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PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California. |
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From Lennie Clark's Web Site:
El-Bint el-Shalabia
(The Pretty Girl)
This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the song "El Bint el Shalabia", which was sung by Fairuz. Her name is often alternatively spelled "Feiruz".
Lyrics
There are translations by two different people on this page. This translation was done by Adel Abdallah:
The pretty girl
Her eye is bright
I love you from my heart
You are my eye
At the picnic area my lover is waiting
And I do not feel like I should upset him
Hard days they come and go
And the heart is hurt
But these days they get tough
And they go
Under the pomogranite tree my lover talked to me
He told me good songs and pleased me
I love you from my heart
You are my eyes
Tough days come and go
This is a somewhat different translation that also appeared on the "Arabic Song Translations" web site:
Arabic Lyrics |
English Translation |
| Bint el Shalabiya | The girl from Shalabiyah |
| Ayounah 3asaliyah* | Her honey-colored eyes |
| Ibhebbik min 'albii ya 'albii | I love you from my heart, O my heart |
| Intii aynaya | You are my eyes |
| Ibhebbik min 'albii ya 'albii | I love you from my heart, O my heart |
| Intii aynaya | You are my eyes |
| Taht el qanaster | Under the arch |
| Mabuubi naater | My lover is waiting |
| Kasser il khawaater ya wilfii** | Breaking my thoughts, O loved one |
| Ma haan alaya | It is hard on me |
| Kasser il khawaater ya wilfii** | Breaking my thoughts, O loved one |
| Ma haan alaya | It is hard on me |
| _____?*** | You appear in the distance |
| 'albii maghrou | Wounded heart |
| Ayyam aal baal bita3iid itrouh | Days on the mind they come and go |
| Taht er rumaanii | Under the pomogranate tree |
| Hebbii haakaanii | My love talks with me |
| Samanii ghanaya ya ayounii | Sing songs to me O my eye**** |
| Witghazal***** biiyah | And flirting with me |
| Samanii ghanaya ya ayounii | Sing songs to me O my eye**** |
| Witghazal***** biiyah | And flirting with me |
Notes from Lennie Clark:
* The sound represented by 3a is made like aa, but opening more the back of the throat.
** Breaking my thoughts means breaking my concentration, "wilfii" is a loved one but like a dear friend or family member, not necessarily a girlfriend / boyfriend.
*** Unsure of this part
**** "Oh my eye" is an endearment
***** "itghazal" means flirting with an approved person; it does not have a negative connotation
Where to Get Recordings of this Song
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Artist: Fairuz Amazon Store: |
Translations of
Feiruz' Songs On This Site
Acknowledgements
About the Translator
Adel Abdallah is an Egyptian who resides in New Orleans, Louisiana. If you are traveling to that great city, he invites you to stop by the Cafe Picasso, located at 3401 Chartres (on the corner of Chartres and Desire, in the Bywater). The cafe serves delicious Middle Eastern food, and offers shiisha smoking. They are open daily except for Sundays, from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. (Deliveries until 10 P.M.) The phone number is (504) 948-6881.
The translation summary was done by Adel at Lennie Clark's request. Muchisimas gracias to Kruz, (whose Morocco to India ethnic boutique, located in the historic French Quarter, is not-to-be-missed) for suggesting Adel as a translator.
About the Source
This article originally appeared on Lennie Clark's web site, "Arabic Song Translations." Lennie created this web site in 2002 as a response to discussion on the Internet regarding incidents of dancers who performed inappropriate sensual dances to religious music. Lennie's web site resided on a free web hosting service known as Geocities. When the planned October 2009 closure of the Geocities web hosting service was announced, Lennie and Shira agreed to move the contents of Lennie's site to Shira.net. To explore all the articles and song translations that once appeared on Lennie's Geocities site, visit Lennie's portal page here on Shira.net. |
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