George Wassouf started singing very young at the age of 10 years old in his hometown Kafroun that consequent to Mashta Al Helou in Tartous, Syria on different occasions such as marriages, parties, hotels, etc. Shortly thereafter he moved to Lebanon where he started singing and his popularity grew. It was at the age of 16 years old when he became known as "Sultan El-Tarab" as called by the famous international Actor Omar Sharif, Arabic for "The Sultan of Singing", with his classic song "el-Hawa Sultan".
People at that time thought of him as being the only one who could provide tarab with his magical and crystal voice that was very sharp and high-pitched when he was young and matured into the deep, commanding voice that he is now known for. A few of his first songs include "Hawa Sultan", "Rohi ya Nesmah", "Helif el-Amar", "Law Naweit" are the ones that really brought him up to fame.
The family name "Wassouf" is first of all the name of a statue God that was worshipped in the middle ages (around 1500 b.c.). Wassouf's magical voice was discovered by his first manager and producer "George Al-Khouri". This happened when Wassouf was 12 years old - he was singing at a wedding party. George Wassouf also got married very young at the age of 21 to Shalimar, who is originally from Sierra Leone. They have three children: Wadee', Hatem, and George Jr. His oldest son's name is Wadee', which is why he is known as Abu Wadee'.
George Wassouf has produced more than 30 albums and has performed concerts all around the world. Started from the famous Lebanese show which fired the fame of many Lebanese singers "Studio El Fan" 1980 when he was only 16 years old, surprisingly he was called at this time "Sultan of Tarab". The Song "Hilef il Amar" made a massive hit in the Arab world, although Wassouf was quite young at that time. However Wassouf was able to rise to the rank of "king" of Arab Tarab. Many Singers are jealous of wassouf , and that's why they try to copy his unique style and performance. Some of the younger singers who attempt to copy his style are George al-Rassi and Wael Jassar. Wassouf is one of the few singers that were able to attract millions of fans in a short period of time. In addition, Wassouf is not only famous in the Arab World but is also known in Europe and the States as one of the Best Arabian Singers.
According to his life and his fame he should have been called also "The King of Rumors" as he lived a life that was filled with rumors about his love life, his health and so on that it was told once earlier in 2001 that he died of an overdose.
He doesn't like to shoot his songs into video clips although he had some successful hits in the early 1990s, he used to say about this: "I don't feel I can act ... I really can't... I only find myself when I'm on the stage ... singing, but the video clip forces me to act".
On June 2002 , Sultan Al Tarab Released his new album "Salaf Wi Dein", which made a huge success in both the Arab world and abroad.
Aah Habaieb
George Wassouf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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آه حبايب
بس فين الحب
غايب
آه حبايب
بس فين الحب
وليه يا قلبي
ليه يا قلبي ...
ما لكش نايب
آه حبايب
شافوا إيه بس فعينينا
سمعوا إيه يتقال علينا
شافوا إيه بس فعينينا
سمعوا إيه يتقال علينا
صدّقوه صعبان علينا
صعبان علينا
الفراق أغلى الحبايب
حبايب ...
حبايب آه حبايب
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الحبايب دول عيونك
دول عيونك آه يا قلبي
ونّسوني في ليل غرامك
ليل غرامك آه يا قلبي
الحبايب دول عيونك
دول عيونك آه يا قلبي
ونّسوني في ليل غرامك
في ليل غرامك آه يا قلبي
شفت فرح ما شوفتهوش
عشت عمر ما عشتهوش آه آه
شفت فرح ما شوفتهوش
عشت عمر ما عشتهوش
أنا قلت دول ...
ما بيجرحوش
أنا قلت دول ما بيجرحوش
جرّحوا قلبي اللّي دايب
شافوا إيه بس فعينينا
سمعوا إيه يتقال علينا
شافوا إيه بس فعينينا
سمعوا إيه يتقال علينا
صدّقوه صعبان علينا
صعبان علينا
الفراق أغلى الحبايب
حبايب ...
حبايب آه حبايب
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اللّيالي غدروا بينا
غدروا بينا آه يا عيني
إتنسينا وباعوا فينا
باعوا فينا آه يا عيني
اللّيالي غدروا بينا
غدروا بينا آه يا عيني
إتنسينا باعوا فينا
باعوا فينا آه يا عيني
آه يا جرح العمر آه
كان حبيب صدّقته آه
آه يا جرح العمر آه
كان حبيب صدّقته آه
خان وعودي ...
وباع هواه
خان وعودي وباع هواه
ده الهوى مليان عجايب
شافوا إيه بس فعينينا
سمعوا إيه يتقال علينا علينا
شافوا إيه بس فعينينا
سمعوا إيه يتقال علينا
صدّقوه صعبان علينا
صعبان علينا
الفراق أغلى الحبايب
حبايب ...
حبايب آه حبايب
The lyrics of the song "Aah Habaieb" by George Wassouf express the feeling of loss and heartbreak. The song starts with the repeated question "Aah Habaieb, bas fein alhob gayeb?" which means "Oh my loved ones, where is love? It is gone." Then, the singer asks "Waleh ya albi, maleksh naib?" which means "Why, oh heart, do you have no one to confide in?" Later, the lyrics tell the story of how people talked behind the singer's back, saying hurtful things, and how the nights turned against him. The chorus repeats "Alfarq aghla alhabaieb," which means "parting is the dearest to loved ones."
The verses following the chorus repeat the idea of how the loved ones are the singer's eyes and how they made him forget everything else. Then, the lyrics reveal how the singer's heart was hurt by someone he trusted, who broke all their promises and sold their love for something else. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and an additional "Aah, ya jarr al'omr," which means "Oh, wound of life," expressing the pain of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
آه حبايب
Oh, my beloved ones
بس فين الحب, غايب
But where is love, absent
وليه يا قلبي, مالكش نايب
Why, my heart, don't you have an answer
شافوا إيه بس فعينينا, سمعوا إيه يتقال علينا
What did they see in us, what did they hear about us
صدّقوه صعبان علينا, الفراق أغلى الحبايب
They believed in it, it was hard on us, separation is the dearest beloved ones
الحبايب دول عيونك, ونّسوني في ليل غرامك
These beloved ones are your eyes, they make me forget everything in the night of your love
شفت فرح ما شوفتهوش, عشت عمر ما عشتهوش آه آه
I saw happiness but didn't see it, I lived a life I didn't really live
أنا قلت دول ما بيجرحوش, جرّحوا قلبي اللّي دايب
I said they wouldn't hurt me, but they hurt my aching heart
اللّيالي غدروا بينا, إتنسينا وباعوا فينا
The nights betrayed us, made us forget and sold us out
آه يا جرح العمر آه, كان حبيب صدّقته آه
Oh, wound of my life, oh, the beloved one I trusted
خان وعودي وباع هواه, ده الهوى مليان عجايب
He betrayed my promises and sold his love, this love is full of wonders
Writer(s): Salah Al Sharnoubi, Waleed Rzeqah
Contributed by Miles P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Hoda
on Garahouna
Besides the explanation given above to which i'm not so inclined, this is obviously a love song, meaning that a loving person sings to his careless, unkind lover. The first line says so: the lover hurt the poet with her eyelashes. This is a common metaphor in persian/arab poetry. It simultanously appreciates the beautiful lashes of lover and complains how this beauty along with unkindness hurts him deeply.
As you see, this implication is basically related to the literary context and culture.