Sa’alouni Al Nas By Fairuz

by Anees

Joined Dec 2021
Published Books 2

The lyrics:

سألوني الناس عنك يا حبيبي
كتبوا المكاتيب و أخدها الهوا
بيعز عليي غني يا حبيبي
و لأول مرة ما منكون سوا

سألوني الناس عنك سألوني
قلتلن راجع أوعى تلوموني
سألوني الناس عنك سألوني
قلتلن راجع أوعى تلوموني
غمضت عيوني خوفي للناس
يشوفوك مخبى بعيوني
و هب الهوى و ما كان الهوى
لأول مرة ما منكون سوا

سألوني الناس عنك يا حبيبي
كتبوا المكاتيب و أخدها الهوا
بيعز عليي غني يا حبيبي
و لأول مرة ما منكون سوا

طل من الليل قالي ضويلي
لاقاني الليل و طفى قناديلي
طل من الليل قالي ضويلي
لاقاني الليل و طفى قناديلي
و لا تسأليني كيف إستهديت
كان قلبي لعندك دليلي
و اللي إكتوى بالشوق إكتوى
لأول مرة ما منكون سوا

سألوني الناس عنك يا حبيبي
كتبوا المكاتيب و أخدها الهوا
بيعز عليي غني يا حبيبي
و لأول مرة ما منكون سوا

English translation:

The People Asked Me

The people have asked me about you, my darling
They’ve written letters and the wind took them
It’s not easy for me to sing, my darling
When for the first time, we are not together

The people asked me about you, they asked me
I said “he’s coming back, don’t you dare blame me”
I closed my eyes fearing that the people would see me hiding you in my eyes (meaning she’s thinking about him and caring for him)
And the wind picked up out of nowhere
For the first time, we are not together

He appeared in the night and said “light my way”
“The night found me and put out my lamp”
“Don’t ask me how I found me”
“My heart was my guide to you”
“He who has suffered in longing has truly suffered”
For the first time, we are not together

Story of the song and some facts

The story started at 1972, when Fairouz was practicing her rule on the play “Al-Mahatta”.

In that time, her husband Assi Rahbani suffered a brain hemorrhage and was hospitalized at Rizk Hospital in Beirut, Lebanon; which caused him for the first time to be absent from a Prova or a play and not watching or listening to his wife while performing.

Assi’s brother, Mansour Rahbani, wrote the lyrics, and fairouz sang it as a longing and waiting massage to her sick husband.

The lyrics were orchestrated later on by Assi’s & Fairouz’s son Ziad Rahbani (who was only 18 at that time), and the song was composed by Assi’s brother Elias Rahbani.

In the video above:

An interview with Fairouz, talking about the story of the song and singing a short part of it associated with “Oud” instrument.

Personal POV of the song

I’ve heard this song for the first time since my very early days.

It’s a very known and common thing in the Arab World, to listen to Fairouz in the morning hours while drinking coffee or driving to work or while doing any other morning activity. Fairouz is the voice and melody of the morning, every morning!

Since then, every time i hear this song, i can’t help my tears from falling.

I’ve always wondered if it has this effect on other people? or maybe it’s just me?

So one day, a few years back, i had a long drive to visit my friend in the south, and his father joined me.

His father is a very toughth man who i’ve never

witnessed in any emotional situation, and once I played Sa’alouni Al Nas, he burst into tears while singing along!

Then i knew that there’s something about Fairouz and about this specific song what makes people react the same way I do! that was a very powerful moment for me.

What makes this song popular and perfect?

In technical terms, this song was written, orchestrated and composed, played and sang by some of the greatest (both Arab and Worldwide) musical legends.

But what makes it perfect for me; is the authenticity of a brother writing for his brother, A wife singing for her sick husband, and a son orchestrating those very meaningful words.

A whole family taking part of creating such a deep emotionally expressions of missing, longing and waiting and putting all of it together in one perfect eternal song.

I hope you enjoyed my Ebook, now I leave you to listen to Fairouz. and with that being said, I’m challenging you to hold your tears.

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