجب المسكونة و تنين بالتابوت

بداركم مشمشة وبدارنا خوخة
يا شجرة المشمشة مالت على الخوخة
حاجي تروح وتجي من تحت هالطاقة
يا رب رشقة مطر والأرض مشتاقة

The Rosanna عالروزانا الروزاناAl Rozana

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 carrying grapes and on top of that apples
Everyone is with their beloved and my beloved has gone
Oh lord, may the breeze bring my lover back to me

عالروزانا عالروزانا كل الحلى فيها
شو عملت الروزانا ألله يجازيها
عالروزانا عالروزانا كل الهنا فيها
شو عملت الروزانا الله يجازيها
يا رايحين ل حلب حبي معاكم راح
يا محملين العنب فوق العنب تفاح
كل من حبيبه معه وأنا حبيبي راح
يا ربي نسمة هوى ترد الولف ليا

In an article in al-Watan, Bandar Khalil explains the cultural significance of this event in the present day like this:

With this genuine Arabic song, many questions arise in the mind of the genuine Arab. For example, how many of our people have had all of their rosy dreams met with dark disappointment, and all their hopes were squandered on an endless range of despair, frustration and helplessness? How many of us have waited and were patient and bore all of the their pain, only to find that when our Rosanna came and dropped anchor in the harbor of their dreams, nothing came out of it... We as an Arab people that has spent its whole life waiting for numerous "Rosannas" which still have never arrived, while carrying further disappointment for our dreams, how many times must we hear this song each day?

Yet, we shouldn't take this song as perceived by every listener as a song that sums up the broken dreams of the Arab people. Nonetheless, the theme of disappointment pervades discussion of the song. One poster in another forum describes the song as perfect for expression the feeling of disappointment by some soccer team. The point is this folk song is very much a song about getting your hopes up only to find that the thing you were waiting for was a mirage.

I've supplied many different versions so everyone can find their favorite.

Sabah Fakhri (صباح فخري)



Tony Hana (طوني حنا) with Gypsy Band



Lena Chamamian (لينا شماميان)



Amal Marcus (أمل مرقص)

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.

Saria al-Sawas - Oh Sheikhسارية السواس - يا شيخYa Shaykh

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

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

Fouad Ghazi - You Are My First Loveفؤاد غازي - على حبك فيقتينيAla Hobak Fayye'tini

Fouad Ghazi - You Are My First Love

You are my first love And you've lit up my dark years We met by chance in the neighborhood I told you I was a little thirsty You gave me water to drink with your hand And you made me more thirsty And you made me more thirsty (with love)

If I hadn't known you my heart would have been lost on a road to nowhere
I loved you and asked for the address and you led me to your heart

فؤاد غازي - على حبك فيقتيني

على حبك فيقتيني
و ضوّيتي عَتم السنين
تلاقينا صدفة بالحي قلتلك عطشان شوي
سقيتيني بيديك المي, و بزيادة عطشتيني
لو ما عرفتك قلبي كان
تايه على دروب النسيان
عشقتك و تطلبت العنوان و على قلبك دلّيتيني

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