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Desert Rose
Sting Lyrics


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Hathe mada tawila
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of fire
Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire
And in the flames
Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire

This desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

And as she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing's as it seems

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes
The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love

Aman aman aman aman aman

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

Sweet desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

Sweet desert rose
This memory of Eden haunts us all
This desert flower
This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the fall

Ya lili ah ya leel

Overall Meaning

The first couplet of the song is in Arabic and it means, “Long ago, I saw you. And I am lost, I am lost, O beloved gazelle.” The second couplet is in English, and Sting sings about his yearning for something unattainable. He dreams of rain and gardens in the desert sand, but these are only dreams that he cannot achieve. Similarly, he dreams of love slipping through his hands.


In the second stanza, he dreams of fire which is tied to a horse, that will never tire, which suggests that his dreams will never fade. The fire is burning with desire, following the shadow of a woman. The woman is called the “desert rose,” and each veil she wears is a secret promise. Her perfume is the sweetest intoxication.


In the final stanza, He opens his eyes and sees nothing but the emptiness of the sky above. But he closes his eyes again and feels the perfume of the desert rose, and realizes that he is in love. He draws a connection between the love of the desert rose and the fall of man from Eden.


Line by Line Meaning

Hathe mada tawila
I dream of rain


Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
I dream of gardens in the desert sand


Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
I dream of gardens in the desert sand


Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti
I dream of gardens in the desert sand


I wake in vain
My dreams remain unfulfilled


I dream of love as time runs through my hand
I yearn for love, but time slips away from my grasp


I dream of fire
My passion burns within me


Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire
These intense desires will never fade away


And in the flames
Amidst this burning passion


Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire
The shadows of the woman I desire dance around me


This desert rose
This woman I long for


Each of her veils, a secret promise
Each layer of her being holds a tantalizing secret


This desert flower
This captivating woman


No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this
Her alluring scent is both torture and ecstasy to me


And as she turns
As she moves


This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
Her movements fulfill all the desires I have ever had


This fire burns
This passion consumes me


I realize that nothing's as it seems
I understand that reality can be different from what it appears to be


I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I look up to the empty sky


The rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love
Her love is a rare and intoxicating aroma


Sweet desert rose
Lovely woman of the desert


This memory of Eden haunts us all
The memory of paradise haunts us


This desert flower
This captivating woman


This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the fall
This unique aroma is the sweet temptation of falling in love


Ya lili ah ya leel
Oh night, oh long night




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gordon Sumner, Mohammed Khelifati

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@user-yb3he6pm3k

@@alinelibassi2087
amel zen ( tlata zahwa w mraha )
babylone ( zina )
rachid taha ( ya rayah )
hamid baroudi ( hakmet l'qdar )
hamid baroudi ( caravan to baghdad)
dana dana
113 partir loin
tinariwen ( sastanaqam )
el dey ( maria )
soolking ft dhurata dora ( zemer )



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