The lyrics in his compositions are in formal (fus-ha), Palestinian, or Egyptian dialect, written by himself or by Arab poets. The lyrics, in general, are not directed towards a specific theme; they express an array of human experience that is not defined by time or place: love, challenge, insecurity, boredom, thrill, frustration, etc. Tamer's music absorbs the lyrics, chews them, re-arranges their perspective, and bursts them as expressive originals that are certainly defined by time and place; the current time; Palestine. If the lyrics speak of love and passion, the music speaks of love separated by the Apartheid Wall and passion under siege. This link seems inevitable for any honest musical expression throughout the Palestinian musical scene, even if it is not evident at the first glance.
7ob
Tamer Abu Ghazaleh Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
اقطع حبل الوصل فالموت دونه
ام اشرب كأسا منكم ليس يشربُ
ام اهرب حتى لا أرى لي مجاوراً
ام افعل ماذا، ام ابوح فأُغلبُ
اقطع حبل الوصل فالموت دونه
ام اشرب كأسا منكم ليس يشربُ
ام اهرب حتى لا أرى لي مجاوراً
يقولون ليلى عذبتك بحبها
الا حبذا، الا حبذا، الا كالحبيب المعذب
متى يشتفي منك الفؤاد المعذب
و سهم المنايا من وصالك أقرب
متى يشتفي منك الفؤاد المعذب
و سهم المنايا من وصالك أقرب
فبعد و وجد و اشتياق و لوعة
فلا انت تدنيني و لا انت اقرب
كعصفورة في كف طفل
يشدها تزود حياض الموت
و الطفل يلعب
فلا الطفل ذو عقل يرق لما بها
و لا الطير ذو ريش يطير فيذهب
و لي الف وجه فد عرفت طريق
و لكن بلا قلب الا اين اذهب
فلو كان لي قلبان لعشت بواحد
و افردت قلبا في هواكي يعذبُ
The song "7ob" by Tamer Abu Ghazaleh is an Arabic song that talks about the pain of love and the difficulty of maintaining a relationship. In the song, the singer is torn between staying in the relationship or leaving it. The opening lines, "و أفردت قلبا في هواكي يعذبُ اقطع حبل الوصل فالموت دونه" mean "I opened my heart to you and it's tormenting me. Should I cut the ties of our relationship and die without you?" The singer then continues to debate with themselves, wondering whether they should drink from the cup of love, run away to avoid being close to their lover, or confess their feelings and risk losing.
Later, the song shifts to a reflection on the pain of unrequited love. The singer asks "متى يشتفي منك الفؤاد المعذب و سهم المنايا من وصالك أقرب" which means "When will my tormented heart find relief from you? And when will death's arrow be closer than being separated from you?" The final lines of the song, "فلو كان لي قلبان لعشت بواحد و افردت قلبا في هواكي يعذبُ" mean "If I had two hearts, I would live with one and give the other to you, so it too can suffer because of you."
In summary, the song "7ob" is a complex and emotional exploration of the struggles of love and heartbreak. It highlights the turmoil that can come with being in a relationship and the pain of unrequited love.
Line by Line Meaning
و أفردت قلبا في هواكي يعذبُ
I opened up my heart for you, even though it tortures me.
اقطع حبل الوصل فالموت دونه
Should I cut off the ties that bind us, even if it means death?
ام اشرب كأسا منكم ليس يشربُ
Should I drink from the cup of love that you offer, knowing it will not satisfy me?
ام اهرب حتى لا أرى لي مجاوراً
Should I run away so I don't have to see my neighbor?
ام افعل ماذا، ام ابوح فأُغلبُ
What should I do? Should I confess my love and risk losing or should I keep it to myself and suffer?
يقولون ليلى عذبتك بحبها
They say that Leyla has tortured you with her love
الا حبذا، الا حبذا، الا كالحبيب المعذب
But how sweet is love, like a lover in agony
متى يشتفي منك الفؤاد المعذب
When will the tormented heart find relief from you?
و سهم المنايا من وصالك أقرب
And when will the arrow of death be closer than your presence?
فبعد و وجد و اشتياق و لوعة
Longing, finding, yearning, and pain
فلا انت تدنيني و لا انت اقرب
You neither bring me close nor push me away
كعصفورة في كف طفل
Like a bird in a child's hand
يشدها تزود حياض الموت
Being pulled towards the trap of death
و الطفل يلعب
While the child plays
فلا الطفل ذو عقل يرق لما بها
The child doesn't understand what it's doing
و لا الطير ذو ريش يطير فيذهب
Nor does the bird, with its wings, fly away from its captor.
و لي الف وجه فد عرفت طريق
I have seen a thousand faces, but I don't know where I belong
و لكن بلا قلب الا اين اذهب
Without a heart, where can I go?
فلو كان لي قلبان لعشت بواحد
If I had two hearts, I'd live with one
و افردت قلبا في هواكي يعذبُ
And I'd give the other to you, even if it's torture.
Contributed by Tristan T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.