Marhaba! In this post, I want to introduce you all to the international music icon: Dalida. In addition to Fairouz, Julia Boutros, and Majida el Roumi, Dalida is by far one of my favorite artists. Born on January 17, 1933, in Cairo, Egypt to Italian parents, Dalida spent most of her early years in Egypt, before she left for France. She left Egypt and settled in France to launch her acting, modeling, and singing career. Even when she left her native homeland, she did not completely detach from her Arab identity.

Dalida (داليدا) is among the very few artists in the world that can sing in multiple languages. She can sing in Arabic, French, and Italian. Many of her songs are love ballads, while others focus on common problems that many Arabs and other people around the world face on daily basis: issues of immigration, assimilation, and integration in new societies. Even though Dalida passed away in 1987, to this very day, she is still recognized as a renowned singer and an iconic diva. She has received close to 55 gold records and was among the first singers to receive a diamond disc.

This is one of her famous songs and one of my favorites. It’s called Helwa Ya Baladi (حلوة يا بلدي). It is a beautiful patriotic ballad that echoes Dalida’s passion and love for her native homeland: Egypt. I have added the song in form of a YouTube video. I have also added the lyrics in Arabic and I have translated them to English so that you can follow with the song.

Dalida – You’re Beautiful, My Country | داليدا – حلوة يا بلدي

http://youtu.be/0tadsdCZ_24

كلمة حلوة وكلمتين

One beautiful word and a few more
حلوة يابلدي

You’re beautiful, my country
غنوة حلوة وغنوتين

One beautiful song and a few more
حلوة يابلدي

You’re beautiful, my country
أملي دايماً كان يا بلدي .. إني أرجعلك يا بلدي

I always hoped to return to you, my country
وافضل دايماً جنبك .. على طول

And I desire to stay beside you always and forever

ذكريات كل اللي فات … فاكرا يا بلدي

Memories of everything that has passed… thinking of my country
قلبي مليان في حكايات … فاكرا يا بلدي

My heart is full of stories… thinking of my country
أول حب كان في بلدي … مش ممكن أنساه يا بلدي

My first love was in my country… I can never forget it, my country
فين أيام زمان …. قبل الوداع

In the old days, before we parted ways
كـنـّـا منقول إن الفراق ده مستحيل

We used to say that separation was impossible
وكلّ دمعة على الخدّين كانت بتسيل

And every tear running down on my cheek
مليانة بأمل إن احنا نبقى موجودين … في بحر الحبّ .. على الشطين

Full of hope that we would remain there… in the sea of love… on the shores

كلمة حلوة وكلمتين …حلوة يا بلدي

One beautiful word and a few more
غنوة حلوة غنوتين … حلوة يا بلدي

One beautiful song and a few more
فين حبيب القلب يا بلدي .. كان بعيد عني .. يا بلدي

Where is my sweetheart my country… he was far from me… my country
وكل ما بغني .. بفكّر فيه

And whenever I sing.. I think of him
قول يا حبيبي انت سايبني ورايح فين

Tell me my love, why you have left me and where are you going
أجمل لحن ده ح نغنيه أحنا التنين

We will both sing the most beautiful tune
يا محلا كلمة بلدي في غنوة بين سطرين

The words of my country between the lines
ياليل يا عين … يا عين ياليل

In the night my dearest… my dearest in the night
ياليل ياليلي ليلي

In the night… in the nights of nights…

Stay tuned for upcoming posts.

Have a nice day!!

نهاركم سعيد