SOAS Arabic Choir :: Songtext 00

Ya-rayah wayn msaafir?

 

 

YA-RAYAH WAYN MSAAFIR? ( يا رايح وين مسافر )

Dahmane El-Harrachi

 

YouTube:

https://youtu.be/mCChxHZXacA


يا رايح وين تسافر تروح تعيي وتولينى
ايش حال ندموا العباد الغافلين قبلك وقبلى

ايش حال شفت البلدان العامرين والبر الخالى
ايش حال ضيعت اوقات وايش حال زيد ما زال تخلى
يا الغايب فى بلاد الناس ايش حال تعيي ما تجرى
تزيد وعد القدرة ولى الزمان وانت ما تدرى

علاش قلبك حزين وعلاش هكدا كى الزوال
ما تدوم الشدة ولا تزيد تعلم وتبنى
ما يدومولى الايام ولا يدوم صغرك وصغرى
ويا حليلو المسكين اللى غاب سعده كى زهرى

يا مسافر نعطيك وصية تيجاها ع البكرى
شوف ما يصلح ليك قبل ولا تبيع ولا تشرى
يا النايم جانى خبرك كى ماصرالك صار لى
هكدا رد القلب والجبين..سبحان العالى

Transliteration:

 

Ya rayah wayn msafir trouh, taaya w-twali
Sh-hal nadmou al-'abaad el-ghafilin, qablak w-qablii (bis)

 

Sh-hal sheft al-bildan al-‘aamrin, wa-l-berr al-khali
Sh-hal dhiyaat awqaat w-sh-hal tzid, maa zaal t'khali
Ya al-ghayeb fi bled el-naas, sh-hal taaya maa tadri
Tzid wa-add al-qoudra wala zmaan, w-enta maa tedri

 

Ya rayah wayn msafir trouh, taaya w-twali
Sh-hal nadmou al-abaad el-ghafilin, qablak w-qablii (bis)

 

Alaash qalbuk huzin wa-alaash hakida kii al-zawaali
Maa tdoum al-shadda wi-laa tzid taalem ou tabni
maydoumou al-layyam wa-laa yidoum sagrek w-sagrii
Ya hlilou meskin lii ghab, saadou ki zahri

 

Ya rayah

 

Ya msafir na'atik wsaayti addiha al-bakri
Shouf ma yeslah liik qbal maa tbi'a w-maa teshri
Ya al-nayem jaani khabrek maa sralek maa srali
Hakda rad al-qalb w-el djbine … sabhane al-'aali

 

Translation:  Oh Emigrant (or Traveller)

Oh traveller, where are you going?
Eventually you must come back
How many ignorant people have regretted this
Before you and me

How many overpopulated countries and empty lands have you seen?
How much time have you wasted?
How much have you yet to lose?
Oh emigrant in the country of others
Do you even know what's going on?
Destiny and time follow their course but you ignore it


Why is your heart so sad?
And why are you staying there miserable?
Hardship will end and you no longer learn or build anything
The days don't last, just as your youth and mine didn't
Oh poor fellow who missed his chance just as I missed mine

Oh traveler, I give you a piece of advice to follow right away
See what is in your interest before you sell or buy
Oh sleeper, your news reached me
And what happened to you happened to me
Thus, the heart returns to its creator, the Highest (God)

_________________

 

WIKI: Dahmane El Harrachi (real name Abderrahmane Amrani), (July 7, 1926 - August 31, 1980),

was an Algerian Chaâbi singer of Chaoui origin. His song Ya Rayah made him the best exported

and most translated Chaabi artist.

 

He moved to France in 1949 living in Lille, then Marseille, before eventually settling in Paris. It was

in Paris where he made a name for himself, playing in the numerous Algerian cafés there.

 

He died on August 31, 1980 in a car accident on the highway in Algiers. He is buried at the El Kettar Cemetery

_____________________

 

Transliteration: Ed Emery and Christelle Madani

 

SOAS Arabic Band / 19.xi.2018