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

Sana Mousa - Your Eyesسناء موسى - عيونكOyounik

Sana Mousa is a Palestinian singer who sings mainly folk songs.



Sana Musa - Your Eyes

My bird, you'd say (maybe "you'd swear" in English to convey the meaning of extreme impeccability) that her eyes are like cups
Cups full of coffee

Your beautiful, dark eyes
Oh your eyes

My bird, you'd say that her teeth were coral (whitish coral I'm assuming)
Coral mixed with pearl

Your beautiful, dark eyes
Oh your eyes

سناء موسى - عيونك

وعيونها يا طير وتقول فنجان
فنجانة بالقهوه ممتليه
يا عيونك سود وحلوه
يا عيونك

وسنونها يا طير وتقول مرجان
مرجانة على اللولو مختليه
يا عيونك سود وحلوه
يا عيونك

Samira Tawfiq - Stop Coming to Our Neighborhoodسميرة توفيق - بسك تيجي حارتناBassek Tiji Haretna

Samira Tawfiq (also Tawfik, Toufic, Toufiq etc) is a Lebanese singer who became very popular in 70s and 80s (and was a minor obsession, for example, in Mohamed al-Maghout's "I Will Betray My Country سأخون وطني"). Her style is heavily influenced by the folk music and dialects of rural Lebanese society much like Najwa Karam in the following generation.



Samira Tawfiq - Stop Coming to Our Neighborhood

Stop coming to our neighborhood (my dear)
And looking all around us (oh God) (here titlaffat تتلفت describes the action of wandering around the neighborhood looking at everybody kind of turning the head when something interesting, like girls for example, pass by)
Are your eyes on our neighbor? (my dear)
Or are your eyes on us/me? (oh God)

What brought you to our neighborhood anyway (my dear)
You're hiding in the alleys (my God)
You won't find any brides here (my dear)
Waya 3awayd al-khizrani (my God) (عويد الخيزراني is apparently a beating stick, so she's saying that he won't find any girls that like you here, just a stick to beat you back)

Between Beirut and Damascus/Sayda/Hamra etc (the folk song allows for variations to mention different locations that the listeners might be familiar with or be from, this implies that the audience/speaker in the song is in a village somewhere along the road between two points)
A red car passed by (in other verses she says a white car or a green car for variation)
That was your car my dear
I knew it from the license plate

سميرة توفيق - بسك تيجي حارتنا

بسك تجي حارتنا (يا عيوني)
وتتلفت حوالينا (الله الله)
عينك على جارتنا (يا عيوني)
ولا عينك علينا (الله الله)

وايش جابك على حارتنا
وتتخبى بالقراني
وعرايس ماكو عندنا
ويا عويد الخيزراني

بين بيروت وبين الشام
مرقت سيارة حمرا
وهاي سيارتك حبيبي
وانا عرفتها من النمرة

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.

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 House I swear on my house, my well, and my bones I love you, and from the extent of my sadness my ligaments have metled My skin trembles when I see you And my bones shake if you just put your hand on me

علي العيساوي - وحق البيت

وحق البيت واليمة والعظام
احبك وبكثر حزني ولع ضام
يفز جلدي من شوفنك والعظام
ترجف بس تحط ايدك عليها

Ali El Aisawy - A Scorpion Stung Me in My Chestعلي العيساوي - عقرب بصدري لسعنيAqrab Bisadri Lisaani

For me, this was a really difficult song, and if anyone has any additional information on it, that would be greatly appreciated. As far as I can tell, it is based on an old Arabic folk song native to either Syria or the wider area of Sham that includes Iraq as well. This version sung by Ali El Aisawy is adapted for an Iraqi audience.

As to the story of behind the song, I don't know. But from the words, it seems like there is a guy who is down on his luck out in the desert or in the country, maybe with his family or relatives, and they are making him doing work and not letting him hang out with girls. Any of your guesses would be as good as mine though.

Ali El Aisawy - A Scorpion Stung Me in My Chest A scorpion stung me in my chest, oh woe is me How do the stung sleep? I'm afraid my nemesis will hear me, oh woe is me, and put out my candles with his hands (i translated "3aadhil" as nemesis cuz it's a person who is jealous and hates you and wants you to fail so he can enjoy it)

They made me carry wood and sent me out with their sheep
They didn't let me stay up late and hanging out with the girls

God build you (make you live long, same word) oh Baghdad
Building on top of building
With pretty girls dressed in gowns (these gowns of course are those full body black gowns)

Stung oh I'm stung
I'm stung my friend and there's a fire in my side
I didn't close my eyes but my tears are falling

علي العيساوي - عقرب بصدري

عقرب بصدري لسعني يا ويلي
شلون ينام الملسوعي
خوفي العاذل يسمعني يا ويلي
وبايديه يطفي لي شموعي

وحملوني العصايا سرحوني بغنمهم
حرموني من سهر الليل ومعاشرة الصبايا

الله يعمرك يا بغداد بناية فوق بناية
بيك بنات حلوات ملبسات العبايا

ملسوع انا ملسوع
ملسوع يا صاحبي والنار بضلوعي
ما غمضت بس تنزل دموعي

Bassam Bitar - Under Her Howdahبسام بيطار - تحت هودجهاTaht Howdijha

This is part of our Syrian Debke Podcast

A modern take on an old Syrian folk song. For more see the Sabah Fakhri version

Bassam Bitar - Under Her Howdah Under her howdah While we fought Swords were drawn Oh woe is me Oh woe is me They took my love and went north They went afar, went afar How can I fly when I have no wings

بسام بيطار - تحت هودجها(يا ويل حالي)

تحت هودجها
وتعالجنا
صار سحب سيوف
ياويل حالي
ياويل .... ياويل حالي
أخذو حبي وراحو شمالي
راحوا لبعيد .... لبعيد راحوا
كيف بدي أطير وجناح مالي
ياويلي ... ياويل حالي

Sabah Fakhri - Under Her Howdah (Woe is Me) صباح فخري - تحت هودجها يا ويل حاليTahj Hawdajha (Ya Wel Hali)

• 

This is a song from the folklore of Syria. A howdah is a large saddle for a camel or elephant that has a carriage to protect the passenger (see photo). I don't actually know the story of the song, but it seems like a girl was kidnapped while riding on a camel. As to the specifics, in Syrian and Turkish folk songs, Ottoman soldiers kidnapping women is a theme that comes up from time to time, and that would be my guess as to the idea of the song. This main verse is the core of the song but of course there are usually additional verses that vary. Anyone who happens to have additional information that would be greatly appreciated.

Sabah Fakhri - Under Her Howdah Under her howdah While we fought Swords were drawn Oh woe is me Oh woe is me They took my love and went north They went afar, went afar How can I fly when I have no wings

صباح فخري - تحت هودجها(يا ويل حالي)

تحت هودجها
وتعالجنا
صار سحب سيوف
ياويل حالي
ياويل .... ياويل حالي
أخذو حبي وراحو شمالي
راحوا لبعيد .... لبعيد راحوا
كيف بدي أطير وجناح مالي
ياويلي ... ياويل حالي

Lena Shamamian - My Thoughts Are With Youبالي معاكBali Maak

There are some problems with translating this song into English. A lot of the phrases cannot be translated literally in a form that sounds natural, especially the key phrase in the song "gheerak ma yaHla li." "yaHla l-" means "to be sweet (to someone)" or "to be pleasing (to someone)," so I've translated it as "no one but you pleases me," but if you want a cleaner English translation we could say "you're the only one for me."

Lena Shamamian - My Thoughts Are With You My thoughts are with you My thoughts, my thoughts, my thoughts Your forehead is high (meaning: he has lofty morals or ideas, it's a good things) I swear upon the pupils of your eyes my darling No one but you pleases me

My life will never be at peace
While I have this desire for you in my heart
With you my thoughts have become enlightened
No one but you pleases me

If my heart said ah, my darling (meaning: if my heart felt pain)
They ahs would cauterize me
When will I be graced with your presence

لينا شماميان - بالي معاك

بالي معاك بالي بالي بالي بالي
يابو الجبين عالي عالي عالي عالي
وحياة سواد عينيك ياحبيبي
غيرك ما يحلى لي

عمري ماراح يرتاح ياحبيبي
والشوق في قلبي ليك
فكري معاك نّور ياحبيبي
غيرك ما يحلى للي

الـقـلـب لـو قـال آه يا حبيبي
آهـاتـه تكـويني

إيمتـى بـقـا الـدنيـا يا حبيبي
بقربك ح تحلا لي

Lyrics transcription from Damascus Online