Is a composer of alternative Arabic music, and an Oud, Buzuq, and vocal per… Read Full Bio ↴Is a composer of alternative Arabic music, and an Oud, Buzuq, and vocal performer.

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.

Namla
Tamer Abu Ghazaleh Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

أنا نملة واقعة في رغوة صابون
قاعدة ارفّس هل أكون أو لا أكون
مجنون
لا في تحتي أرض اسند عليها
ولا ف إيديا حاجة أمسك فيها
ملغي من الحساب
وكأن ربّي حطني عالأبجدية سكونْ
مانا نملة واقعة في رغوة صابون

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Tamer Abu Ghazaleh's song "Namla" speak of feeling trapped and uncertain in one's existence, comparing oneself to a helpless ant stuck in a bubble of soap suds. The lyrics evoke a sense of being small and insignificant, unable to control one's fate or make meaningful choices. The singer questions their own existence, wondering if they even matter in the grand scheme of things.

The repetition of the phrase "Namla waqea fi raghwa saboun" (I am an ant trapped in soap suds) reinforces the feelings of confinement and helplessness. The use of surreal imagery, such as being placed on the alphabet of silence, adds to the sense of disorientation and confusion. The overall tone of the song is one of introspection and philosophical questioning, inviting the listener to reflect on their own place in the world.

Line by Line Meaning

أنا نملة واقعة في رغوة صابون
I am a ant trapped in a soapy foam

قاعدة ارفّس هل أكون أو لا أكون
Sitting and wondering if I exist or not

مجنون
Insane

لا في تحتي أرض اسند عليها
Nothing to rely on, not even the ground beneath me

ولا ف إيديا حاجة أمسك فيها
Nothing to hold onto with my hands

ملغي من الحساب
Erased from the equation

وكأن ربّي حطني عالأبجدية سكونْ
As if God put me on the alphabet of silence

مانا نملة واقعة في رغوة صابون
I am an ant trapped in a soapy foam

Contributed by Aubrey T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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