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PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California. |
Ana A'Ayesh
(I Am Alive)
This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the al jeel song "Ana A'ayesh", which was made popular by Amr Diab in 2003. Also included is a transliteration of the Arabic lyrics into the Roman alphabet so you can sing along if you like.
Amr Diab was born in Port Said, Egypt on October 11, 1961. Although his father worked for the Suez Canal Corporation, he possessed a fine singing voice of his own and encouraged young Amr to sing. The boy's talent showed itself at an early age. One evening when he was only 6 years old, Amr accompanied his father to a festival in Port Said. When they visited a local radio station, Amr was invited to sing the national anthem, "Baladi, Baladi". The governor of Port Said praised him and gave him a guitar as a prize. Diab's musical talents extend beyond his singing - he also knows how to play oud and piano. Amr Diab graduated from the music program at the Cairo Academy of Art in 1986. |
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His first album, Ya Tareeq, was released shortly afterward and proved to be an instant success. However, the spectacular hit song that brought him to worldwide fame was his 1996 release, "Habibi, Ya Nour el Ain." That song garnered the title of Arabic Song of the Year, and with its Spanish fusion sound it defined a new genre of music known as "Mediterranean music." Diab was one of the early artists to record music which later became known as al jeel, or "generation" music - the genre of pop music created for the under-25 generation of young Egyptians in the 1980's and 1990's. According to Let's Go Egypt, Diab is the best-selling Arab recording artist of all time. He has received the World Music Award in the category of "Best-Selling Arab Artist" three times - in 1998, 2002, and 2007. In 2003, Amr Diab won two major awards in a poll done by Nile Variety TV. One was "Best Music Video" for this song, "Ana "A'ayesh," and the other was Best Singer. Amr Diab has a daughter from his marriage to Sherine Reda (Mahmoud Reda's daughter), and three children from his later marriage to Zinah Ashour. |
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Lyrics: Rabie el-Sewefi
Music: Amr Mostafa
Listen to MP3 Clips of this Song
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Sung by Amr Diab |
Lyrics
Arabic Lyrics |
English Translation |
| La bartah bi lailah wala bansaak wa leik nihaya. | I don't feet at ease in a night, and I don't forget you and you do not have an end. |
| Wa laow hata baba'aid babaa maa'ak iw mantash maa'aya. | Even if i go far away, i will be with you and you are not with me!! |
| La bartah bi lailah wala bansaak wa leik nihaya. | I don't feet at ease in a night, and I don't forget you and you do not have an end. |
| Wa laow hata baba'aid babaa maa'ak iw mantash maa'aya. | Even if i go far away, i will be with you and you are not with me!! |
| Ana a'ayesh iw mosh a'ayesh iw mosh aader a'ala boa'dak . | I am alive and not alive and I can not tolerate you being far away. |
| Wa la a'aref biyoum ansa iw la a'ayez habeeb baa'dak. | And I don't know a day I forget and I don't want another lover after you. |
| Ana a'ayesh iw mosh a'ayesh iw mosh aader a'ala boa'dak . | I am alive and not alive and I can not tolerate you being far away. |
| Wa la a'aref biyoum ansa iw la a'ayez habeeb baa'dak. | And I don't know a day I forget and I don't want another lover after you. |
| Iw basaal wi aalbi biyihlam youm yirtaah min jiraho. | And I ask and my heart dreams about a day feeling at ease from its wounds. |
| Dah ijdeedna illi kanoo ma bayna zamaan | This is new, the one used to be among us far away. |
| Raja'een willa rahoo | Are they coming back, or they are gone. |
| Iw basaal wi aalbi biyihlam youm yirtaah min jiraho. | And I ask and my heart dreams about a day feeling at ease from its wounds. |
| Dah ijdeedna illi kanoo ma bayna zamaan | This is new, the one used to be among us far away. |
| Raja'een willa rahoo | Are they coming back, or they are gone. |
| Iw basaal wi aalbi biyihlam youm yirtaah min jiraho. | And I ask and my heart dreams about a day feeling at ease from its wounds. |
| Dah ijdeedna illi kanoo ma bayna zamaan | This is new, the one used to be among us far away. |
| Raja'een willa rahoo | Are they coming back, or they are gone. |
| Ana a'ayesh iw mosh a'ayesh iw mosh aader a'ala boa'dak . | I am alive and not alive and I can not tolerate you being far away. |
| Wa la a'aref biyoum ansa iw la a'ayez habeeb baa'dak. | And I don't know a day I forget and I don't want another lover after you. |
| Ana a'ayesh iw mosh a'ayesh iw mosh aader a'ala boa'dak. | I am alive and not alive and I can not tolerate you being far away. |
| Wa la a'aref biyoum ansa iw la a'ayez habeeb baa'dak. | And I don't know a day I forget and I don't want another lover after you. |
| Ma habitsh ghayrak | I did not love any one, but you. |
| Wa aa'mail eih bishoaqi iw hawaya iw laili wi nahaari bafakar feek | What I can do about my yearning and love? My nights and days that I think about you. |
| Ma tirjaa' kifaya. | Why don't you come back? |
| Ana a'ayesh iw mosh a'ayesh iw mosh aader a'ala boa'dak . | I am alive and not alive and I can not tolerate you being far away. |
| Wa la a'aref biyoum ansa iw la a'ayez habeeb baa'dak. | And I don't know a day I forget and I don't want another lover after you. |
| Ana a'ayesh iw mosh a'ayesh iw mosh aader a'ala boa'dak . | I am alive and not alive and I can not tolerate you being far away. |
| Wa la a'aref biyoum ansa iw la a'ayez habeeb baa'dak. | And I don't know a day I forget and I don't want another lover after you. |
Where to Get Recordings of this Song
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Artist: Amr Diab Amazon Store: |
Translations of
Amr Diab's Songs on This Site
About the Translator
More than 80 song translations that appear on this web site, including this one, were created by Tahseen Alkoudsi. Together with his wife Kathe, Tahseen owned an import business in Lawrence, Kansas known as Cartouche.
Sadly, Tahseen died on Sunday, October 15, 2006. See this link for his obituary.
To me, Tahseen was so much more than a contributor to my web site. Even though we lived far apart, I saw Tahseen and Kathe several times over the years. I always appreciated their warmth and generosity. I first "met" Tahseen online back in 1997 on the med-dance list on the Internet, where he periodically posted messages. I knew he was in Lawrence, Kansas, so when a business trip arose requiring me to travel to the Kansas City area, I emailed him to say I'd be in the neighborhood. He and Kathe came to Kansas City for an evening get-together at Tasso's restaurant, and they invited several local dancers to join us. I saw them on follow-up visits to Kansas City. They vended at Rakkasah for several years, and it was always a pleasure to greet them there in the anteroom off to the left of the main stage. I also enjoyed encountering them in Egypt at the Ahlan wa Sahlan festival. Tahseen will be missed by many. |
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