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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Yabalah
Tania Saleh Lyrics

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يابا، يابا لاه، يابا، يابا لاه يابا من شرد لي الغزالة
سألت الزين أخذوها لوين قالوا هي، هي شردت لحالها
يابا، يابا لاه، يابا، يابا لاه يابا من شرد لي الغزالة
سألت الزين أخذوها لوين قالوا هي، هي شردت لحالها
بقى لي يوم ما شفت النوم وأني بدور عليها
بقى لي يوم ما شفت النوم وأني بدور عليها
قمرها غاب عن الأحباب سواد الليل غطاها
دموع العين على الخدين سقاني النار عليها

يابا، يابا، يابا، يابا لاه
يابا، يابا، يابا، يابا لاه
يابا، يابا لاه، يابا، يابا لاه يابا من شرد لي الغزالة
سألت الزين أخذوها لوين قالوا هي، هي شردت لحالها
يابا، يابا لاه، يابا، يابا، يابا، يابا من شرد لي الغزالة
سألت الزين أخذوها لوين قالوا هي، هي شردت لحالها

وين الغزلان ويا عربان وأنا أبكي دم لحالي
وين الغزلان ويا عربان وأنا أبكي دم لحالي
زمان يروح هوى المجروح جروحه تظل قتالة
قولوا لا تعود ع الله تعود عيونها السود ع بالي

يابا، يابا، يابا، يابا لاه
يابا، يابا، يابا، يابا لاه
يابا، يابا لاه، يابا، يابا لاه يابا من شرد لي الغزالة
سألت الزين أخذوها لوين قالوا هي، هي شردت لحالها
يابا، يابا لاه، يابا، يابا لاه يابا من شرد لي الغزالة
سألت الزين أخذوها لوين قالوا هي، هي شردت لحالها

آه، آه، آه، آه، آه، آه، آه، آه، آه، آه
آه

Overall Meaning

The song "Yabalah" by Tania Saleh is a story of a lost beloved, represented metaphorically by a gazelle that has wandered away. The singer is asking for the whereabouts of the gazelle and is told that it has wandered off on its own. The singer is unable to sleep as they keep searching for their lost love. The moon, which represents their beloved, is no longer visible and is shrouded in darkness. The singer's tears continue to flow as they long for their lover's return.

The repetition of the phrase "yabalah" throughout the song creates a sense of urgency and desperation. The longing and desperation in the singer's voice is enhanced by the use of traditional Arabic instruments, such as the oud and the qanun. The lyrics have a melancholic tone, expressing the immense pain and heartbreak of losing a loved one. The loss is so devastating that the singer is left questioning their existence and purpose in life without their beloved.

Overall, "Yabalah" is a powerful song that expresses the universal emotions of love, loss, and heartbreak in a poignant and unique way that combines contemporary and traditional Arabic music.

Line by Line Meaning

يابا، يابا لاه، يابا، يابا لاه يابا من شرد لي الغزالة
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, from the loss of the gazelle

سألت الزين أخذوها لوين قالوا هي، هي شردت لحالها
I asked the beauty where they took her, they said she wandered off alone

بقى لي يوم ما شفت النوم وأني بدور عليها
It's been a day since I slept and I'm searching for her

قمرها غاب عن الأحباب سواد الليل غطاها
Her moon disappeared from her loved ones, blackness of night covered her

دموع العين على الخدين سقاني النار عليها
Tears coming from my eyes like fire burning my cheeks

وين الغزلان ويا عربان وأنا أبكي دم لحالي
Where are the deer and the Arabs while I cry blood alone?

زمان يروح هوى المجروح جروحه تظل قتالة
Time passes by and the wounded still suffer from their wounds

قولوا لا تعود ع الله تعود عيونها السود ع بالي
Tell her not to worry, she will always be in my thoughts

آه
Ah

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Romeo Lahoud

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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