Arabadrengurinn
Bjork Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Það sem ég hitti Arabadreng
Sem síðan aldrei úr huga mér hverfur
Ég elska hann
Hann sagði sögur af úlfalda sínum
Og söng um vatnið í vinjum og ám
Hann brá upp myndum með töfrandi línum
Það var vor og sól
Daginn eftir fór ég að hitta hann
Við fórum niðr'að níl
Við þurftum engan bíl, aðeins úlfaldann
Hann fór og sýndi mér pýramýda
Rétt við jaðar Sahara sands
Og aug'ans lystu við steinana hvíta
Ég elska hann
Á Nílarbökkum við gengum og sungum
Um lífsins gleði, fegurð og ást
Ég fylltist anda úr framandi tungum
Ég elska hann
Það var vor og sól
Fuglar sungu í kór að ég hitti hann
Við fórum niðr'að níl
Við þurftum engan bíl, aðeins úlfaldann
Hann kvaddi mig með tárvotum augum
Á lestarstöðinni daginn þann
Er ástin brann svo heitt í mínum taugum
Ég vissi ég sæi aldrei aftur hann
Mig dreymir oft um drenginn minn fríða
Og þá er lífið ljúft í nálægð hans
Hann hefur stækkað, því árin þau líða
Ég elska hann
Hér uppá Íslandi græt ég í leynum
Og leita'af merkjum sem minna á hann
Ég sé hans andlit í stokkum og steinum
Ég elska hann
The lyrics of Björk's song, Arabadrengurinn, tell the story of a chance encounter with a young Arab man during a night out in Cairo. The encounter leaves a profound impact on the singer as she falls in love with him. The young man tells her stories of his homeland, sings songs about the water and rivers, and draws pictures with his enchanted lines. The singer is enthralled and smitten with him.
The story continues with the two of them taking a walk by the Nile and witnessing the beauty of the pyramids in the Sahara sands. They both sing about the joys of life and love, filling themselves with a sense of spirituality that comes with the feeling of being alive. Even though they had to part ways eventually, the woman is deeply affected by the man, and he continues to haunt her memories for a long time. She yearns for him, and even when she returns to her homeland, Iceland, she is still lost in her reveries about him.
Overall, the lyrics of Arabadrengurinn are a story about the power of human connection, the transient nature of life and love, and the everlasting impact of a chance encounter with a stranger. The singer's love for the Arab boy is not only romantic but also spiritual, it is the embodiment of how a fleeting moment can turn into an eternal bond.
Line by Line Meaning
Það var í Næturlestinni í Kairo
It was at the Nightclub in Cairo
Það sem ég hitti Arabadreng
Where I met the Arab boy
Sem síðan aldrei úr huga mér hverfur
Who never leaves my mind since then
Ég elska hann
I love him
Hann sagði sögur af úlfalda sínum
He told stories about his coat
Og söng um vatnið í vinjum og ám
And sang about the water, friends and rivers
Hann brá upp myndum með töfrandi línum
He created images with magical lines
Það var vor og sól
It was spring and sun
Daginn eftir fór ég að hitta hann
The next day I went to meet him
Við fórum niðr'að níl
We walked down the Nile
Við þurftum engan bíl, aðeins úlfaldann
We didn't need a car, only his coat
Hann fór og sýndi mér pýramýda
He went and showed me the pyramids
Rétt við jaðar Sahara sands
Right next to the Sahara sands
Og aug'ans lystu við steinana hvíta
And the eyes shone on the white stones
Á Nílarbökkum við gengum og sungum
We walked and sang on the banks of the Nile
Um lífsins gleði, fegurð og ást
About the joys, beauty and love of life
Ég fylltist anda úr framandi tungum
I was filled with a foreign tongue
Hann kvaddi mig með tárvotum augum
He bid me farewell with tearful eyes
Á lestarstöðinni daginn þann
On the train station that day
Er ástin brann svo heitt í mínum taugum
When love burned so hot in my nerves
Ég vissi ég sæi aldrei aftur hann
I knew I would never see him again
Mig dreymir oft um drenginn minn fríða
I often dream of my handsome boy
Og þá er lífið ljúft í nálægð hans
And then life is sweet in his presence
Hann hefur stækkað, því árin þau líða
He has grown, as the years go by
Hér uppá Íslandi græt ég í leynum
Here in Iceland, I cry in secret
Og leita'af merkjum sem minna á hann
And look for signs that remind me of him
Ég sé hans andlit í stokkum og steinum
I see his face in sticks and stones
Ég elska hann
I love him
Contributed by Camden S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Beere_Bass
English lyrics :)
It was in the night train in Cairo
Where I found an Arabian boy
Whom since then never left my thoughts
I love him
He told me stories from his dromedary
And sang of water in oasis and rivers
He drew me pictures with magical lines
I love him
There was spring and sun
The next day I left to look for him
We went down the Nile
We didn't need a car, just a dromedary
He went and showed me the pyramids
Right by edge of Sahara sands
And his eyes lit up by the white stones
I love him
By the Nile's bank we walked and sang
About life's joy, beauty and love
I felt inspired by other foreign tongues
I love him
There was spring and sun
Birds sung in choir when i found him
We went down the Nile
We didn't need a car, just a dromedary
He left me with tears in his eyes
On the railway station that day
Although love burned hot in my nerves
I knew I would never see him again
I often dream of my fair boy
And life is sweet when I'm close to him
He has grown, as the years have passed
I love him
Here back in Iceland I cried in lonliness
And searched for marks to remind me of him
I see his face in sticks and stones
I love him
@nathaliegerbaud9417
Icelandic lyrics
Good luck with those :
Það var í Næturlestinni í Kairo
Það sem ég hitti Arabadreng
Sem siðan aldrei úr huga mér hverfur
Ég elska hann
Hann sagði sögur af úfalda sínum
Og söng um vatnið í vinjum og ám
Hann brá upp myndum með töfrandi línum
Ég elska hann
Það var vor og sól
Daginn eftir fór ég að hitta hann
Við fórum niðr'að níl
Við þurftum engan bíl, aðeins úfaldann
Hann fór og sýndi mér pýramýda
Rétt við j´aðar Sahara sands
Og aug'ans lystu við steinana hvíta
Ég elska hann
Á Nílarbökkum við gengum og sungum
Um lífsins gleði, fegurð og ást
Ég fylltist anda úr framandi tungum
Ég elska hann
Það var vor og sól
Fuglar sungu í kór að ég hitti hann
Við fórum niðr'að níl
Við þurftum engan bíl, aðeins úfaldann
Hann kvaddi mig með tárvotum augum
Á lestarstoðinni daginn þann
Er ástin brann svo heitt í mínum taugum
Ég vissi ég sæi aldrei aftur hann
Mig dreymir oft um drenginn minn fríða
Pg þá er lífið ljúft í nálægð hans
Hann hefur stækkað, því árin þau líða
Ég elska hann
Hér uppá Íslandi græt ég í leynum
Og leita'að merkjum sem minna á hann
Ég sé hans andlit í stokkum og steinum
Ég elska hann
@GabriellaGracexo
Im so happy this isn’t lost media and we can all just enjoy it :)
@NorthSea_1981
Sometimes I really wish that Björk would re-record some of these old Icelandic disco songs, although she supposedly hates them. She can pull off regular pop music with such ease. We need some more groovy Björk stuff!
@redmission1984
I had no idea! "Björk was offered the chance to do a second album, but she turned it down. With the money she earned she bought herself a piano and started composing new songs of her own."
Her voice does sound higher and more childlike, obviously...but still interesting to hear, especially with those disco influences and singing in Icelandic. It's all so trippy...just like all of Bjork's work.
@Beere_Bass
English lyrics :)
It was in the night train in Cairo
Where I found an Arabian boy
Whom since then never left my thoughts
I love him
He told me stories from his dromedary
And sang of water in oasis and rivers
He drew me pictures with magical lines
I love him
There was spring and sun
The next day I left to look for him
We went down the Nile
We didn't need a car, just a dromedary
He went and showed me the pyramids
Right by edge of Sahara sands
And his eyes lit up by the white stones
I love him
By the Nile's bank we walked and sang
About life's joy, beauty and love
I felt inspired by other foreign tongues
I love him
There was spring and sun
Birds sung in choir when i found him
We went down the Nile
We didn't need a car, just a dromedary
He left me with tears in his eyes
On the railway station that day
Although love burned hot in my nerves
I knew I would never see him again
I often dream of my fair boy
And life is sweet when I'm close to him
He has grown, as the years have passed
I love him
Here back in Iceland I cried in lonliness
And searched for marks to remind me of him
I see his face in sticks and stones
I love him
@rashmika9742
Thank you so much for translating!
@e11aguru
The lyrics sound better in Icelandic.
@fabriciowillians1196
@TSMG Nope
@calliespltn
thank you!!
@felipefernandez8309
Lovely lyrics either way ❤
@mathieuavisse4623
i tried to find this records back in the 90 s never had the chance to listen to it 30 years ago :) very nice