Notes: The 1001 Nights are called ألف ليلة وليلة in arabic (alf layla wa layla) or "alf layla" for short.
Fairouz - Come Back, Oh 1001 Nights
Come back, oh 1001 (literally 1000) nights, as a cloud of perfume
And may love water those thirsty for it with the dew of the dawn
My long-lasting desires have shortened my life
And your stories will be forever beautiful throughout the ages
فيروز - إرجعي يا ألف ليلة
إرجعي يا ألف ليلة غيمة العطر
فالهوى يروي غليله من ندى الفجر
إن أشواقي الطويلة أقصرت عمري
و حكاياكي خميلة في مدى الدهر
This song performed by Egyptian singer Nagat al-Saghira (born 1936), who was very popular in the 1960's.
Najat al-Saghira - I Love the Sea
I love the sea, tender as you are
And at times, like you, crazy
Migrating, traveling.
At times, like you, confused
At times, like you, angry
At times full of silence.
I love the sea.
I love the sky
Because, like you, it's forgiving
Sown with stars and joy
A lover and a stranger.
And because, like you, it's distant
And sometimes, like you, near,
with eyes that sing.
I love the sky.
I love the road
Because on it is our meeting,
Our joy and our sorrow,
Our friends and our youth,
And on it our tears laughed
And our candles wept,
And a friend was lost.
I love the road.
I love the sea,
And I love the sky
And I love the road
Because they are life
And you, my love,
You are life itself.
نجاة الصغيرة - انا بعشق البحر
انا بعشق البحر انا بعشق البحر
زيك يا حبيبتى حنون
وسعات زيك مجنون
ومهاجر ومسافر
وسعات زيك حيران
وسعات زيك زعلان
وسعات مليان بالصمت
انا بعشق البحر
انا بعشق السما
علشان زيك مسامحة
مزروعة نجوم وفرحة
وحبيبة وغريبة
وعشان زيك بعيدة
وسعات زيك قريبة
بعيون متنغمة
انا بعشق السما
انا بعشق الطريق
لانة فية لقانة
وفرحنا وشقانا
واصحابنا وشبابنا
وفية ضحكت دمعنا
وفية بكيت شمعنا
وضاع فية الصديق
انا بعشق الطريق
انا بعشق البحر
وبعشق السما
وبعشق الطريق
لانهم حياة
وانتى يا حبيبتى
انتى كل الحياة
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 ؟
Marcel Khalife - Walking Tall
I'm walking tall
I'm walking with my head held high
I carry an olive branch in my hand
And my corpse on my shoulders
As I walk and walk
My heart is a red moon
My heart is a garden
Full of boxthorn and basil (I don't know if the berries that grow on boxthorn in Palestine are considered poisonous, but I think the connotation here is that he has both sweet and bitter feelings in his heart)
My lips are a sky that rains fire sometimes and sometimes love
There's an olive branch in my hand
And my corpse is on my shoulders
As I walk and walk
مارسيل خليفة - منتصب القامة أمشي
منتصبَ القامةِ أمشي
مرفوع الهامة أمشي
في كفي قصفة زيتونٍ
وعلى كتفي نعشي
وأنا أمشي وأنا أمشي....
قلبي قمرٌ أحمر
قلبي بستان
فيه فيه العوسج
فيه الريحان
شفتاي سماءٌ تمطر
نارًا حينًا حبًا أحيان....
في كفي قصفة زيتونٍ
وعلى كتفي نعشي
وأنا أمشي وأنا أمشي
Mehrnoush - Your Eyes are So Beautiful
Your eyes are so beautiful
Their color is so strange
The way that you look at me is warm and pure
Did you know that your eyes look like a painting that could be drawn in childhood (meaning he's innocent)
Did you know that or not?
Did you know that or not?
Did you know that in your eyes you can see all the colors of the rainbow
Did you know that or not?
Did you know that or not?
You knew that and you didn't stay
And you really broke my heart/made me feel bad (literally burned my heart/make me feel sorry/regretful, different than دلم را شكستی / you broke my heart)
You took your eyes away from me and brought me to tears
Did you know that you're my eyes (my life) and you're all my hope
Did you know that you are always in every moment (of my life, meaning she's always thinking of him)
Did you know that I gave up all my desires to focus on your beautiful eyes
Did you know that or not?
Did you know that or not?
Did you know that I burned my youth for these strange eyes of yours
You knew that and you didn't stay
And you really broke my heart
You took your eyes away from me and brought me to tears
Did you know that you're my eyes (my life) and you're all my hope
Did you know that you are always in every moment (of my life, meaning she's always thinking of him)
مهرنوش - تو كه چشمات خیلی قشنگه
تو که چشمات خیلی قشنگه
رنگ چشمات خیلی عجیبه
تو که این همه نگاهت واسه چشمام گرم و نجیبه
میدونستی که چشات شکل یه نقاشیه که تو بچگی میشه کشید
میدونستی یا نه
میدونستی یا نه
میدونستی که توی چشمای تو رنگین کمون میشه دید
میدونستی یا نه
میدونستی یا نه
میدونستی که نموندی
دلمو خیلی سوزوندی
چشاتو ازم گرفتی منو تا گریه رسوندی
میدونستی که چشامی همه ی آرزوهامی
میدونستی که همیشه تو تموم لحظه هامی
تو که چشمات خیلی قشنگه
رنگ چشمات خیلی عجیبه
تو که این همه نگاهت واسه چشمام گرمو نجیبه
تو که چشمات خیلی قشنگه
رنگ چشمات خیلی عجیبه
تو که این همه نگاهت واسه چشمام گرمو نجیبه
میدونستی همه ی آرزوهامو واسه ی چشم قشنگ تو پروندم رفتش
میدونستی یا نه
میدونستی یا نه
میدونستی که جوونیمو واسه چشم عجیب تو سوزوندم رفتش
میدونستی یا نه
میدونستی یا نه
میدونستی که نموندی
دلمو خیلی سوزوندی
چشات و ازم گرفتی منو تا گریه رسوندی
میدونستی که چشامی همه ی آرزوهامی
میدونستی که همیشه تو تموم لحظه هامی
Myriam Faris - La La Yaba La La
La la yaba la la
My name is Hala
I've come to the city to sell these masks
And the masks sold themselves
Where is everybody?
Come out and buy a mask from me
Where are the joy, and excitement, and voices singing?
Night after night, and this pretty young girl is still all alone
If I sell a lot today, I'll buy a few gifts
A little dress for my sister and a toy for my brother
ميريام فارس - لا لا يابا لا
لالا يابا لالا
انا اسمي هاله
جايه عالمدينه بيع وجوه الزينه
والزينه باعت حالها
وين انتوا يا هالناس
طلوا اشتروا مني
وين الفرح والحراس والصوت اللي بيغني
بعد الليل ورجع الليل وبعدها الحلوي لحالها
ازا بعت اليوم كتير
باخد كام هديه لاختي فستان صغير وشي لعبه لخيه
This song and video have been produced in solidarity with the Egyptian youth that have died and sacrificed in the continuing revolution.
The title phrase of the song "ana mawgood" (أنا موجود) means "I am present," "I am here," or "I exist." I've translated it here in different ways depending on the context, and I've also translated it as "here I am" in some spots to give it a better sound in English. Let me know if you have any comments about the word choice.
City Band – I Am Here
I exist, but my title keeps changing
My name is youth, and I am young
I am willing to live a short life
And I am not afraid to die
Here I am
I exist, and I don’t have a card or ID
Everybody look at me
Throw me on the ground and stomp all over me
Keep me from making any sound
But I am here
Say that I’m spreading fitna (discord) and I am always undermining the stability
Say that I’m a kafir (infidel) and a traitor and that I’m going to hell
You are free to say what you will
I won’t object to any kind of dialogue
Yes, I’m a killer and my weapon is some stones
I am here
Here I am
Do what you want to me
And when I die, nobody ask why they killed me
And I beg you do not cry
Whoever wants to laugh can laugh, it’s not important
Nobody call out “we will not forget you”
No forget me, but don’t forget
The one who killed me is still out there
And I am gone
سيتي باند - أنا موجود
أنا موجود لكن عنوان بيتغير
أنا اسمي شباب سني صغير
ومش رافض أعيش عمر قصير
ومش خايف أموت
أنا موجود
انا موجود لا معايا بطاقه ولا هويه
داروا عيوبكم كلها فيا
شيلوا وحطوا ودوسوا عليا
امنعوا يطلع منى الصوت
أنا موجود
وقولوا عليا بعمل فتنة وبهدم دائماً الاستقرار
وقولوا عليا كافر خاين ومكاني هيكون النار
وقولوا كلامكم بحرية أنا مش هامنع أي حوار
ايوه انا قاتل وسلاحي شوية طوب
أنا موجود
أنا موجود اعملوا فيا اللي تحبوه
ولما هاموت ما حدش يسأل ليه قتلوه
وأرجوكم ما تبكوش
اللي عايز يضحك يضحك ما يهموش
وما حدش يهتف لا ننساك لا انسوني بس ان تنسوش
اللي قتلني لسه موجود
وأنا مش موجود
