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Photo of Shira

 

 

PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.

يا ست يا ختياره
Ya Sety Ya Khetyarah or Porompom Pom

(O My Old Grandmother)

 

 

This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the 1973 song "Ya Sety Ya Khetyarah", which was popularized by Taroub. Also included is a transliteration of the Arabic lyrics into the Roman alphabet so you can sing along if you like.

  • Ya Sety Ya Khetyarah (O, My Old Grandmother), 1973
  • Also known as Porompom Pom
  • Arabic Title: يا ست يا ختياره
  • Album: Ajmal El Aghani
  • Arabic Lyrics: Michel Tohme
  • Composer: Juan Solano, this version adapted by Mohamed Gamal
  • Original Artist: Taroub

Song lyrics are provided for educational purposes. If you like the song, please purchase either the album or a download from an authorized source.

About this Song

This song is based on an earlier Spanish song from 1962 by Manolo Escobar titled "El Porompompero". It was composed by a team of three Spanish musicians known as Ochaíta - Valerio - Solano. Juan Solano was the composer, while José Antonio Ochaíta and Xandro Valerio were the lyricists.

About Taroub

Taroub was a Lebanese actress and singer of Circassian descent from Jordan. She was born in 1937, and her career as an artist spanned the 1950's through the 1970's. She married Mohamed Gamal, a Lebanese Palestinian, in the 1960's, and together they worked as an artistic duo. They separated after 15 years together, which is alleged to be due to his jealousy of her.

She has been linked romantically to Fawaz Haraka, an Egyptian architect, Farid al-Atrache, Omar Sharif, and Abdel Halim Hafez.

Because of her family's origins, Taroub was fluent in Turkish as well as Arabic. She often included Turkish lyrics in her songs. She left Lebanon because of the civil war, and settled in Cairo.

Taroub took the veil in 1994 and retired from her career as an artist.

 

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Lyrics

Numbers in parentheses refer to footnotes that appear at the bottom of the translation.

Arabic Lyrics

Transliteration

English Translation

Verse 1

Verse 1

Verse 1

يا ستي يا ختياره Ya Setti ya khityara Oh, my old Grandmother,
يا زينة كل الحارة Ya zeenet kil-l-hara the beauty of the whole neighborhood,
حبيبي يللي بحبه Habeebi yalli behebbu my lover whom I love,
ناطرني بالسيارة Naterni Bi-s-Siyara is waiting for me in the car.
     
يا ستي يا ختياره Ya Setti ya khityara Oh, my old Grandmother,
يا زينة كل الحارة Ya zeenet kil-l-hara the beauty of the whole neighborhood,
حبيبي يللي بحبه Habeebi yalli behebbu my lover whom I love,
ناطرني بالسيارة Naterni Bi-s-Siyara is waiting for me in the car.
     
بـــحــــبــــهــــ Behebbu! I love him!
     
بحبه ما بقدر خبي Behebbu ma be'dar khabbi I love him, I can't hide it
وعيونه خلت قلبي wa 'ouyounu khallet albi and his eyes made me heart
متل رماد السيجارة metl-r-rmad es-sigara like cigarette ashes. (1)
بارام بام بام Porompom pón Porompom pón! (2)
     

Chorus

Chorus

Chorus

بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بام بام Porompom pón Porompom pón! (2)
     

Chorus

Chorus

Chorus

بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
     

Verse 2

Verse 2

Verse 2

بلبس فستاني الاخضر Belbos fustani-l-akhdar Should I wear my green dress
ولا فستاني الاحمر walla fustani-l-ahmar or my red dress?
عازمني عل سهرية 'Azemi 'al-sahriye He invited me this night —
دلينا وين نسهر deleena weyn neshar tell us where to spend the night!
     
بلبس فستاني الاخضر Belbos fustani-l-akhdar Should I wear my green dress
ولا فستاني الاحمر walla fustani-l-ahmar or my red dress?
عازمني عل سهرية 'Azemi 'al-sahriye He invited me this night —
دلينا وين نسهر deleena weyn neshar tell us where to spend the night!
     
بـــحــــبــــهــــ Behebbu! I love him!
     
بحبه ما بقدر خبي Behebbu ma be'dar khabbi I love him, I can't hide it
وعيونه خلت قلبي wa 'ouyounu khallet albi and his eyes made me heart
متل رماد السيجارة Metl-r-rmad es-sigara like cigarette ashes. (1)
بارام بام بام Porompom pón Porompom pón! (2)
     

Chorus

Chorus

Chorus

بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بام بام Porompom pón Porompom pón! (2)
     

Chorus

Chorus

Chorus

بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
     

Verse 3

Verse 3

Verse 3

عيونو الحلوه بتقلي 'Ouyounu-l-helwa bet'elli His pretty eyes speak to me.
يا دادا تقي وجني ya dada to'ii wa jenni Oh grandma, go crazy,
ويا دادا بجن W-ya dada bekhwad wa bjenn and grandma, I go crazy
لما بيبعهن عني Lamma byeb' edhon 'anni when they're away from me!
     
عيونو الحلوه بتقلي 'Ouyounu-l-helwa bet'elli His pretty eyes speak to me.
يا دادا تقي وجني ya dada to'ii wa jenni Oh grandma, go crazy,
ويا دادا بجن W-ya dada bekhwad wa bjenn and grandma, I go crazy
لما بيبعهن عني Lamma byeb' edhon 'anni when they're away from me!
     
بـــحــــبــــهــــ Behebbu! I love him!
     
بحبه ما بقدر خبي Behebbu ma be'dar khabbi I love him, I can't hide it
وعيونه خلت قلبي wa 'ouyounu khallet albi and his eyes made me heart
متل رماد السيجارة Metl-r-rmad es-sigara like cigarette ashes. (1)
بارام بام بام Porompom pón Porompom pón! (2)
     

Chorus

Chorus

Chorus

بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بام بام Porompom pón Porompom pón! (2)
     

Chorus

Chorus

Chorus

بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
بارام بارام بام بارام بام بام Poropo, porompom pero, poropo Poropo, porompom pero, poropo (2)
  1. This means, "He set my heart on fire, and it burned to ash like cigarette ashes."
  2. The chorus of "Porompom pón" and related words also appeared in the original Spanish song that this is based on. They are nonsense syllables, similar to "tra la la" in English songs.

 

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