Khcheich w… Read Full Bio ↴Rima Khcheich {ريما خشيش} (b. 1974) is a Lebanese singer,
Khcheich was born in Khiam, South Lebanon. She started singing classical Arabic music at the age of nine, and was awarded the bronze medal at the 'Bizert Festival for the Mediterranean Song' in Tunisia, 1985. Her singing career started with the children's choir at the Arabic Cultural Club, and later evolved into a solo performance with the Beirut Oriental Troop for Arabic Music under the supervision and direction of Salim Sahab.
Khcheich studied the tradition of classical Arabic singing at The Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music in Beirut, and her efforts were supported by her father Kamel Khcheich who encouraged her to memorise and master classics from the Arabic music heritage, such as Muwashahat*, Adwar, and other styles. She has performed Zakariah Ahmad, Al-Kassabji, Sayyed Darwish, Kamel Al Khal'i, and Muhammad Abdel Wahab, amongst others.
Having participated in various concerts in Lebanon and around the world, Khcheich has gained international repute and admiration for her gift at performing complex Arabic classical forms such as Dor 'Emta El hawa', and Muwashah 'Anta al Mudallal'.
Currently, Khcheich teaches Oriental singing at the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music and is invited on a yearly basis to Massachusetts, USA, where she teaches voice and classical Arabic singing at Mount Holyoke College under the framework of the Arabic Music Retreat program directed by musician and composer Simon Shaheen.
Her professional collaborations include performing with Shaheen, singing on composer Toufic Farroukh's album Tootya released in 2006, and being an integral part of the Dutch-Lebanese- Iraqi band The Orient Express. This band tried to create meeting grounds between the Arab musical heritage and Jazz. The band released one album, Orient Express, in 2002.
In 2006, Khsheish released her debut solo album, Yalalalli, which features a number of old songs and Muwashahat that she performs in a personalised, contemporary manner, alongside new compositions.
* Muwashahat: plural of Muwashshah, a vocal form in Arabic music.
A strophic song with refrain. The form originated at Cabra, near Cordoba, in the 9th century; it enjoyed a vogue in Muslim Spain in the 11th century, and spread subsequently throughout the Arab world, where it survives in oral tradition.
One of seven post-Classical poetic forms, It is performed on both secular and religious occasions and combines classical metres with new ones arranged in strophes. Each poem is divided into an indefinite number of units (abyat, sing. bayt), each containing a varied number of poetic lines. Musically, a muwashshah is performed by a solo singer alternating with responsorial, antiphonal or collective singing in unison, depending on the performing group. The performance of this difficult art, composed by specialists, demands a mastery of both maqams (modes) and usuls, the complicated rythmic patterns of Arabic music.
Washwishni
Rima Khcheich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
كلمات وألحان ربیع مروّة
(نشید لبنان سِحرٌ ونور للأخوين فلیفل)
كلِّمْني وَشْوِشْني خلّي ھالخَطْ يْرنّ
ن◌ِ غنّجْني لَعِّبني خلّي يْبَیِّن ھالسِّ
رَقِّصْني حَرقِصْني بَوّسْني قَوّصْني
قنِّصْني آنِسْني خلّیني إخْوَت جِنّ
سَلّیني واسیني نَسّیني عَذابي
نَیِّمْني فَیِّقْني رَجِّعْني عِزّابي
صَلّیلي إدْعیلي يخَلّیني جذّابي
إسْحَبْني واشْطُبْني من أَھْلي وْأحْزابي
عْبُطْني غْمُرْني حْمِ لني شْقِلني وخِدني
شِقّ ◌ْ ضَھِّرني وسَھِّرني نِفْلَت ل الفَجْر يِ
مَتّعْني وسَمّعْني قلبك كیف عم بیْدِقّ
طَرِّبلي عَرِّبلي شَرِّقلي وغَرِّبلي
قَرِّبلي جَرِّبلي خلّي ھالنَغْمة تْرِقّ
سَھِّیني لَھِّیني خَلِّیني وقِّف نِقّ
رْني شاوِرْني بلا كلّ ھالمواقِفْ ◌ِ حاوِ
سْني وحَسّسْني إنّو الوقتْ واقِف ◌ِ وَسْوِ
أُخْطُفني ھَجِّرني فَجِّرني لیش خايف
وافیني إعْفیني نْفیني من الطَّوايِف
عْبُطني غْمُرني حْمِلني شْقِلني وخِدني
زْرَعْني بْعید عن أرضْ لبنان
ما
لُبنانُ سِحرٌ وَنورْ
ورونقٌ وبَھاءْ
ومَعْقِلٌ للنُّسورْ
مُعَلّقٌ في الفَضاءْ
Rima Khcheich's song Washwishni is a beautiful and emotional expression of longing and desire for connection. The lyrics ask the listener to engage with the singer and to share in their experiences. The song opens with the plea to listen and to whisper to the singer, to let the line ring and to play with the sound. The singer then asks for dance and kisses, and to bring them to a place of happiness.
The chorus of the song calls for the singer to be remembered and to be freed from their burdens. They ask to be embraced, and to be taken away from their troubles. The second verse expresses a desire to be shown new experiences and new music. The singer asks to be taken away from their worries and to be lifted up, to be carried away from their problems and to be planted in a new land.
Throughout the song, Rima Khcheich's voice is filled with emotion and longing. The beautiful melody and lyrics combine to create a stunning expression of human desire and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
كلِّمْني وَشْوِشْني خلّي ھالخَطْ يْرنّ
Talk to me and whisper sweet nothings, let this line ring
ن◌ِ غنّجْني لَعِّبني خلّي يْبَیِّن ھالسِّ
Sing to me, play with me, let it show in this manner
رَقِّصْني حَرقِصْني بَوّسْني قَوّصْني
Dance with me, engulf me in kisses, hug me tightly
قنِّصْني آنِسْني خلّیني إخْوَت جِنّ
Capture me, soothe me, make me feel like a sibling to the spirits
دلِّعْني ولِّعْني خلّي ھالقلب يْحِنّ
Spoil me and ignite me, let this heart feel the warmth
سَلّیني واسیني نَسّیني عَذابي
Ask me, calm me, forget my pain
نَیِّمْني فَیِّقْني رَجِّعْني عِزّابي
Let me sleep, wake me up, return me to my solitude
صَلّیلي إدْعیلي يخَلّیني جذّابي
Pray for me, call upon me, make me charming
إسْحَبْني واشْطُبْني من أَھْلي وْأحْزابي
Take me away, erase me from my family and strife
عْبُطْني غْمُرْني حْمِلني شْقِلني وخِدني
Embrace me, immerse me, bear me, carry me, and lift me
شِقّ ◌ْ ضَھِّرني وسَھِّرني نِفْلَت ل الفَجْر يِ
Open my path, support me, don't let me miss the dawn
مَتّعْني وسَمّعْني قلبك كیف عم بیْدِقّ
Pleasure me and let me hear how your heart beats
طَرِّبلي عَرِّبلي شَرِّقلي وغَرِّبلي
Entice me, explain things to me, take me east and west
قَرِّبلي جَرِّبلي خلّي ھالنَغْمة تْرِقّ
Bring me closer, try me out, make this melody rise
سَھِّیني لَھِّیني خَلِّیني وقِّف نِقّ
Comfort me, calm me, leave me still
رْني شاوِرْني بلا كلّ ھالمواقِفْ ◌ِ حاوِ
Run with me, advise me without any circumstances
سْني وحَسّسْني إنّو الوقتْ واقِف ◌ِ وَسْوِ
Listen to me, make me feel that time is standing still
أُخْطُفني ھَجِّرني فَجِّرني لیش خايف
Abduct me, abandon me, explode me, why are you afraid?
وافیني إعْفیني نْفیني من الطَّوايِف
Protect me, excuse me, free me from troubles
عْبُطني غْمُرْني حْمِلني شْقِلني وخِدني
Embrace me, immerse me, bear me, carry me, and lift me
زْرَعْني بْعید عن أرضْ لبنان
Plant me far from the land of Lebanon
ما
Nothing
لُبنانُ سِحرٌ وَنورْ
Lebanon is magic and light
ورونقٌ وبَھاءْ
And radiance and splendor
ومَعْقِلٌ للنُّسورْ
And a stronghold for eagles
مُعَلّقٌ في الفَضاءْ
Hanging in space
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Rabih Mroué
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind