History of Music in Lebanon Podcast

From Ottoman History Podcast

Lebanon is a country of just a few million, but its musical output has historically rivaled its much larger neighbors in the Arab world. This episode of the Ottoman History Podcast provides an overview of the the history of music in modern Lebanon as well as an overview of the history of modern Lebanon through music. We discuss topics such as nationalism, war, migration, and gender, all while listening to some of the most memorable and beloved songs and artists that the country has produced.

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Artists include:

Nasri Shamseddine, Wadih El Safi, Sabah, Fairuz, Mansour and Assi Rahbani, Zaki Nassif, Melhem Barakat, Samira Tawfik, Farid al-Atrache, Sami Clark, The Bandaly Family
Marcel Khalife, Ahmad Kaabour, Ziad Rahbani, Joseph Saqr, Julia Boutros, Makhoul Kassouf, Sami Hawat, Azar Habib, Majida El Roumi
Najwa Karam, Ragheb Alama, Nawal El Zoghbi, Wael Kfoury, Nancy Ajram, Elissa
Soapkills, Mashrou' Leila, Charbel Rouhana, Ziad Sakhab

Select Bibliography:

Stone, Christopher Reed. Popular Culture and Nationalism in Lebanon: The Fairouz and Rahbani Nation. London: Routledge, 2008.
ʻAssāf, Aḥmad. Fayrūz wa-dawlat al-Raḥābinah. Dimashq: Dār al-Rāʼī lil-Dirāsāt wa-al-Tarjamah wa-al-Nashr, 2008.
Reynolds, Dwight Fletcher. Arab Folklore: A Handbook. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2007.
O'Ballance, Edgar. Civil War in Lebanon, 1975-92. New York, N.Y.: St. Martin's Press, 1998.
Khater, Akram Fouad. Inventing Home Emigration, Gender, and the Middle Class in Lebanon, 1870-1920. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001.

Wadih el Safi - In the Squareوديع الصافي - بالساحةBissaha

المتصفح الذي لديك لايدعم مشغل الأغاني. دبر حالك و روح نزل البرنامج أو .<A HREF="http://www.mazika.in/go/?download=song&id=2820">اضغط هنا</A> لسماع الأغنية.

Wadih El Safi – In the Square In the square we met She's got such a killer pair of eyes on her And a body that puts the eye to shame (the evil eye, that is) And her cheeks are like an apple that would make an apple jealous (meaning more juicy than an apple)

The meddlers and the relatives blamed me
They brought me the lovers and the sweethearts
I told her 'Girl, my heart is melting'
She said 'quite frankly, I don't want you'

Take pity on this yearner waiting for a smile
It would raise his spirits if you would just smile (literally, his soul would return)
And whenever a breeze passes through the neighborhood
I send you my regards under its wing

My heart, to where are you gonna follow her?
Obey me, my heart, and forget her love
She told me 'I don't want you to tire your heart'
I told her 'My soul, it's my pleasure' (literally, your tiring me is sweet)

وديع الصافي - بالساحة

بالساحة تلاقينا بالساحة عليها جوز عيون شو دباحة
وقامة يخزي العين والخدين تفاحة بتغار من تفاحة

لاموني العزال والقرايب جابولي الخلان والحبايب
قلتلها يا بنت قلبي دايب قالت ما بهواك بالصراحة

حني عالمشتاق ناطر بسمة بتردله الروح لو تبتسمي
وكل ما صوب الحي مرت نسمة ببعتلك سلام تحت جناحها

يا قلبي لوين لاحق دربه طاوعني يا قلب وانسى حبها
قالتلي ما بريد تتعب قلبك قلتلها يا روحي تعبك راحة

Najwa Karam and Wadi' al-Safi - We Grew Olderنجوى كرم و وديع الصافي - وكبرناKeberna

This is one of the most beautiful Arabic songs ever recorded, in my opinion. The title means “We grew old together.” It is a conversation between a father (Wadi’ al-Safi) and his daughter (Najwa Karam). It is supremely tender and touching and showcases the emotional range of both singers. I have done my best to translate the words, which are in the Lebanese dialect.

Najwa Karam and Wadi' al-Safi - We Grew Older

Wadi' al-Safi

My conscience is unsettled… and my heart is not at rest.
I feel that I’m lost, that I’ve lost the key.
My thoughts are worried and my eyes don’t sleep.
I feel, my daughter, that you are not yourself.
I sense that you’re tired, that you’re upset.
I see black clouds in your eyesthat rain worries, worries.
I could be wrong, or you could be wrong.

Najwa Karam

Your feelings are correct, my father.
Your feelings have revealed the truth… and with your permission, I would like to tell you
Your daughter has become a young woman.
Every time I encounter a black cloud
Things come to my mind that pierce through it.

Your words come to my mind,
Your gazes come to my mind.
I return to my life’s almanac
I return to the first page of my life
I’m small and you’re teaching me moral lessons from a book
That tells the story of Diab’s ewes
And what happened to them; oh my father, my father…
And how you would reprimand me.

Wadi' al-Safi

Oh my daughter… When you were small,
I hid you under my wings… I hid you so that you would be at ease
And now that you’ve grown older
You’ve become my wings.

I swear by your eyes,
Because of how much I cared for you then,
I would draw you pictures and tell you of what was happening
So that my heart’s tenderness would surround you.
And the scent of lilies would fill the house,
And you grew up with everything a child could want.
In my eyes you are still small...

Najwa Karam

We have both grown older, my father.
Our days have grown more numerous.
Our responsibilities grew with us,
And our dreams grew as well.
_______, my father.
Share in the responsibility with me,
Oh my father...

Wadi' al-Safi

Don’t worry, my daughter,
Flower of my eyes.
I will not leave you alone.
I know that you’ve become a young woman,
And it’s become necessary for someone to join and accompany you.

Najwa Karam

I try not to hide anything from you,
And vent my worries to none but you.
You can see with your eyes.
I feel that you understand me
Even before I speak.
It’s so difficult for me to travel the path alone,
After they took the joy of love from me.
They seized my heart of hearts from me
And stole from me my laughter.

Wadi' al-Safi

I can’t believe what I am hearing;
I feel that my heart can’t even cry.

Najwa Karam

They took my voice from the one I was singing for;
They took the color from my tears.
They forbade my eyes from crying.
Help me, father;
Don’t leave me, father.
Give my heart back its laughter.

Wadi' al-Safi

Your laughter and days of happiness will return to you;
I won’t leave you for one minute.
I won’t dwell in gazing
Into tomorrow, or the night before it.
Laughter will return to your heart;
I will return it to you.

Najwa Karam

I had no doubt, father,
That if we talked, took and gave,
I would understand you,
And you would understand me.
Oh my father...

Wadi' al-Safi

Oh my daughter…

نجوى كرم و وديع الصافي - و كبرنا

وديع الصافي

ضميري مش مرتاح .. وقلبي مش مرتاح
حاسس إني ضايع .. ومضيع المفتاح
أفكاري قلقانة وعينيّ سهرانة
حاسس إنك يا بنتي .. ما عدتي انتي انتي
حاسس إنك تعبانة.. حاسس إنك زعلانة
عم شوف بعينيكي غيوم سودا
عم تشتي هموم هموم
يمكن أنا غلطان .. ويمكن انتي غلطانة

نجوى كرم

إحساسك بمحلو يا بيي
إحساسك بجلو.. وعن إذنك بدّي قلو
بنتك صارت صبية
كل ما غيمة سوداء قبالي
مرقت شو بتخطر ع بالي

تخطر ع بالي كلماتك
تخطر ع بالي نظراتك
وارجع عروزنامة عمري
راجع أول صفحة بعمري
>صغيرة و توعظني من كتاب
بيحكي الدني نعاج دياب
وما وافق يا بيّي يا بيي
وشو تعيط عليّ

وديع الصافي

ايــــه يا بنتي …..لما صغيرة كنتي
خبيتك تحت جناحي…خبيتك تاترتاحي
وكبيرة هلأ صرتي
صرتي انتي جناحي

بحلف بعينيكي بعينيكي
من كتر خوفي بوقتها عليكي
كنت ارسملك صور و أخبار
تا عطف قلبي يحاوطك داير من دار
وتبقي عطر زنبق معبا الدار
و تكبري بعين الكل
تبقي صغيرة بعين عيني

نجوى كرم

و كبرنا يا بيي
كبرت فينا الايام
المسؤولية كبرت معانا
و كبرت الأحلام
كرمالي يا بيي
شاركني المسؤولية
ايــــــــــه يا بيي

وديع الصافي

ما تخافي يا بنتي
يا زهرة عينيي
وحدك ما بخليكي
بعرف صرتي صبية
وصار لازم خاويكي

نجوى كرم

بحاول ما خبي عليك
ولغيرك ما اشكي
بتطلع بعينيك
بحسك عم تفهمني
من قبل ما احكي
صعبة وحدي كفي الدرب
و اخدوا منى فرح الحب
خطفوا مني قلب القلب
وسرقوا مني الضحكة

وديع الصافي
مش عم صدق شو عم بسمع
حاسس قلبي بلش يدمع

نجوى كرم

اخدوا صوتي لمين بغني
خطفوا لون دموعي مني
حرموا عيوني تبكي
ساعدني يا بييي
ما تتركني يا بيي
ردلي ع قلبي الضحكة

وديع الصافي

راح ترجعلك الضحكة و ايام الهنا
عنك مش راح اتخلى ولا دقيقه أنا
ومش راح خلي تطول النطرة
و الليلة قبل ع بكرا
قلبك راح رد الضحكة
رح ردا أنا

نجوى كرم

ما كان عندي شك يا بيي
انو اذا حكينا .. اخدنا و اعطينا
راح افهم عليك
وراح تفهم عليي
ايـــــــــه يا أبيي

وديع الصافي

ايـــــــــه يا بنتي