Farid al-Atrache - Love Meفريد الأطراش - حبيناHabeena

Updated media, lyrics and translation

This song is from the 1970s film Naghem fi Hayati (نغم في حياتي) starring Farid al-Atrache and this clip, I think, should be considered a piece of Lebanese cultural history. Pay attention to the fashion, and to the bald guy dancing with a plate a food after the first verse.

The user momentofserenity on youtube.com brings us this nice bit of trivia:

"This song was originally written for Georgina Rizk upon her winning Miss Universe Pageant in 1971. The lyrics started as "Georgina Georgina... Habbaynaki Hebbina" Yet, the Lebanese Radio station refused to broadcast it due to a law that forbade broadcasting songs on public figures at that time. Therefore, Farid El Atrache decided to change the lyrics into "Hebbina Hebbina... Habbaynaki Hebbina" and release the song in the film. The Lebanese Radio Station's loss is indeed Arabic Cinema's gain."

Probably for this reason you notice he is actually saying "love us" in the song, to rhyme with Georgina, but I've translated it in the first person for the sake of sounding nice in English.

Farid al-Atrache - Love Me Love me, love me, I love you so love me If I had not fallen in love with your eyes, I wouldn't have troubled myself and come here I've fallen in love, I've fallen And I've gotten lost on the path of love I've suffered so much, and I've followed you for so long

I swear I'm sacrificing my soul
It's not possible for me to reveal this secret
Wherever you want I'll go, take me wherever you want
Oh night, sing of love, it's just beginning

Let the lovers flirt and play hard to get
You beautiful girl, my love and my sleeplessness
This is love is public, and God has permitted it

I've loved you for so long, you flower on the branch of Lebanon
Be kind to the infatuated heart, be nice to me my pretty
I swear upon the songbird, my soul calls out your name
Be kind my gazelle of the valley and hold me in your heart

فريد الأطرش - حبينا

حبينا حبينا، حبيناكي حبينا
لو ما حبينا عيونك، لا تعذَّبنا ولا جينا
حبينا حبينا حبيناكي حبينا..

وقعنا بالحب وقعنا، وعا درب الهوى ضعنا
وياما وياما تلوَّعنا، وياما وراكي مشــينا
وحياتك منضحِّي الروح ومش ممكن بالسر نبوح
مطرح ما بدِّك منـروح، وين مـا بدِّك ودِّينــا

ياليل غني الحب بعده بأوَّلــه خلِّي الحبايب يتقلوا ويتدلَّلوا
يا حلوة الحلوين حبي وسهري ده الحب بين النـاس الله محلله
يا ليل
حبيناكي من زمان، يا زهرة على غصن البان
حنِّي عالقلب الولهان، ويا حلوة توصِّي فينـا

وحياة الطير الشادي روحي بإسمك بتنادي
حنِّي يا غزال الوادي وجوَّا قلبك خبِّينــا
حبينا حبينا حبيناكي حبينا

Lyrics transcription from here

Asmahan - Once I Entered a Garden أسمهان - دخلت في مرة جنينةDakhelt fi Marra Genina

Composed for Asmahan by her brother Farid al-Atrache. For part two of the song entitled El Tuyour الطيور (The Birds), click here. To read more about Asmahan, see her bio here

Asmahan - Once I Entered a Garden Once I entered a garden to smell the scent of the flowers And distract my sad soul and listen to the song of the birds I looked and found on the branches a nightingale with his mate Standing with her in silence It made me happy to see him

He put his wing around her as he took care of her tenderly
And from his love for her, he sang her a comforting song

And then he said to her "My angel, anything you need just ask"
"I'd give my life and soul for you, don't ever leave me"

And after a long while of drinking from the cup of togetherness
His beautiful lover started to play hard to get

She flew off without checking up on him, leaving him in agony
Poor guy, my heart goes out to him
Passion has melted his heart

He stayed up that night counting the stars as the full moon watched over him
His worries grew upon him, but where could he find the strength to go on (or patience)?

And what also increased his torment was that his lover had gone to another
And made his affliction worse
My dear, he got a bad lot

I left feeling sorry for him
His situation could make a rock cry
He maintained his love for her, and she betrayed the covenant of their love

أسمهان - دخلت في مرة جنينة

دخلت مرة جنينة اشم ريحة الزهور
وسلّي نفسي الحزينة واسمع نشيد الطيور

بصيت لقيت على الغصون بلبل ويّا وليفته
واقف معاها بسكون انا فرحت لما شفته

فارد جناحه عليها وبيراعيها بحنان
وهو من حبه فيها غنلها لحن الأمان

وقال لها يا ملاكي اللي تعوزية اطلبيه
روحي وعقلي فداك حبيبك أوعي تسيبيه

وبعد مدة طويلة في شرب كاس الوصال
لقت حبيبته الجميلة زادت عليه الدلال

طارت ما سألتش فيه وخلفتله العذاب
مسكين يا روحي عليه قلبه من الوجد داب

سهر يعد النجوم والبدر شاهد عليه
طالت عليه الهموم وبس يصبر بإيه

واللي كمان زاد عذابه وليفته لافت بغيره
وزودتله مصابُه وساء يا روحي مصيره

خرجتِ صعبان علي حالتُه تبكّي الجماد
حفظ ودادها وهيّ خانت عهود الوداد

Lyrics transcription from here

Asmahan - Nights of Merrimentأسمهان - ليالي الأنسLayali El Ons

Asmahan's brother Farid al-Atrache participated in the composition of this piece. A love song set in Vienna, which is envisioned as paradise, something hard to imagine given that the song was recorded in 1944, the same year that the Allies reached Vienna and began bombing at the end of World War II. Cairo isn't paradise, but it's not that bad, is it?

To read more about Asmahan, see her bio here

Asmahan - Nights of Merriment Nights of merriment in Vienna Her breeze is from the airs of paradise A melody so fair ringing in the air Upon hearing it the birds weep and sing along

And amidst the clinking of glasses and the ring of the melody
You sway in time like branches in the breeze

Achieve happiness for your soul
Let your heart rejoice
Your loved ones are all around you
It is nothing short of paradise

Enjoy your youth here in Vienna
For Vienna is a garden of Eden

A moment of bliss
If you can have it, you forget the whole universe in it
What will remain of this happiness other than its shadow?
A specter walking among your illusions, a ghost running among your dreams
Why wait for the days to pass without a word?

Celebrate, sing, send your heart swimming on the air, soaring to find a companion in this world
To rejoice in his company, to be happy in his love
Enjoy your youth while your heart is with him

أسمهان - ليالي الأنس


ليالي الأنس في فيينا نسيمها من هوا الجنّة
نغم في الجوّ له رنّة سمع لها الطير بكى وغنّى

ما بين رنين الكاس ورنّة الألحان
قد الأوان ميّال تعاطف الأغصان

تمّ النعيم للروح والعين ما تخلّي قلبك يتهنّى
آدي الحبايب عالجنبيتن إيهِ اللي فاضل على الجنّة

متّع شبابك في فيينا دي فيينا روضة من الجنّة
نغم في الجوّ له رنّة سمع لها الطير بكى وغنّى

ساعة هنا. لو تفضالك. تنسى معاها الكون كلّه
إيه اللي رايح يبقالك من النعيم ده غير ظلّه
خيال ساري مع الأوهام وطيف جاري مع الأحلام
وليه تصبر على الأيام تفوت من غير ما تتكلّم

دي ليلة الأنس في فيينا نسيمها من هوا الجنّة
نغم في الجوّ له رنّة سمع لها الطير بكى وغنّى

افرح. واطربْ. ابعت قلبك يسبح ويطير
في الدنيا دي يلقله سمير

تهنا بقربه، وتسعد بهواه
واتهنّي شبابك والقلب معاه
دي فيينا روضة من الجنة يسعد لياليكي يا فيينا
نغم في الجوّ له رنّة سمع لها الطير بكى وغنّى

Lyrics transcription from here

Farid al-Atrache - Oh Flower in My Imaginationفريد الأطرش - يا زهرة في خياليYa Zahratan fi Khayali

This has also been recorded by the artist Hanine y Son Cubanos in a latin style

Farid el-Atrash – Oh Flower in My Imagination Oh flower in my imagination that I guarded with my heart and soul The nights damanged her And their hands caused her to wilt And their eyes bothered her And thus died the magic of her eyelids (meaning her petals perhaps?)

She was my passion, I've lost everything
So I've removed the love from my heart and soul
I've given my chords and my melodies to the ages
I sang to heal my wounds
I am a bird in the hills of art singing for the birds, for the flowers, and for the branches

فريد الأطرش - يا زهرة في خيالي

يا زهرة في خيالي رعيتها في فؤادي
جنت عليها الليالي وأذبلتها الأيادي
و شاغلتها العيون فمات سحر الجفون
يا غرامي كل شيء ضاع منى فنزعت الحب من قلبي و روحي
و وهبت العمر أوتاري و لحني و تغنيت فداويت جروحي
أنا طير في ربى الفن يغنى للطيور للزهور للغصون

Lebanese Music

Lebanon may be considered the center of pop music for the Arab world. While the population is only 4 million, scores of Lebanese pop artists are popular throughout the Arabic speaking world and beyond.

The most notable Lebanese artists is of course Fairuz, who became popular during the 1960s and continues to perform to this day. The Rahbani brothers typically produced music for their sister Fairuz, in a classical Arabic style and sometimes in what might be considered a more Westernized style. Fairuz starred in many musicals about Lebanon and Palestine that dealt with the hardship of these peoples during the 1960s and 1970s. Nostalgia for a homeland is certainly a theme that arises in much of her music. Today, Fairuz is not just one of the most famous Arab singers ever, but also a cultural icon that is tied to a modern Arab and Lebanese national identity.

Other classic Lebanese artists include Sabah, Warda and Farid al-Atrache.

A number of women have attained superstardom in the more recent Lebanese pop music movement. Elissa is multimillion-dollar earning singer who has been recording for over 10 years. Nawal al-Zoghbi is another artist who has been singing for about the same amount of time. These artists were at the forefront of the Westernization of Lebanese pop musical styles, and comparing an early Nawal al-Zoghbi CD to a more recent one will illustrate this change. One artist, Najwa Karam, has been particularly stubborn about making her music and pronunciation "less Lebanese" to conform to expectations of the modern global audience.

Ragheb Alama is among the most famous male acts. He was very popular in the early 1990s and is notable for having made a huge comeback in the year 2000 with his album 'Tab Leh?.'

Modern Lebanese pop has flooded the Arabic music market with artists. The most famous currently is Nancy Ajram, who has become a prominent and controversial figure in the world of Arab pop because of her tendency to push the boundaries of sexuality. Haifa Wehbe, a former model, is another rising star in Lebanese pop and has successfully starred in some films such as "Wawa." Modern female Lebanese stars, especially those like Haifa Wehbe and Dana, are pushing the boundaries of the risque in the Arabic pop music scene and Lebanon. Many of these artists have been banned from performing in more socially conservative Arab states including Egypt because of what has been considered an overly sexual image. Although their lyrics and wardrobes may seem mild compared with the blunt sexuality of modern Western pop music, one must bear in mind that the transformation has been much more rapid and less inline with mainstream values in the Arab world.

Yuri Murqadi is another popular musician who often sings in Standard Arabic, similar to Kazem el-Saher. Here is a list of some of the most prominent Lebanese pop artists:

Nancy Ajram
Haifa Wehbe
Nawal al-Zoghbi
Elissa
Ragheb Alama
Wael Kfoury
Dana
Yuri Murqadi
Joanna Malah
Carol Samaha
Najwa Karam