Ronza was popular in the 80s, with many songs composed by the Rahbani Brothers after Fairuz and Assi's divorce.
Ronza - Do You Think?
Do you think we'll ever meet again and go out? And talk like we used to when we were young And walk together, and sing together Do you think?
Do you think the old times will ever come back and we'll walk down this road again? And the wind will blow and take us away together And you'll tell me I love you and I am jealous about you (there is an idea that if you love someone you will get jealous a lot because you covet them) Do you think?
If only the days would come back to me each night And I could see his eyes again and that bright smile And he would be mine as long as I live And I could keep him in my heart and eyes
رونزا - قولك
قولك قولك قولك رح نتلاقى بعد بشي مشوار نحكي متل الماضي وقت كنا صغار ونتمشى سوى ونغني سوى قولك
قولك بعد بيرجع الزمن العتيق نمشي أنا وانت عهاد الطريق ويهب الهوا وياخدنا سوا وانت تقول لي بحبك وانا عليك بغار قولك
يا ريت اليام ترجع لي ليلية وارجع شوف عيونه والضحكة المضوية ويبقى لي عطول مهما العمر يطول وخبيه بقلبي وعيني
"Barra (بره)" means "outside" and therefore "barra barra" means "get out" or "everybody out". This song is about all the problems there are in Algeria, and the reality that you have to get out of the country to escape those things, a sentiment also expressed in Cheb Khaled's "El Harba Wine?" However, you could alternatively understand the song as a message to those who are responsible for the problems.
Of course Rachid Taha like most of the biggest Rai singers has in fact fled Algeria and currently lives in France.
Rachid Taha - Everybody Out!
Everybody out! There's sadness, rage and treachery Everybody out! Corruption and jealousy, no longer can anyone be trusted Everybody out! Thirst, the people are forsaken Everybody out! There's no honor, just oppression and slavery
Everybody out! Thankfulness is gone and ugliness is everywhere Everybody out! The stars have gone out and the sun has gone black Everybody out! There's no more goodness, happiness or prosperity Everybody out! There's no more trees and the birds have stopped singing Everybody out! There's no day or night, only darkness Everybody out! Hell has taken over, there's no beauty left Everybody out! The time has passed, there is no honor Everybody out! There's corruption and war and the blood is running Everybody out! Only the walls are left standing Everybody out! There's fear and so everyone is silent
رشيد طه - برا برا
بره بره... الحزن والبغض والزوارة بره بره... الفسد والحسد ما بقى أمانة بره بره العطش والناس منحوسين بره بره... لا حرمة ظلم وعبودية بره بره... الشكر دان والقبح ران بره بره... النجوم طفت ظلمت الشمس بره بره... مابقي خير لا سعاده ولا زهار بره بره... مابقت شجرة سكتوا لطيور بره بره... مابقي ليل ولنهار لضلمه بره بره... الجهنم نما ما بقي الزين بره بره... كتر الزمان مابقت حرمه بره بره... الفسد والحرب والدم يسيل بره بره... الحيطان الحيطان واقفين بره بره... الخوف فالناس ساكتين
What can we say? That's it, there's nothing left for us to say We've reached a level of love that nobody in this world has every reached
I'm yours, my darling, and I will never be anyone's but yours My heart (literally, soul) needs you This moment that you are far from me How can my heart survive it?
My darling, how can I express how happy I am with you It's tough You've given me more than I ever dreamed of
عمرو دياب - أنا ليك
نقول ايه خلاص انا و انت حبيبي مفيش حاجة نقولها واصلين لدرجة حب محدش في الدنيا وصلها
انا ليك و عمري ما اكون يا حبيبي غير ليك روحي شاغلها دي الثانية و انت بعيد ازاي قلبي هيستحملها انا ليك و عمري ما اكون يا حبيبي غير ليك روحي شاغلها دي الثانية و انت بعيد ازاي قلبي هيستحملها
يا حبيبي أوصف فرحتي بيك ازاي صعب عليا أكتر يا قلبي ما بحلم بقى ملكي و بقى في إيديا
انا ليك و عمري ما اكون يا حبيبي غير ليك روحي شاغلها دي الثانية و انت بعيد ازاي قلبي هيستحملها انا ليك و عمري ما اكون يا حبيبي غير ليك روحي شاغلها دي الثانية و انت بعيد ازاي قلبي هيستحملها انا ليك و عمري ما اكون يا حبيبي غير ليك روحي شاغلها دي الثانية و انت بعيد ازاي قلبي هيستحملها
Chorus: Everywhere I go I see borders, imprisoning humanity How come all the children in the world are free, but I have no freedom?
Tamer: We've been living for more than fifty years behind the bars of the laws that are imprisoning me in a reality that never changes We don't get to feel any light except a fence from it We see a blue sky with white clouds In the middle of a star that reminds me I'm tied up (ie Israeli flag) But no I'm resilient, living optimistically You won't keep me from hoping with a dividing wall And even if this barrier surrounds me I am tied to Palestine like a fetus to an umbilical chord My legs are the roots of the olive tree in the earth that keeps producing and regrowing branches Every branch outstretched in peace Every branch subject to occupation, refusing to give up So why don’t I have freedom? Because I refuse to live in slavery
Mahmoud: We searched for peace among the leaders of war Generals of war, with them we've all become children of war Asking for freedom from the prisons that mean to keep us blinded Our eyes staring at the free children While we keep rolling to the bitter life And our leaders are only good at sweet-talking Meanwhile they're crippling our country We use power because of our weakness We put up with death so that life will treat us kindly and not with oppression We were born into this life And when we found that we were not in control of it, we tried to take it by force So we died, when all we ever asked for was a breath And what we've sacrificed is our souls So you tell me How come I have no freedom when all the children in the world are free
Suheil: I don’t want to live on my knees And I don't want to die on my feet I still see the Occupation reaching out its hand Not for peace Not for equality Rather to strangle me Another massacre And a wall that’s separating me from myself that doesn't let me see the light of day While the mother of the 51st state (ie America) raises another state They who have been raised at the expense of another (ie Israel) are just like their mother We're like the American Indians Instead of protecting us they brainwash us They tell us that we're the problem But all the armies in the world can't stop freedom!
Little Girl Reading Poem:
We want an angry generation To plow the horizon To tear up history by its roots To rip out thought from its depths We want a new generation That does not forgive for past mistakes Nor bow down nor know any hypocrisy We want a bold generation of giants
دام - مالي حرية
لازمه-علاء عزام وين ما اروح باشوف حدود ساجنه الأنسانيه ليه أطفال العالم حره وأنا ما الي حريه ?!
تامر نفار فوق ال 50 سنه احنا عايشين ورى سجون البنود اللي ساجنيني انا بواقع, ما يتغير مش حاسين ولا نور الاّ سياج منها احنا شايفين سما لونها أزرق غيمها أبيض بالنص نجمه تذكرك انت مقيد بس لا, انا صامد, عايش متفائل ما تعزل مني الامل بجدار فاصل ولو, السور يدور انا مربوط بفلسطين كجنين لحبل الطابور اجري بالأرض جذور شجر زتون تضل تولد تجدد وتجدد غصون كل غصن, ممدود للسلام, كل غصن معروض لاحتلال, ما يريد استسلام طب ليه, ليه أنا اللي ما اله حريه ? لأني أنا رافض أني أعيش بعبوديه لازمه *2 محمود جريري احنا بندور عالسلام بين قواد حرب رواد حرب معاهم صرنا أولاد حرب نطلب الحريه من السجون المعنيه انه نكون مع عيون دايما معميه من التفرج عأطفال العالم الحره دايما نضل بتدحرج للحياه المره وقوادنا شاطرين بس بتبهرج الكلام كلهم ماخدين تخرج بتعرج الأوطان واحنا بنستعمل القوه عشان الضعف بنتحمل الموت عشان الحياه تعاملنا بلطف ومش بعسف, للحياه انولدنا ولما لقيناها مش بايدنا جربنا نوخدها فمتنا, وكل اللي طلبنا كان نفس و اللي ضحينا عشانه برضو كان نفس انت قل لي, ليش أطفال العالم حره وانا ما الي انا ما الي حريه?! لازمه *2 سهيل نفار انا بديش اعيش عركبي وانا بديش اموت عاجري وانا لساتني شايف الاحتلال مادد ايد, مش للسلام مش مساواه بل تايهديني حبل مشنقه, كمان مجزره وجدار اللي فاصل بيني وبين حالي اللي ما مخلليني اشوف ضو السماء وأم ال 51 ولايه تربي كمان ولايه اللي تربى على حساب غيرها متأثره من امها, الهنود الحمر متأمله تمحينا تغسل دماغنا تقللنا انه المشكله هي احنا بس حتى جيوش العالم كلها ما تقدرعالحريه لازمه *2 عنات اغباريه: نريد جيلا غاضبا نريد جيلا يفلح الأفاق وينكش التاريخ من جذوره وينكش الفكر من الأعماق نريد جيلا قادما مختلف الملامح لا يغفر الأخطاء لا يسامح لا ينحني لا يعرف النفاق نريد جيلا, رائدا عملاق
This is one of the most well known modern Arabic pop songs in the world. I think it was made around 1996. It made this Egyptian singer, Amr Diab the preeminent popstar of the Arabic world to this day.
The video appears to be set in a sort of Andalusian/North African village setting and the flamenco guitars and accordion add to this motif.
Amr Diab - Light of My Eye
My darling, light of my eye, you live in my imagination I've adored you for years with nobody else on my mind
Darling, darling, darling, light of my eye Darling, darling, darling, light of my eye Darling, darling, darling, light of my eye Darling, darling, darling, light of my eye You live in my imagination
The most beautiful eyes I've ever seen in the universe God be with you and their magic Your eyes are with me, your eyes are enough Your eyes are with me, your eyes are enough To light up the nights
Your heart called out to me and said you love me God be with you, you reassured me
With you is the beginning, with you is the whole story With you is the beginning, with you is the whole story I'm with you until the end
عمرو دياب - نور العين
حبيبى يا نور العين يا ساكن خيالى عاشق بقالى سنين ولا غيرك فى بالى
حبيبى حبيبى حبيبى يا نور العين آه حبيبى حبيبى حبيبى يا نور العين حبيبى حبيبى حبيبى يا نور العين آه حبيبى حبيبى حبيبى يا نور العين يا ساكن خيالى
اجمل عيون فى الكون انا شفتها الله عليك الله على سحرها
What difference would the word "love" make? You could satisfy me with it My heart asks about it a lot and you're keeping it from me Tell me what you're feeling and make it sweet Why are you holding it in? I wanna hear it
Tell me it again and again and sing it to me I need to hear it from you a lot
Day after day I'm getting more attached to you and I'm forced to hide it While I stay up all night thinking of you Why are you lighting my fire? This love of yours is showing in your eyes Why arey ou hiding it? Then just say it I beg you, and put my mind at ease
صوفيا مريخ - كلمة حب
كلمة حب ح تفرق ايه ترضيني بيها قلبي بيسأل عنها كتير وانت مخبيها ما اللي تحسه قوللي عليه قولها وحليها انت شايلها فقلبك ليه انا نفسي فيها قولهالي تاني تاني قولهالي وغنيهالي محتاجة اسمعها منك كتير وكتير قولهالي تاني تاني قولهالي وغنيهالي محتاجة اسمعها منك كتير وكتير يوم عن يوم بتعلق بيك وغلبت اداري وعايشة ليلاتي بقكر فيك ليه بتقد ناري حبك ده باين في عينيك على ايه بتداري طب ما تقولها الله يخليك وريحلي بالي يوم عن يوم بتعلق بيك وغلبت اداري وعايشة ليلاتي بقكر فيك ليه بتقد ناري حبك ده باين في عينيك على ايه بتداري طب ما تقولها الله يخليك وريحلي بالي قولهالي تاني تاني قولهالي وغنيهالي محتاجة اسمعها منك كتير وكتير قولهالي تاني تاني قولهالي وغنيهالي محتاجة اسمعها منك كتير وكتير
The song "Al Rozana (ع الروزانا)" is a folk song native to the region of the Levant or بلاد الشام, ie Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine. The story behind it is that at the height of the intense wheat famine that the region experienced at the beginning of the 20th century, and Italian ship called "The Rosanna" was said to have been sent carrying food to the starving population of the Levant. Everybody was waiting in anticipation for the ship's arrival, but when it finally landed as the story goes in the song, it was carrying nothing but apples and grapes, on of the foods that the region was actually overflowing with at that time. The people cursed the ship for this reason.
Here are the lyrics.
Oh the Rosanna, the Rosanna, everything good is inside her What has the Rosanna done? God punish her! Oh the Rosanna the Rosanna, all happiness is inside her What has the Rosanna done? God punish her
Hey you who are going to Aleppo, my love went with you Hey you who are carrying grapes and on top of that apples Everyone is with their beloved and my beloved has gone Oh lord, may the breeze bring my lover back to me
عالروزانا عالروزانا كل الحلى فيها شو عملت الروزانا ألله يجازيها عالروزانا عالروزانا كل الهنا فيها شو عملت الروزانا الله يجازيها يا رايحين ل حلب حبي معاكم راح يا محملين العنب فوق العنب تفاح كل من حبيبه معه وأنا حبيبي راح يا ربي نسمة هوى ترد الولف ليا
In an article in al-Watan, Bandar Khalil explains the cultural significance of this event in the present day like this:
With this genuine Arabic song, many questions arise in the mind of the genuine Arab. For example, how many of our people have had all of their rosy dreams met with dark disappointment, and all their hopes were squandered on an endless range of despair, frustration and helplessness? How many of us have waited and were patient and bore all of the their pain, only to find that when our Rosanna came and dropped anchor in the harbor of their dreams, nothing came out of it... We as an Arab people that has spent its whole life waiting for numerous "Rosannas" which still have never arrived, while carrying further disappointment for our dreams, how many times must we hear this song each day?
Yet, we shouldn't take this song as perceived by every listener as a song that sums up the broken dreams of the Arab people. Nonetheless, the theme of disappointment pervades discussion of the song. One poster in another forum describes the song as perfect for expression the feeling of disappointment by some soccer team. The point is this folk song is very much a song about getting your hopes up only to find that the thing you were waiting for was a mirage.
I've supplied many different versions so everyone can find their favorite.
I love you so much, so much my darling And I love you to death Nobody but you has changed my life Nor is anyone but you ever on my mind You are so dear to my heart my darling
Your love is growing inside of me and I hope it continues to Every day I feel something new
Nobody but you has changed my life Nor is anyone but you ever on my mind I love you so much, so much my darling And I love you to death
صوفيا مريخ - بزاف
بزاف بزاف يا حبيبي بزاف بزاف نبغيك ونموت عليك انا بزاف بزاف بزاف عليك يا حبيبي بزاف بزاف نبغيك ونموت عليك انا بزاف بزاف ولا غيرك غيرلي ايامي ولا غيرك ابدا على بالي ولا غيرك غيرلي ايامي ولا غيرك ابدا على بالي غالي يا حبيبي غالي على قلبي بزاف بزاف عليك يا حبيبي بزاف بزاف نبغيك ونموت عليك انا بزاف بزاف حبك يكبر فيي واكتر كي يزيد انا كنشعر يوميي باحساس جديد حبك يكبر فيي واكتر كي يزيد انا كنشعر يوميي باحساس جديد ولا غيرك غيرلي ايامي ولا غيرك ابدا على بالي ولا غيرك غيرلي ايامي ولا غيرك ابدا على بالي غالي يا حبيبي غالي على قلبي بزاف بزاف بزاف يا حبيبي بزاف بزاف نبغيك ونموت عليك انا بزاف بزاف بزاف بزاف يا حبيبي بزاف بزاف نبغيك ونموت عليك انا بزاف بزاف بزاف بزاف يا حبيبي بزاف بزاف نبغيك ونموت عليك انا بزاف بزاف
She's addressing her lover, expressing embarassment from his question "do you love me" or something along those lines. She's saying she doesn't want to respond, and he should know that from her behavior, that is, he should be able to tell. So he should listen to her heart and see "what is written in her eye," meaning what's on her mind, in order to see the truth.
Majida el-Roumy - Listen to My Heart
Listen to my heart and see its beats You'll know my love from its rhythym
Why are you asking me and confusing me? Listen to my heart and see its beats You'll know my love Listen Listen to my heart
There is a word you want me to say to you, I know it No matter how much you try, rest assured, I'm not going to say it
Ask my heart its secrets It will not hide or conceal them
I can't tell you with my tongue that I love you I can't tell you with my tongue that I love you There is meaning in my heartbeat, it will answer you The secrets of my heart and its tune are words They are my tongue
The word you are waiting for is in my eye The word you are waiting for is in my eye Written, and you can read it Look what it is Look what it is Ask it to tell you what's up with me Possibly it loves you, possibly and what does it have to do with me
ماجدة الرومي - إسمع قلبي
إسمع قلبي وشوف دقاته تعرف حبي من نغماته إسمع قلبي وشوف دقاته تعرف حبي من نغماته ليه تسألني وتحيرني إسمع قلبي وشوف دقاته تعرف حبي... إسمع إسمع قلبي
إسمع قلبي وشوف دقاته تعرف حبي من نغماته إسمع قلبي وشوف دقاته تعرف حبي من نغماته ليه تسألني وتحيرني إسمع قلبي وشوف دقاته تعرف حبي... إسمع إسمع قلبي
في كلمة عاوزني أقولها لك أنا عرفاها مهما تحاول ريح بالك، مش قايلاها في كلمة عاوزني أقولها لك أنا عرفاها مهما تحاول ريح بالك، ، مش قايلاها إسأل قلبي عن أسراره مش بيخبي ولا بيداري إسأل قلبي عن أسراره مش بيخبي ولا بيداري
