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 "Ouyoun Baheya", which was popularized by Mohamed el-Ezabi. The song title can be also be transliterated as "Oyoun Bahiyya", "Oyoun Bahaia", or just "Bahiya".

• Oyoun Baheya (Eyes of Baheya), 1972
• Song Title in Arabic: عيون بهية
• Album: Released as a single
• Lyricist: Mohamed Hamza
• Composer: Baligh Hamdi
• Original Artist: Mohamed el-Ezabi

Has Also Been Recorded By:

• Walid Tawfik, 1973

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

In the 1960's while Abdel Halim Hafez, Baligh Hamdi and Wadih el Safi were in Morocco attending the anniversary celebration of King Hassan II of Morocco, they were taken by surprise when the King demanded to know why the great singer Mohamed el-Ezaby had never sung a song composed by Baligh Hamdi. The trio promised the King that they would see to it that he did. And so, when they returned to Cairo, Baligh Hamdi asked the poet Mohamed Hamza to write the lyrics of a song that he would compose the music to. Thus "Oyoun Baheya" ("Baheya's Eyes") was written. Mohamed el-Ezaby was the first to sing it, and it soon became the most well known song with the name of Baheya.

In 1973, a young singer named Walid Toufic entered a televised Lebanese talent show named Studio El Fan. For his piece, he sang Baligh Hamdi's song "Oyoun Baheya". His performance was a spectacular success, propelling him onto the path to stardom. Ever since, his name has also been closely linked to this song.

About Mohamed el-Ezabi

Mohamed el-Ezabi (محمد العزبي) was an Egyptian singer who was known for "Luxor Baladna", "Ouyoun Baheya", and other popular songs in the 1960's and 1970's. He appeared in seven motion pictures, including the two Reda Troupe movies Agaza Nos el-Sana (1962) and Gharam fil-Karnak (1967). El-Ezabi was acclaimed for his skill at singing the musical style known as mawwal.

El-Ezabi was born in the al-Hussein part of Cairo in 1938. He graduated from business school and went to work for a petroleum company. He became a featured singer with Reda Troupe, and performed several of the songs in two of their movies in the 1960's. He left the group in 1969 to pursue his own projects.

About Walid Toufic

When Walid Toufic (وليد توفيق) was young, growing up in Tripoli, Lebanon, he used to sing and play the oud for gatherings of his family and friends. His singing career began when he appeared on television, on a program called "'Studio Al-Fan". He was an instant hit in the media, and became known as "The amateur that in no time sparkled like a star."

Unfortunately, the rise of the civil war in Lebanon led Toufic to continue his career elsewhere. He lived in Damascus, Syria for 10 years, pursuing a career in both singing and acting. After a time, he moved on to Egypt to continue his show business career. He appeared as an actor-singer in the movie Man Yatfi Al-Nar (Who's Putting the Fire Out?) which featured his major hit, "Inzal Ya Gameel".

Other ways to transliterate his name include "Walid Tawfik" or "Waleed Tawfiq".