Fairuz نهاد حداد‎ (b. 21 November 1935) is a Lebanese singer, and one of th… Read Full Bio ↴Fairuz نهاد حداد‎ (b. 21 November 1935) is a Lebanese singer, and one of the most famous singers of all time in the Arab world. Her stage name (also spelled Fairouz or Fayrouz) literally means "turquoise".

Fairuz was born Nouhad Haddad in Jabal al Arz, Lebanon. She began her musical career as a teenager. From chorus girl at the Lebanese radio station in the late 1940s, to critical and popular acclaim from the 1950s to today, Fairuz is acknowledged not only for her musical talent and contribution, but also as a cultural and political icon. A symbol of a people, a heritage, a quest for peace, and of humanity. During most of her career, Fairuz reflected two other great artists, Assi and Mansour Rahbani. They wrote the lyrics and composed her tunes. Today, many of her songs reflect the composing talent of Ziad Rahbani who is Fairuz's son. Her songs testify to the Rahbani musical genius, as well as to Fairuz's broad musical background. Referred to as "The Soul of Lebanon" in the 1970s, Fairuz became a pre-eminent figure, a superstar of current music in the Arab world. Together, the Rahbani family is both a school of music and a cultural phenomenon.

Kan Endena Tahoun Sahar El Laialy
Fairuz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

شو كانت حلوة الليالي، والهوى يبقى ناطرنا
وتجي تلاقيني، وياخذنا بعيد هدير المي والليل

كان عنّا طاحون ع نبع الميّ
وقدامه ساحات مزروعة فيّ
وجدي كان يطحن للحي قمح وسهريات
ويبقوا الناس بهالساحات
شي معهن كياس، شي عربيات

رايحين جايين ع طول الطريق تهدر غنيات

آه يا سهر الليالي، آه يا حلو على بالي
غني آه، غني آه، غني على الطرقات
ياي ياي ياي، يا سهر الليالي
ياي ياي ياي، يا حلو على بالي
غني آه، غني آه، غني على الطرقات

وراحت الأيام وشويّ شويّ
سكت الطاحون ع كتف الميّ
وجدي صار طاحون الذكريات
يطحن شمس وفيّ

يا سهر الليالي، آه يا حلو على بالي
غني آه، غني آه، غني على الطرقات
ياي ياي ياي، يا سهر الليالي

ياي ياي ياي، يا حلو على بالي
غني آه، غني آه، غني على الطرقات

Overall Meaning

The song Kan Endena Tahoun Sahar El Laialy by Fairuz talks about the beauty of nights, the love that is waiting for us, and the memories that stay with us forever. The singer describes a time when they had a mill on the banks of a river, with fields planted around it. Her grandfather used to grind wheat for the neighborhood, and people would come and go through the fields singing their songs, some with baskets, some with carts. It was a joyful time, filled with music and community.

As time passed by, the mill stopped turning and her grandfather became a remembrance mill, grinding memories and preserving them. The singer reminisces about those nights, the beauty of the memories and the longing for the past. The refrain of the song - "Ya Saher El Laialy" - is a call to those nights, to the sweet memories and to the joy that used to be. The singer invites us to sing, to join her on the roads, and to celebrate the beauty of life.

Overall, the song is a nostalgic representation of a simpler and more joyful time, and the yearning that comes with remembrance.

Line by Line Meaning

شو كانت حلوة الليالي، والهوى يبقى ناطرنا
Oh, how sweet the nights were, and love is waiting for us

وتجي تلاقيني، وياخذنا بعيد هدير المي والليل
And you come to meet me, and take us away with the sound of water and night

كان عنّا طاحون ع نبع الميّ
We had a mill by the water spring

وقدامه ساحات مزروعة فيّ
In front of it were courtyards planted with crops

وجدي كان يطحن للحي قمح وسهريات
My grandfather used to grind wheat for the neighborhood and for celebrations

ويبقوا الناس بهالساحات
And people stayed in these courtyards

شي معهن كياس، شي عربيات
Some had cups and some had cars

رايحين جايين ع طول الطريق تهدر غنيات
Going and coming along the road, singing songs

آه يا سهر الليالي، آه يا حلو على بالي
Oh, nights of joy, oh, my sweet love on my mind

غني آه، غني آه، غني على الطرقات
Sing, oh, sing on the roads