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قولي أحبك
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This page contains a translation into English of the lyrics to the Iraqi song "Ooli Ahiboka", which was popularized by Kazem al-Saher. Also included is a transliteration of the Arabic lyrics into the Roman alphabet so you can sing along if you like.
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 Kazem el-SaherKazem el-Saher is an Iraqi singer, composer, and songwriter, sometimes known by the nickname "The Caesar of Arabic music". Over the course of his career, he has achieved spectacular success throughout the Arabic-speaking world and beyond. His biggest hit has been Ana Wa Laila. When el-Saher was growing up, he was influenced by hearing music on the radio by composers such as Mohamed Abdel Wahab. He started learning to play guitar as a child, then later switched to oud. At age 21, he enrolled in the prestigious Baghdad Institute of Music and studied there approximately 6 years. El-Saher found it difficult to break into the music business because he wanted to perform his own compositions, whereas music producers were more interested in artists who would perform their material. He collaborated with a friend who happened to be a television director to create a music video featuring one of his own songs, "Ladghat El Hayya". It was broadcast on Iraqi television in 1987, immediately generating controversy due to the content of its lyrics. A year later he released another hit, "Abart Al Shat". After moving to Lebanon in 1996, el-Saher teamed up with Syrian poet Nizar Qabbani, who served as his lyricist on more than 30 songs. By 1998, el-Saher had released 10 albums and elevated his reputation from "pop star" to "artist". He won a UNICEF award for his song "Tathakkar", which he was invited to perform for the U.S. Congress and the United Nations. El-Saher began his career as a songwriter creating music for other Iraqi singers, but eventually moved on to become a recording artist in his own right. He relocated to Cairo, Egypt, and built a following as the voice of Iraqi exiles. Kazem el Saher has often been compared to legendary Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez because of his emotive singing style. Like Hafez, he has also been a heartthrob in the eyes of many young Arab women. Al-Saher has been at the forefront of a return to romantic classicism in Arabic music, steering clear of the pop sound that is so prevalent today. El-Saher is known for his perfectionism and attention to detail, and praised for his non-traditional use of long-forgotten maqamat (musical building blocks) in his compositions. El-Saher has released over 20 albums, toured the world, and achieved international popularity. Other ways to spell his name include "Kathem el-Saher" and "Kadim Al Sahir". |
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Lyrics
Numbers in parentheses refer to footnotes that appear at the bottom of the translation.
Arabic Lyrics |
Transliteration |
English Translation |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la laaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la laaaa la la laaaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa la la laaaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا | La la la laaa | La la la laaa (1) |
Sung by Kazem |
Sung by Kazem |
Sung by Kazem |
| قولي أحبك كي تزيد وسامتي | Qolli ahiboka, kay tazeeda wasamati | Tell me, "I Love You", so my handsomeness may increase. |
| فبغير حبك لا أكون جميلا | Fa be ghair hobiki la akoono gameelan. | For without your love, I can't be handsome. |
| قولي أحبك كي تصير أصابعي | Qolli ahiboka kay taseera asaba-ee dahaban | Tell me, "I Love You", so my fingers can turn to gold. |
| ذهباً و تصبح جبهتي قنديلا | Wa tosbeha gabhti kandeelan. | And my brow can light up like a candle. |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
| قولي أحبك كي تزيد وسامتي | Qolli ahiboka, kay tazeeda wasamati | Tell me, "I Love You", so my handsomeness may increase. |
| فبغير حبك لا أكون جميلا | Fa be ghair hobiki la akoono gameelan. | For without your love, I can't be handsome. |
| قولي أحبك كي تصير أصابعي | Qolli ahiboka kay taseera asaba-ee dahaban | Tell me, "I Love You", so my fingers can turn to gold. |
| ذهباً و تصبح جبهتي قنديلا | Wa tosbeha gabhti kandeelan. | And my brow can light up like a candle. |
Sung by Kazem |
Sung by Kazem |
Sung by Kazem |
| الآن قوليها | Alan akoliha! | Say it now! |
| الآن قوليها ولا تترددي | Alan akoliha! Wala tataradadi. | Say it now! And do not hesitate, |
| بعض الهوى لا يقبل التأجيلا | Baadan hawa la yakbalo takjilan | For some love cannot stand to wait. |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la laaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la lala la la laaaa la la laaaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa la la laaaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | La la la laaa, La la la laaaa | La la la laaa, La la la laaaa (1) |
Sung by Kazem |
Sung by Kazem |
Sung by Kazem |
| سأغير التقويم إذا أحببتني | Saghir el takwim law ahbabtini, | I would change the calendar if you loved me, |
| أمحو فصولاً أو أضيف فصولا | Amho fesoolan aw adif fesoolan. | Erase seasons, or add seasons. |
| وسينتهي العصرُ القديمُ على يدي | We saientahi el asr el kadim ala yadi, | The old period would end under my hands, |
| وأقيـمُ مملكـةَ النسـاءِ بديـلا | We akim azimatan el nisa badilan. | And I would establish a kingdom of women in its place. |
Sung by Kazem with the Chorus |
Sung by Kazem with the Chorus |
Sung by Kazem with the Chorus |
| قولي أحبك كي تزيد وسامتي | Qolli ahiboka, kay tazeeda wasamati | Tell me, "I Love You", so my handsomeness may increase. |
| فبغير حبك لا أكون جميلا | Fa be ghair hobiki la akoono gameelan. | For without your love, I can't be handsome. |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la laaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la lala la la laaaa la la laaaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa la la laaaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | La la la laaa, La la la laaaa | La la la laaa, La la la laaaa (1) |
Sung by Kazem |
Sung by Kazem |
Sung by Kazem |
| ملكٌ أنا لو تصبحين حبيبتي | Malikoon ana law tosbihina habibati. | I would be a king if you were my lover. |
| أغزو الشموس مواكباً وخيولا | Aghzo el shimoos marikaban we kheyoolan. | I would invade the suns with ships and horses. |
| لا تخجلي مني فهذى فرصتي | La takhjali mini fa hazi forsati, | Do not be shy from me for this is my opportunity, |
| لأكون بين العاشقين رسولا | Le akoon bein el ashikina rasoolan. | To be a prophet among lovers. |
Sung by Kazem with the Chorus |
Sung by Kazem with the Chorus |
Sung by Kazem with the Chorus |
| قولي أحبك كي تزيد وسامتي | Qolli ahiboka, kay tazeeda wasamati | Tell me, "I Love You", so my handsomeness may increase. |
| فبغير حبك لا أكون جميلا | Fa be ghair hobiki la akoono gameelan. | For without your love, I can't be handsome. |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la laaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la lala la la laaaa la la laaaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa la la laaaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | La la la laaa, La la la laaaa | La la la laaa, La la la laaaa (1) |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
Sung by the Chorus |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la laaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la la la la la | Laaa la la la la la (1) |
| لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا لا | Laaa la lala la la laaaa la la laaaaa | Laaa la la la la la laaaa la la laaaaa (1) |
- Although in Arabic the word for "no" is "la", that's not how "la" is being used in this song. In this song, it's simply a nonsense syllable similar to "tra la la" in English.
Translations of
Kazem el-Saher's Songs On This Site
Translations on this web site of songs performed by Kazem el-Saher include:
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About the Translation Source
This translation and transliteration of the song's lyrics are courtesy of www.arabic-lyrics.com.
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