| This page contains a translation into English of the song lyrics for Sawah. Also included is a transliteration into the Roman alphabet of the original Arabic lyrics. This song was first popularized by Abdel Halim Hafez. |
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Arabic Lyrics |
English Translation |
| Sawah, wei mashee feil beilaad, sawah | Vagabond, and walking between countries, vagabond |
| Weil khatwa beinee wei bein habibee barah | And the step between me and my beloved [is] big |
| Meish war bei-eed, wana feeh gareeh | A long journey, and I'm wounded from it |
| Weil leil yei-arab, weil nahar rawah | And the night approaches, and the day goes |
| Chorus: | Chorus: |
| Wein laakom habibee, saleimulee alei | And if you see my beloved, say "Hello" to him [her] |
| Tameinuneel asmaranee, amla eil el ghorba fee | Reassure me: how is my brown-looking girl doing so far away |
| Sawah, wana mashee layalee | Vagabond, I'm walking all night |
| Sawah, walla daree bhalee | Vagabond, not knowing what I'm doing |
| Sawah, meil for-a ya ghalee | Vagabond, and the separation, oh my dear |
| Sawah, eih elee garalee | Vagabond, what has happened to me? |
| Weisneen, weisneen wana dayeib bsho' wei haneen | And years, years, and I'm melting in loneliness and tenderness |
| Ayeiz a-araf bass taree-u meinein | I want to know just where is his [her] road |
| Repeat Chorus | Repeat Chorus |
| Ya eounee, ah ya eounee, | My eyes, oh my eyes |
| Eih garalak fein enta, wei bta-meil eih | What has happened to you and what are you doing? |
| Ya znounee, ah ya znounee mat seibounee | My worries, oh my worries, leave me alone |
| Meish naaeis ana heer aleil | I'm worried enough about him [her] |
| Lana areif ar-taah, wana ta-yeih sawaah | Neither can I rest, and I'm lost like a vagabond |
| Repeat Chorus | Repeat Chorus |
| Ya amar ya naseenee | Oh moon, who is forgetting me? |
| Raseenee alee ghayeib | Take me to the absent one |
| Nawarlee, wareenee, seikeit el habayeib | Enlighten me, show me the road to the beloved |
| Waseitak, weiseiya, ya shaheid alaya | I've made you promise, you who witnessed |
| Teikeelu alei beiya | To tell him [her] of my state |
| Weilee aseito blayaleiya | And what I've suffered during my nights. |
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This translation and transliteration appear on my web site with permission from Amina Goodyear, who hired Nicole Ibrahim to do them for her. Many thanks to Amina for agreeing to let me share it with you!!! Amina is a Middle Eastern dance artist based in San Francisco, California, USA, and the director of the Aswan Dancers. Her band, the Arabian Nights, plays every Friday plus the third Sunday of every month at the Grapeleaf in San Francisco. Her studio features 6 belly dance classes (taught by Amina) and 3 drum classes (taught by her daughter Susu) each week. Amina regularly pays native speakers of Middle Eastern languages to do translations like this one for her to use in her classes. You can contact Amina via electronic mail at Aminajune@aol.com. |
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