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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:
Sirt el Hob
(Talk of Love)
This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the song "Sirt el Hob", which was recorded by Oum Kalthoum. Also included is a transliteration of the Arabic lyrics into the Roman alphabet so you can sing along if you like.
Other ways the song title has been spelled include "Sirtil Hobb", "Seret al Hob", or "Sirt Elhob".
Oum Kalthoum was born in 1904 and died in 1975. She was unquestionably the most gifted singer and musician of the 20th century in the Middle East. She was continuously popular for over 50 years and her songs are still played nightly on any number of Arabic-language radio stations. Oum Kalthoum is one of four vocalists who have achieved legendary status in Egyptian music. The other three are Farid al-Atrache, Mohammed Abdel Wahab, and Abdel Halim Hafez.
Her name is transliterated many different ways in the Roman alphabet, including Um Kulthum, Om Kalsoum, Umm Kulthoum, Om Kalthoum, Umm Kalsum, Oum Kalthum, Oum Kolthoum, Oum Kaltsoum, and others.
Lyrics
The following translation and transliteration have been copyrighted by Hala Dance; all rights reserved.
Arabic Lyrics |
English Translation |
| Tule omry bakhaf mel hob we sirtil hob, we zolm el hob lkol asehabo | All my life I've been afraid of love, the talk of love, and the betrayal of love to its friends |
| Waraf hekayat malyana ahat we demoo we aneen, wel ash'een dabo ma labo | I know stories full of pain, tears and cries of agony. Lovers have been worn out but not quit |
| Tule omry ba'ool lana add el shoo we layali el shoo, wala abbi adde a zabo | All my life I've been saying I'm not up to desire, and the nights of desire and my heart is not up to its torture |
| We abeltak enta, la'eetak betghayar kol hayati | I met you, I found you changing all my life |
| Maarafsh ezay ana habeitak maarafsh ezay ya hayati | I don't know how I loved you, I don't know how, my life* |
| Men hamset hob la'etni baheb | From a whisper of love I found myself in love |
| La'etni bahab, wadoob fel hob | I found myself in love, melting in love |
| Wadoob fel hob we sobh we leil | Melting in love day and night, |
| We leil ala babo | Day and night at its doorstep |
| Fat men omry sneen we sneen | Many years and years have passed from my life |
| Shoft keteer we aleel ash'een | I've seen many and a few lovers |
| Elli byeshki halol hal | Those complaining to themselves about their condition |
| Welli b'yebki ala mawalo | And those crying over their ballad |
| Ahlel hob saheeh makaseen | Lovers are truly pitiful |
| Yamal hob nadah ala albi ma radesh | Many times love has called my heart, my heart didn't respond |
| Ya mal shoo hawel yahayelni wa a'olo | Many times desire tried to tempt me and I told it |
| "Rooh ya azab" | Go away torture |
| Yama oyoon shaghlooni, laken wala shaghalooni | Many eyes flirted with me, but never got me busy |
| Ella ayounak inta, bas dole elli khaduni | Except your eyes, only those took me |
| Web hobak amarouni | And captured me with your love |
| Amarouni aheb la'etni baheb | They ordered me to love, I found myself in love |
| La'etni baheb wadoob fel hob | I found myself in love, melting in love |
| Wadoob fel hob, we sobh we leil | Melting in love, day and night, |
| We leil ala babo | Day and night at its doorstep |
| Yalli zalamtol hob, we olto we edto aleh, we olto aleh mosh aref eh | You who misrepresented love, and badmouthed it over and over and said I don't know what |
| El abe feekom yaf habayebkom | The defect is in you or in your lovers |
| Amal hob, ya rohy ya rohy | But love, oh my soul, oh my soul |
| Ya rohy aleh | Oh my soul |
| Feddonia mafeesh abdan abdan ahla mnel hob | In all the world there is nothing ever ever better than love |
| Net'ab, neghlab, neshteki, menno laken benhib | We get tired, we get defeated, we complain about it, but we love |
| Ya salaam al alb we tanhudo fi wesal we foraak | How nice when the heart sighs in getting together and in separating |
| We shemoo el shoo lama ye'eedo leil el moshtak | And the candles of desire when they light the night of the anticipating |
| Ya salaam a donia we halaweteha | How nice the world is |
| Fi ein el oshaak | In the eyes of lovers |
| Wana khadnil hob la'etni | Love took me, I found myself in love |
| La'etni baheb, wadoob fel hob | I found myself in love, melting in love |
| Wadoob fel hob, we sobh we leil | Melting in love, day and night |
| We leil ala babo | Day and night at its doorstep |
| Yalli malate bel hob hayati, ahdi hayati ellik | You who filled my life with love, I give my life as a gift to you |
| Rohi, alb, aali, hobbi, kolli melk edake | My soul, my heart, my mind, my love, all of me belong to your hands |
| Sotak, nazartak, hamastak, shai mish mool | Your voice, your looks, your whispers, something incredible |
| Shai khallal donia zohoor ala tule | Something made the world flowers all the way |
| We shemoo ala tule | And candles all the way |
| Allah ya habibi ala hobak we hanaya maa | How sweet your love is, my love, and my happiness with it |
| Walla dam'et ein garahet albi | No tear from an eye hurt my heart |
| Wala olet ah | And no saying "Ah" |
| Mabah olsh fi hobak ghere Allah Allah Allah | I say nothing about your love but "How wonderful, how wonderful, how wonderful" |
| Men kotrel hob, la'etni baheb | From all the love I found myself in love |
| La'etni baheb, wadoob fel hob | I found myself in love, melting in love |
| Wadoob fel hob, we sobh we leil | Melting in love, day and night |
| We leil ala babo | Day and night at its doorstep |
* Note from Lennie Clark: in Arabic, as in Spanish, the term "my life" is an endearment.
Where to Get Recordings of this Song
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Artist: Various Amazon Store: |
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Artist: Upper Egypt Ensemble Amazon Store: |
Translations of
Oum Kalthoum's Songs on This Site
Acknowledgements
About the Translator
This translation and transliteration were contributed by Hala Dance.
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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