I was at a nice bar in Ramallah last Thursday. I wish I could've captured this scene. The atmosphere was already jubilant, a mix of young foreigners and Palestinians, Sulaiman told me mostly NGO workers, some activists....then this Algerian song came on and everyone went NUTS.
I was a few deep at that point and thoroughly enjoyed watching everyone shout through the French-Arabic mishmash. I told Sulaiman to remember every song they played because I wanted to know Arabic party music. Though, when another popular song came on and he told me it meant "roll it, roll it, before the police come," I realized this genre had a very particular audience.
But this one, apparently, is a classic:
abdelkader ya bou3alem dak el 7al 3aliya
dawi 7ali ya bou3alem sidi rouf 3aliya
(2x)
sidi abderrahman dir mejhoudek wi et7azem
enta rajel kayem khadeemek dir maziya
(2x)
3abdelkader ya bou3alem dak el 7al 3aliya
dawi 7ali ya bou3alem sidi rouf 3aliya
(2x)
ya sidi boumedienne wana fi ardek el amen
ya sidi boumedienne ana fi bardek el amen
ya sidi el howari soultan el ghali
washfeeny ya abdellah soultan el 3aliya
abdelkader ya bou3alem dak el 7al 3aliya ya ya
dawi 7ali ya bou3alem sidi rouf 3aliya
abdelkader ya bou3alem dak el 7al 3aliya
dawi 7ali ya bou3alem sidi rouf 3aliya
da3wati el gilli ya yana dik el mibliya
khalatinny 7eera yana el ashraq taweela
(2x)
abdelkader ya bou3alem dak el 7al 3aliya
dawi 7ali ya bou3alem sidi rouf 3aliya
abdelkader ya bou3alem dak el 7al 3aliya
dawi 7ali ya bou3alem sidi rouf 3aliya
(3x)
la la la la la..........
ya dak el wali aaah allah dawi li 7ali
sidi abderahman dawi dawi dawi dawi
merci
shoukran merci
English:
Abdel Kader, my master, my guide
Ease my pain, make me strong
Help me through the dark night of my soul
O sweet girl of my homeland
Why is my heart so troubled
While yours is at peace?
In spite of love's many pleasures
She's turned away and left me
After a night of bliss
Abdel Kader, keeper of the keys
Keeper of my soul
I have left heaven and come back to earth
Away from her arms
I pray life is long enough to let me start over
Heal me and turn me away from my pain
