Fairuz is considered a true romantic symbol in Arabic music, she has a great sensational feeling in her voice, she did her great songs from 1960s to the 1980s then released a jazzy album with her son, she is still alive but does not really perform much, she is getting older and trying to keep her appearance more sacred amidst the storm of commercialism we live in.
This song particularly gets me! it’s called “Wahdon” which means “they alone”, the story behind the lyrics is left to mythical speculations on different stories in the time of the civil war of Lebanon, but to a greater extent this song reflects the sorrow and sadness when you are left alone and still waiting for “them” to come back, everyone may weave his/her own story around the lyrics.
Lyrics in Arabic and English translation:
وحدن بيبقوا متل زهر البيلسان
وحدهن بيقطفوا وراق الزمان
بيسكروا الغابي
بيضلهن متل الشتي يدقّوا على بوابي على بوابي
يا زمان
يا عشب داشر فوق هالحيطان
ضوّيت ورد الليل عكتابي
برج الحمام مسوّر وعالي
هج الحمام بقيت لحالي لحالي
يا ناطرين التلج ما عاد بدكن ترجعوا
صرّخ عليهن بالشتي يا ديب بلكي بيسمعوا
وحدن بيبقوا متل هالغيم العتيق
وحدهن وجوهن وعتم الطريق
عم يقطعوا الغابي
وبإيدهن متل الشتي يدقّوا البكي و هنّي على بوابي
يا زمان
من عمر فيي العشب عالحيطان
من قبل ما صار الشجر عالي
ضوّي قناديل و أنطر صحابي
مرقوا فلّوا بقيت عبابي لحالي
يا رايحين وتلج ما عاد بدكن ترجعوا
صرّخ عليهن بالشتي يا ديب بلكي بيسمعوا
They alone stay like the “Bayalasan” Flowers
They alone pick the leaves of time
(they) close the forest
like the winter, they keep on knocking on my doors
Oh, time!
like crawling weed all over the walls
I lit the flowers of the night on my book
the dove tower is fenced and high
the doves have left, and I stayed alone
O, those who are waiting for the snow, don’t you want to come back?
Howl for them in the snow, Thy Wolf, they might hear you
They alone stay like those old clouds
Their faces and the darkness of the road
crossing the forest
and with their hands, like the winter, they knock (crying) on my doors
Oh, time
as old as the shadows of the weeds on the walls
before the trees got so high
I light my candles and wait for my friends
they passed, they left, and I stayed at my door, alone
O, those who are leaving with the snow, don’t you want to come back?
Howl for them in the snow, Thy Wolf, they might hear you
This song is dedicated to all family members and friends who left us and kept their beloved presence to be always remembered.