Saria al-Sawas - Oh SheikhOh Sheikh, cure meI can't sleepIt's been more than two years that I've been in this stateMy love is driving me crazy, leaving me and being cruel to meHe doesn't fear God and I am in this stateHe [...]
Fairuz - Take Me, My Darlingفيروز - خدني حبيبيKhedni Habibi
This song is from the Rahbani Brothers play entitled "Petra (بتراء)"Fairouz - Take Me, My DarlingTake me, my darling, to a house with no doorsTake me, my darling, to a hidden moonHelp me for get as I sleep, in pure daysSo [...]
Hakim - Nobody Blame Meحكيم - ما حدش يلومنيMa Hadesh Yiloumni
Sounds like a nice song, but it's about taking revenge on people who have hurt you.المتصفح الذي لديك لايدعم مشغل الأغاني. دبر حالك و روح نزل البرنامج أو .<A HREF="http://www.6rob.com/songer/x/egypt/7akeem/7akeem-ma7addesh_yeloomni.rm">اضغط [...]
Zeki Nasif - Butterfly and Flowerزكي ناصيف - فراشة وزهرةFarashe wa Zehra
The language is a bit abstract I hope it makes enough sense rendered in EnglishZeki Nasif - Butterfly and FlowerPick me out the prettiest flower, oh butterflyA flower that would look good arranged in the blonde girl's hairPick [...]
Debke of the Syrian Coast
Debke of the Syrian Coast Podcastدبكة الساحل السوريClick play to hear the podcastClick here to downloadDebke is a kind of folk music native to Arabic countries of the Levant. It's accompanying dance resembles the folk dance [...]
Mohamed Nour - A, B Boobayeمحمد نور - ألف بيه بوبايهAlif Be Bubaye
This song is included in our Syrian Debke Podcast as wellMohamed Nour - A, B Boobayeمحمد نور - ألف باء بوبايهThis is a song that really requires explanation rather than translation since it doesn't make much sense.الف باء وبوبايه قلم رصاص ومحايةانا بغني [...]
Ali al-Deek - Abu Shahadeعلي الديك - أبو شحادة
This song is also part of our Syrian Debke PodcastIn this song, there are three characters: the singer, his love Selma, and her father Abu Shahade. The two are truly in love, but Abu Shahade is asking for a huge dowry so [...]
Samira Said - A Night My Darlingسميرة سعيد - ليلة حبيبيLeyla Habibi
Updated media and translation A really old Samira Said song with some really good synthesizer guitarThought that was bad? See her perform is with an amateur on Star AcademySamira Said - A NightA night my darlingMy darlingJust [...]
Souad Massi - Storytellerسعاد ماسي - راويRaoui
Updated media and translationSouad Massi is an Algerian musician who like most, records in France and has international popularity.Souad Massi - StorytellerOh storyteller tell us a storyMake it a taleTell me about the people [...]
George Wassouf - I Wish We Had a Hideawayجورج وسوف - يا ريت عنا كوخYa Reit Anna Koukh
George Wassouf is a lovable, yet haggard-sounding troll. I prefer his songs from his younger days when his voice doesn't remind one of alcoholism and drug addiction. Here is a young Wassouf singing about a girl from his [...]
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 MeIf only you would come to meSo I could tell you all my problems and worriesI [...]
Saria al-Sawas - Just Listen What I Sayسارية السواس - بس اسمع منيBas Esma Menni
This is part of our Syrian Debke PodcastThis 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 [...]
Nancy Ajram - Yes Masterنانسي عجرم - يا سي سيدYa Si Sayyed
Updated media and translationThe phrase "Si El Sayed" which I have translated as "my master" here is a cultural reference that goes back to the main character of Naguib Mahfouz's "Cairo Trilogy" and the first installment [...]
Samira Said - We're Throughسميرة سعيد - ما خلاصMa Khalas
Updated media and translationSamira Said - It's OverWe're through, what do you want from me?Get away from meTry to understand the past is overForget itWe're through, what brought you here again?Put your mind at ease and [...]
The Best of Azar Habib Podcast
Azar Habib Podcastعازار حبيبClick play to hear the podcastFor translations of Azar Habib on the site click hereThe most-repeated of the Azar Habib (عازار حبيب) truisms is that he was the first Arab musician to blend a "light [...]
Azar Habib - I'm Gathering My Affectionعازار حبيب - عم لملم حنانيAm Lamlem Hanani
Azar Habib - I'm Gathering My AffectionI'm gathering my affection and writing you songs with the most beautiful of meanings, my lifeAnd my eyes are dreaming of two letters from this alphabet, my life (those two letters probably [...]
Azar Habib - Everything That's Happeningعازار حبيب - كل اللي صايرKol Elly Sayer
Azar Habib - Everything That's HappeningEverything that's happeningHappening in my heartIs cuz of youYou who lives in my heartAnd if my heart didn't love your eyesIt wouldn't be carrying any love at allEverything that is [...]
Azar Habib - I Love Her Eyesعازار حبيب - بحب عيونهاBaheb Oyouna
Azar Habib - I Love Her EyesI love her eyes and I can't hide itCuz my eyes are giving me awayMy love is bigger than my heartBigger than my nameAnd bigger than meI want everyone to know that I love herIf someone has feelings [...]
Azar Habib - Say What You Wantعازار حبيب - قولي شو بدك قوليOulli Shou Badiek
Azar Habib - Say What You WantSay what you want, say itSay it, cmon really?Say "I'm jealous and my heart is on fire"And don't you dare say "I don't love you"The girls are jealous of youThey returned all the giftsThey left [...]
Azar Habib - It's Not Importantعازار حبيب - مش مهم تكوني حديMish Muhim
Azar Habib - It's Not ImportantIt's not important for you to be beside me for me to singIt's not important for the sound to carry and speak about meI don't write, my dearNor do I play a line of musicNor do I compose or singExcept [...]
Azar Habib - It's Hard to Sleepعازار حبيب - عازز عليا النومAziz Alay al Noum
Azar Habib - It's Hard to SleepIt's hard for me to sleepYour image is in my mindOnly praying and fasting can give me patienceI swear I wouldn't have loved you if not for my heartMy tears over your absence lament my situationI'm [...]
Azar Habib - Going Round to the "Dayer-dayer"عازار حبيب - عالداير داير مندارA Dayer Dayer Mindar
So the context of the song is they are dancing around to a debke song, ie folk music, called the "dayer-dayer". This form of dance you dance in a big circle holding hands. In this case, they are distributed in a boy-girl [...]
Azar Habib - Mr. Pharmacistعازار حبيب - صيدلي يا صيدليSaydali Ya Saydali
This hasn't been uncommon theme in the folk music of the Middle East, that is, songs about asking a doctor or in this case a pharmacist for a cure from the disease of love. Popular culture says that in Arabic, unlike other [...]
Adonis Aqel - Shiki Shiki Babaأدونيس عقل - شيكي شيكي باباShiky Shiky Baba
This song takes up the topic of not being to marry a girl because you have no money and hence going away to work in the Gulf for a few years to save money to buy her a house and win her hand from her family. The song is [...]
Azar Habib - The Pearl Drop on Your Cheekعازار حبيب - عخدك حبة لولوAkhaddik Habbat Lulu
Here pearl drop is code word for a teardrop I would think.Azar Habib - There's a Pearl Drop on Your CheekThere's a pearl drop on your cheek that made me search throughout the nightFor the secrets of love so that I may know [...]
The Best of Ali Al Aisawi
Ali al-Aisawy Podcastعلي العيساويClick play to hear the podcastFor translation of Ali Al Aisawi on the site click hereHis recordings can sometimes be as harsh as his looks. You wouldn't know it by looking at him, but Ali [...]
Ali Al Aisawy - I'm Breaking Free from the Illusionعلي العيساوي - اكسر قيود الوهمIksir Quyoud el Wahem
This style of sung poetry is called a mawal.Ali Al Aisawy - I'm Breaking Free from the IllusionI'm breaking the chains of the illusionNo longer am I bound to youThe scream within me is a volcanoWhen it erupts you have no [...]
Ali El Aisawi - Forgive Meعلي العيساوي - سامحينيSamheeni
Sorry I don't have words for the mumbling poetry interspersed in this song.Ali El Aisawi - Forgive MeForgive meAccept my apologyTime wants us to be apartIt's not my decisionTime wants us to be apartIt's not my decisionYour [...]
Natacha Atlas - A Knightنتاشا أطلس - فارسFeres
I got thse lyrics from a Russian lyrics site but I'm not sure they are all correct. I did my best to correct them, but Natacha's accent is absoultely impenetrable sometimes.Natacha Atlas - A KnightA handsome knight snatched me up onto his horseAnd took [...]
Fouad Ghazi - You Are My First Loveفؤاد غازي - على حبك فيقتينيAla Hobak Fayye'tini
Fouad Ghazi - You Are My First LoveYou are my first loveAnd you've lit up my dark yearsWe met by chance in the neighborhoodI told you I was a little thirstyYou gave me water to drink with your handAnd you made me more thirstyAnd [...]
Azar Habib - When My Beloved Left Meعازار حبيب - الحبيب لما هجرنيEl Habib Lamma Hajarni
Azar Habib - When My Beloved Left MeTranslation coming soonعازار حبيب - الحبيب لما هجرنيأنا والحبيب لما هجرني هجرني خلى للعادل ملاموانا قلت إله يا حلو واصل واصلنيقالي دوق نار الغرامنار الغرام نار الغرام وللهوانا كلما نامت [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Ali Al Aisawy - I Swear on My Houseعلي العيساوي - وحق البيتWa Hagg al Beit
This version is comprised of just one verse of a much longer Iraqi folk song, and it's not even the first verse, so a lot of the context is lost I think.Ali Al Aisawi - I Swear on My HouseI swear on my house, my well, and [...]
Fairuz - I Beg You Bee Eaterفيروز - دخلك يا طير الوروارTayr al Werwar
Updated music and translationOk so I learned something new from this song. "Tayr al-warwaar" is a bird that in English we call a "bee eater." They don't live in America so I had no idea about them. Here's the wikipedia [...]
Nawal al-Zoghbi - All My Lifeنوال الزغبي - طول عمريToul Omry
Updated media and translationThis song was obviously made during the Latin music craze that brought us Ricky Martin. Nawal's videos tend to emulate whatever is en vogue in pop like that.Nawal al-Zoghbi - All My LifeAll [...]
Kazem al-Saher - It Burned my Soulكاظم الساهر - حرقت الروحHaragt al Rooh
To see the original version of this song performed by Afifa Iskender click here.Kazem al-Saher - It Burned my SoulIt burned my soul when we partedI cried and drowned them in my tearsWhat did my heart say when we partedIt [...]
