Tania Saleh is a Lebanese singer/songwriter who has been paving her own pat… Read Full Bio ↴Tania Saleh is a Lebanese singer/songwriter who has been paving her own path in the Arabic underground musical scene since 1990. Her voice is wise and true, a soft mix between the traditional Arabic music she was raised on and the western sounds she chose to follow. She writes about the daily worries of a troubled society, of love and hate and what’s in between. Her music follows the rhythm of her daily life and mirrors her changing mood, creating a boiling pot of tunes, feelings and love for innovation.
Tania graduated from La Sorbonne, Paris in 1992 and has been working in the creative industry since then.
She was an illustrator, a backing vocalist and an actress in famous Lebanese musician and playwright Ziad Rahbani’s musical and theatrical work between 1993 and 1996.
In 2002, she released her first album, "Tania Saleh" with Lebanese music veteran Issam Hajj Ali and music producer/sound engineer Philippe Tohme. In the meantime, she wrote the lyrics to “Mreyte Ya Mreyte”, the title song in Nadine Labaki’s first feature film "Caramel", composed by Khaled Mouzannar and lyrics to Natasha Atlas’ song “Communicate”.
In 2009, she shot the music video "Ya Wled", a critical ode to all Lebanese politicians prior to the parliamentary elections. She also released the single "Slow Down” to commemorate her first trip to the U.S.A., hosted by music producer Miles Copeland who chose her as one of the main Arab artists portrayed in the PBS-produced musical documentary entitled “Dissonance and Harmony/Arab Music Goes West”. The documentary was preceded by a 5-day musical workshop uniting American and Arab artists at SIR studios in Los Angeles. The musical documentary was directed by Jon Brandeis and aired on PBS, BBC and Al Jazeera.
She performed live in various cities of the world including Beirut, Cairo, Doha, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
In 2010, she was featured on Al Jazeera in one of a series of documentaries by musician and documentary filmmaker Fermin Muguruza who painted a 'soundscape' of the modern Arab music scene.
In 2011, she released her second studio album (co-produced by Philippe Tohme) and a music video entitled "Wehde” released on Youtube. The album immediately became number 1 on the TOP 10 list of best selling albums at Virgin Megastore, Beirut.
She also wrote the lyrics and coached the singers in Khaled Mouzannar’s soundtrack for Nadine Labaki’s second feature film "Where Do We Go Now?”, released worldwide in September 2011. The film soundtrack was also number 1 on the TOP 10 list of best selling albums at Virgin Megastore, Beirut. It won “Best Music Award” in Stockholm International Film Festival in November 2011.
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عمر وعلي
Tania Saleh Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

يا عمر كلم علي
قوم أوقف سلم عليه
جاي من آخر دنيي
أوقفله مرة شو عليه

يا علي كلم عمر
واقف ومادد إيديه
قرب فشخة يا علي

قرب بوسه بين عينيه

يا عمر
يا علي
يا عمر كلم علي

لا قادر عايش معه
ولا فيك تكفي بليه
حلوا هالقصة تعوا
مش ناقصنا بلبلة

كل الكتب المنزلة
كل الرسل المرسلة
قالوا الحب هو الدوا
وحلوا كل المسألة

يا عمر
يا علي
يا عمر كلم علي
يا عمر
يا علي
يا عمر كلم علي

العالم صار حارة صغيرة
واللعبة لعبة كبيرة
بدك تلعب يا عمر
لازم تلعب مع علي

يا علي بلا ولولة
يا عمر بلا مرجلة
الله يجازي اللي بليك
اللي بليك واللي بليه

يا عمر
يا علي
يا عمر كلم علي
يا عمر (يا علي)
يا علي (يا عمر)
يا عمر كلم علي

يا عمر (يا عمر)
يا علي (يا علي)
يا عمر كلم علي
يا عمر (يا علي)
يا علي (يا عمر)
قوم يا عمر كلم علي

يا عمر
يا علي
يا عمر كلم علي
يا عمر
يا علي، يا علي
يا عمر كلم علي

يا عمر

يا علي
يا عمر كلم علي

Overall Meaning

The song "عمر وعلي" by Tania Saleh centers around the relationship between two individuals, Omar and Ali. The lyrics seem to suggest that there is a romantic bond between the two, and that they are struggling to navigate the complexities of their love. The repeated refrain of "يا عمر كلم علي" (Oh Omar, talk to Ali) and "يا علي كلم عمر" (Oh Ali, talk to Omar) indicates the singer's desire for these two to communicate and work out their issues.

The first two stanzas feature dialogue between Omar and Ali, with both urging the other to approach them physically. This seems to suggest that there is a hesitance or discomfort in their relationship that they need to overcome. The third stanza shifts to a more general commentary on love, with the singer referencing religious texts that celebrate the power of love to heal all wounds. The fourth stanza brings the focus back to Omar and Ali, with the singer expressing frustration at their inability to live happily together.

Overall, "عمر وعلي" is a song that explores the universal theme of love and its ability to both bring people together and tear them apart. The lyrics are nuanced and open to interpretation, leaving space for listeners to project their own experiences and emotions onto the song.

Line by Line Meaning

يا عمر كلم علي
Hey Omar, talk to Ali

قوم أوقف سلم عليه
Get up and greet him

جاي من آخر دنيي
He's come from the edge of the world

أوقفله مرة شو عليه
Pause for a moment, what's the harm?

يا علي كلم عمر
Hey Ali, talk to Omar

واقف ومادد إيديه
Standing with arms outstretched

قرب فشخة يا علي
Come close, oh Ali

قرب بوسه بين عينيه
Come closer and place a kiss between his eyes

لا قادر عايش معه
Can't live without him

ولا فيك تكفي بليه
Nor can you suffice for him

حلوا هالقصة تعوا
Let's solve this story