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PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California. |
Ayeela Tayeha
(Lost Daughter)
These are the lyrics as originally released by Ahmed Adaweya on a cassette tape named Ya Salaam Volume 5.
The translation below is a literal translation of the lyrics. Here are some additional comments from Hanan regarding how to read between the lines of the song's meaning: A traditional Egyptian man never admits that he's been dumped by a woman. The first line of the song, repeated many times, is "Lost Child" or "Lost Daughter" ("Ayeela Tayeha"). However, it becomes obvious that this "child" he's talking about is actually a grown woman. He progresses from asking the community to help him find his "lost child" to mourning, loudly and long, the disappearance of a beautiful woman the sight of whom "makes him dizzy" (which is hardly the conventional attitude of a father toward a child). His mourning is so exaggerated that it becomes comical: evidently he's doing a caricature of a dumped man.
Ahmed Adawiyya is widely recognized as one of the first recording artists to establish the genre of Egyptian music known today as shaabi.
Listen to MP3 Clips of this Song
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Sung by Ahmed Adaweya |
Lyrics
My woman has lost her way, you good people.
She's wearing a nylon blouse and a pleated skirt.
You won't get money or any reward for your search,
But God will surely bless you.
She's as beautiful as a glowing peach;
Her personality is wonderfully charming.
Anyone who sees her admires her beauty.
She's not only beautiful, but intelligent as well.
She has been my song, but now all I have is a copy.
Oh, she is so gorgeous, the sight of her makes me dizzy!
I've searched so long for this stunning beauty.
She's a first lady and a great beauty:
When she enters a room, it is brightened.
Anyone with vision can clearly see that
She is beyond compare.
Where to Get Recordings of this Song
The version of the song used for this translation has been re-released on an album titled The Best of "Ya Salaam".
Translations of
Ahmed Adawiyya's Songs on this Site
About the Translator
I'd like to thank Hanan el-Masry Lang for doing this translation of "Ayeela Tayeha", and also Shauna Pickett-Gordon for sharing it with this web site. Hanan is an Egyptian-American.