Mai Selim Hamdan (Arabic: مي سليم حمدان‎) (born in 1983 in Dubai), commonly… Read Full Bio ↴Mai Selim Hamdan (Arabic: مي سليم حمدان‎) (born in 1983 in Dubai), commonly Known as Mai Selim, is a young Arabic artist who started off her singing career in early 2005. Sister of Comedian Mais Hamdan. Born in Dubai to a Jordanian father, and a Lebanese mother Mai soon came to settle in Egypt where she grew up and met most of her close friends. Her love for arts and performing started at a very young age, and she wanted to be a ballerina, later on she shifted towards singing, where she joined the school choir.

She moved form performing with a group to performing within a duet. After graduating high school Mai toyed with the idea of joining Institute of Cinema in Egypt, but her parents didn’t agree. "They talked me into seeing it their own way by talking me into the idea of having a stable future and a career life" she says.

Instead she registered for a degree at the Maritime Academy majoring in Business Administration. The corporate world of facts and figures seems so far removed from her personality, yet she insisted on finishing and getting her degree. Looking back, Mai wonders what she would have done with a business degree if she had not signed with a music company. She has no problem admitting that she owes her first record deal to pure luck.

"I won't lie and give you the clichéd line of I've been working towards this all my life since I was a child and all that stuff. I knew I had a very strong artistic side to me, and I had a strong passion towards music, but I never thought I'd make a career out of it one day" she admits. One night, as she was invited for dinner, she met Tarek Al Arian, the well known film director.

Meen Elly Alak
Mai Selim Lyrics

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مين الى قالك عنى من ورا منى انى اقدرت انساك
دا انا فى عنيك متهمة والا انا فاهمة فى اية غلطت معاك
مين الى قالك عنى من ورا منى انى اقدرت انساك
دا انا فى عنيك متهمة والا انا فاهمة فى اية غلطت معاك
جيبت الكلام دة منين دا احنا عشرة سنين من زمان مش يومين من السنة
لو حد وقعنى فيك هز صورتى فى عنيك رد غيبتى فى غيابى قوام
جيبت الكلام دة منين دا احنا عشرة سنين من زمان مش يومين من السنة
لو حد وقعنى فيك هز صورتى فى عنيك رد غيبتى فى غيابى قوام

بريئة من الى اتقالك والى وصلك دا غيرك انت مليش
وبحلف انا بالعشرة وبالعشرة معاك اموت واعيش
بريئة من الى اتقالك والى وصلك دا غيرك انت مليش
وبحلف انا بالعشرة وبالعشرة معاك اموت واعيش
جيبت الكلام دة منين دا احنا عشرة سنين من زمان مش يومين من السنة
لو حد وقعنى فيك هز صورتى فى عنيك رد غيبتى فى غيابى قوام

جيبت الكلام دة منين دا احنا عشرة سنين من زمان مش يومين من السنة
لو حد وقعنى فيك هز صورتى فى عنيك رد غيبتى فى غيابى قوام

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mai Selim's song Meen Elli Allak convey a sense of confusion and disbelief at what someone else has been saying about her. The repeated question "Meen Elli Allak" ("Who told you that about me?") highlights her suspicion and frustration at being misrepresented. She questions why someone would say that she is capable of forgetting about the person addressed in the song, and wonders whether they have any evidence to support this claim. The line "Da ana fi einak mithmama" ("Am I guilty in your eyes, or do I understand what I did wrong with you?") further emphasizes that she is unsure whether the person addressed is accusing her of something specific or if they are simply misunderstanding her.

The chorus suggests that Mai Selim has been hurt by something that has been said about her, and the fact that it has been going on for ten years instead of just one day or year shows how long-lasting and damaging it has been. She seems to be asking the person addressed to remember her in a positive light, even when they are not together, as shown by the line "Rid gheebti fi ghayebi qawwam" ("Return my absence to my absence if anyone falls for you"). This could suggest that she wants to be remembered as she was before this issue arose, rather than as someone who is capable of forgetting.

Overall, the lyrics to Meen Elli Allak convey Mai Selim's sense of frustration and confusion at being misrepresented. They suggest that she is hurt by what has been said about her and wants the person addressed to remember her positively, even when they are not together.

Line by Line Meaning

مين الى قالك عنى من ورا منى انى اقدرت انساك
Who told you that I was able to forget about you?

دا انا فى عنيك متهمة والا انا فاهمة فى اية غلطت معاك
Am I accused in your eyes? Or have I understood what I did wrong with you?

جيبت الكلام دة منين دا احنا عشرة سنين من زمان مش يومين من السنة
Where did you get these words from? We have been together for ten years, not just a couple of days.

لو حد وقعنى فيك هز صورتى فى عنيك رد غيبتى فى غيابى قوام
If someone accuses me because of you, shake my image in your eyes and bring me back from my absence.

بريئة من الى اتقالك والى وصلك دا غيرك انت مليش
I'm innocent of what others tell you about me, and it's not your fault, but rather you are the one who believes in this.

وبحلف انا بالعشرة وبالعشرة معاك اموت واعيش
I swear by our ten years of commitment; I will live and die with you.

Contributed by Layla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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