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Misirlou
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This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the French version of the Greek song "Misirlou", which is often spelled "Miserlou". This French version was sung by Dario Moreno. Song lyrics are provided for educational purposes. If you like the song, please purchase either the album or a download from an authorized source. Music: Nicholas (Nikos) Roubanis The lyricist for one of the French versions, though I'm not sure which one, was Louis Hennevé, and this version was released in 1953. Dario Moreno was the stage name of David Arugete, and was born in 1921 to a Jewish family in Izmir, Turkey. He built his musical career in France during the 1950's and 1960's. He would have been only 6 years old when Tetos Demetriades released the original Greek recording of Misirlou in 1927. He died in 1968 at the young age of 47. |
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Listen to MP3 Clips of This Song
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Sung by Dario Moreno (the Paris Music Hall version) |
Lyrics
Version on Paris Music Hall
This version of the lyrics appeared on Dario Moreno's albums titled Paris Music Hall, I Love Paris Volume 2, Dario Moreno Gold (1958), and Brigitte Bardot. Parts of these lyrics resemble the English lyrics created in 1941 by Bob Russell, Fred Wise and Milton Leeds.
French Lyrics |
English Translation |
| L'ombre peu à peu s'étend sur le sable, | Bit by bit shadows extend over the sand |
| Et les caravanes prient à genoux. | and the caravans drop to their knees to pray |
| Une première étoile au ciel insondable, | The first star appears in the endless sky |
| Evoque en moi soudain ton amour si doux. | Suddenly evoking in me your sweet love |
Chorus |
Chorus |
| Ah, Misirlou! | Ah, Egyptian girl! |
| Reine des reines, maîtresse de mon cœur, | Queen of queens, mistress of my heart, |
| C'est toi que j'aime, c'est toi mon seul bonheur. | It's you that I love, you're my sole happiness. |
| Ah, Misirlou! | Ah, Egyptian girl! |
Verse |
Verse |
| Le désert s'endore sous la lune calme, | The desert has fallen under the calm moon, |
| La piste d'argent conduit au bonheur. | The silver trail leads to happiness. |
| Bientôt apparaitront les altières palmes, | Soon, the proud palm trees will appear |
| Où vont faire leur nid nos deux tendres cœurs. | Where our two tender hearts will snuggle. |
Chorus |
Chorus |
| Ah, Misirlou! | Ah, Egyptian girl! |
| Reine des reines, maîtresse de mon cœur, | Queen of queens, mistress of my heart, |
| C'est toi que j'aime, c'est toi mon seul bonheur. | It's you that I love, you're my sole happiness. |
| Ah, Misirlou! | Ah, Egyptian girl! |
Version on Best of Gold Dario Moreno
This version of the lyrics appeared on Dario Moreno's album titled Best of Gold. They match fairly closely to the original Greek version as sung by Tetos Demetriades.
Numbers in parentheses refer to footnotes that appear at the bottom of the translation.
French Lyrics |
English Translation |
| Misirlou, ton doux regard |
Egyptian girl, your sweet gaze |
| A allumé une flamme dans mon cœur, |
Lights a flame in my heart |
| akh yakhabibi, akh ya leleli, akh, |
oh my love (1), oh leleli (2) |
| Tes lèvres de miel, oime! | Your lips of honey, oh my! (3) |
| Ah! Misirlou, beauté magique et enchanteresse | Ah! Egyptian girl, magical beauty and enchantress |
| Je deviens fou, je ne peux plus souffrir |
I'm becoming crazy, I can't suffer any more |
| Ah! Je vais te voler à l'Arabie |
Ah! I'm going to steal you from within Arabia. |
| Ma Misirlou aux yeux noirs |
My Egyptian girl with the black eyes |
| Un seul de tes baisés allume une flamme en moi | Just one of your kisses lights a fire in me |
| akh yakhabibi, un petit baisé de tes lèvres douces, oime! |
Ah, my love, one little kiss from your lips, oh my! |
| Ah! Misirlou, beauté magique et enchanteresse | Ah! Egyptian girl, magical beauty and enchantress |
| Je deviens fou, je ne peux plus souffrir |
I'm becoming crazy, I can't suffer any more |
| Ah! Je vais te voler à l'Arabie | Ah! I'm going to steal you from within Arabia. |
- "Ya habibi" is an Arabic expression for "oh my love" or “oh my darling”
- In Arabic, "leleli" is derived from the word "leil" for "night", but Arabic-speaking singers often improvise using the syllables "leleli" in the same way an English song might use nonsense syllables such as "tra la la".
- "Oime" is an ancient Greek word of expression, similar to "Oh my!
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This translation was created by Shira.
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