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

This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the Egyptian song "Ahebak wa Enta Fakerni", which was popularized by Mohamed Abdel Wahab. Also included is a transliteration of the Arabic lyrics into the Roman alphabet so you can sing along if you like.

• Ahebak wa Enta Fakerni (<in English>), 1954
• Song Title in Arabic: أحبك وانت فاكرني
• Lyricist: Hussein Sayed
• Composer: Mohamed Abdel Wahab
• Original Artist: Mohamed Abdel Wahab

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

According to the book Mohamed Abdel Wahab: His Life and Art, by Dr. Ratiba Al-Hefni, the original melody line for this song was composed by another musician, Mohamed el-Mougy. The story says that when el-Mougy confronted Abdel Wahab over the theft of his melody, Abdel Wahab replied, "It is not a problem when the father borrows a tie from his son."

Others, however, disagree with Dr. al-Hefni's statements.

It is a known fact that Abdel Wahab borrowed liberally from other composers, such as Rimsky-Korsakov, Beethoven, Tschaikovsky, and others.

About Mohamed Abdel Wahab

Mohamed Abdel Wahab was a prolific Egyptian composer of the 20th century. He was born in 1902 in the Bab El-Shaariyah neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt, where a statue now stands to honor him. He became known as the "Musician of the Generations" because his career spanned over half a century, creating new songs for each successive generation top enjoy.

Abdel Wahab was one of the innovators who created the big-orchestra sound of classical Egyptian music of the 20th century. He was a pioneer of Egyptian cinema, featured in Al Warda Al Baida (The White Rose), which was the second Egyptian movie musical ever made (the first was Ounchoudat al-Fouad).

Abdel Wahab was the first to compose for the "Oriental orchestra" that consisted of instruments from both Europe and the Middle East. In 1954 he introduced the European waltz rhythm into his composition "Al Gondol", and in 1957 he introduced a rock & roll rhythm into the song "Ya Albi Ya Khali" that he composed for Abdel Halim Hafez.

Abdel Wahab was a mentor to Abdel Halim Hafez, and composed many of his hit songs. He also composed ten songs for Oum Kalthoum, including "Enta Omri". In 1976, he composed for Nagwa Fouad the first mejance, "Amar 14".

Some of his personal belongings are housed in a museum at the Music Institute in Cairo.