Born in Niha, Lebanon, Wadih El Safi started his artistic journey at the age of seventeen when he took part in a singing contest held by Lebanese Radio and was chosen the winner among fifty other competitors.
Wadih El Safi, a classically trained tenor, studied at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music. He became nationally known when, at seventeen, he won a vocal competition sponsored by the Lebanese Broadcasting Network. El Safi began composing and performing songs that drew upon his rural upbringing and love of traditional melodies, blended with an urban sound, and creating a new style of modernized Lebanese folk music
In 1947, El Safi traveled to Brazil, where he remained until 1950.
El Safi toured the world, singing in many languages, including Arabic, Syriac, French, Portuguese and Italian.
In the spring of 1973, El Safi recorded and released a vinyl single with the songs "Grishlah Idi" lyrics by Ninos Aho and "Iman Ya Zawna" (lyrics by Amanuel Salamon), first one in Western Syriac and second one in Eastern Syriac. The music arrangements were done by Nuri Iskandar and the songs were produced especially for an Aramean Festival, which occurred in the UNESCO building in Beirut at that time where El Safi participated as a singer.
El Safi has written over 3000 songs. He is well known for his mawawil (an improvised singing style) of 'ataba, mijana, and Abu el Zuluf. He has performed and recorded with many well-known Lebanese musicians, including Najwa Karam, Fairouz, and Sabah.
Wadih El Safi (وديع الصافي), the prominent Lebanese composer and singer of his time, often described as the "Voice of Lebanon" and responsible for the mark of distinction and popularity of the Lebanese musical sound. His name is synonymous with traditional Lebanese folklore. His tenor voice commends a unique beauty and evokes the images and sounds of Lebanese terrain. Wadie' grew up in a village in the mountains of Lebanon and later on moved to Beirut, where he began composing and performing music based on his folklore roots incorporating a new urban sound, which would be later described as the urbanization of the Lebanese folk music.
Recently, through his work with Jose Fernandes & Michel Elefteriades through Elefrecords, Wadih El Safi has explored new pathways for his music, exposing a new generation to his sound. Wadih El Safi & Jose Fernades have found great success with their arabic-flamenco fusion.
Ghabit Al Shams
Wadih El Safi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
وحــــــــط الفلك ع جبالنا شالات وباتوا الطـــــيور بسنديانتنا
وانـــــــــدرز خد الســما شامات ، شامات بيــــــض متل زرار فلتنا
والندي ســــــقســــق ع الوردات الي فتحوا بحيطان حارتنا,
وعرزال تحكيلوا الدني حكايات ، حكايات عن امـــــــــجاد ارزتنا
يا ما ع دربو حامت فراشـــــات ونجوم غطت ع سطيحتنا
ومنجيرة الراعي لها عنّات مقطـــــفي من نار نهدتنا
وســــــــاقية موجاتها مرايـــــات قديش فرقت شعر حورتنا
يا ما عليهن جنّت اللفتـــــــات وتنـــهدوا شبيبات حارتنا
يا ختي انشـالله تنجلي الغيمات ومنلـــــتقي من بعد فرقتنا
مشــــــــــتاق للمعدور للرزقات للمصــــــطبة لتنور قبوتنا
لدق الجرس للمخل للقيـــــمات للعين لحــــــكايات جارتنا
للراعية السمرا الـ ورا العنزات للميجنا بفيّـــــــات خيمتنا
للكنار الاصفر الريشــــــــــات ينقر خصور كواز تينتنا
للمحدلة للسطح للخشـــــــــبات للكاس يضحك ع سكملتنا
صلّي معي يا حلوة الخيّــــــات تنعود يختي هموم حاجتنا
ما بيرجع لخيّك هنا الغفـــــوات تا الشـــمل يجمعنا بضيعتنا
The lyrics to Wadih El Safi's song "Ghabit Al Shams" paint a vivid picture of a desolate landscape where the sun has disappeared and the cold winds have begun to blow. The singer reflects on the loss of their land, where the night's shirt has been worn and they have strayed from their path. The birds have found solace on the branches of the sycamores while the sky bears scars similar to the white buttons on a shirt. The dew glistens on the roses that bloom on the walls surrounding their village, and the elders weave tales of the glory days of the cedar forest. The singer remembers the warmth of the summer nights and the stars that shone so bright above them. The shepherd's bell rings out in the valley, announcing his return to his family's tent. The women prepare a meal, and the children gather around to hear stories of the neighboring villages.
The singer longs to return to their home where the clouds have cleared, and they can reunite with their loved ones, embracing life's simple pleasures. They miss the smell of fresh bread and olive oil, the taste of ripe figs and dates, and the sound of the swirling river beside their village. The singer prays with a dear friend, hoping that their struggles will come to an end.
Overall, this song is a powerful tribute to homeland and the importance of one's roots. It is a poignant reflection on the human experience of displacement and the longing to return home.
Line by Line Meaning
غابت الشمس وبردت النســمات ولبست قميص الليل ضيعتنا
The sun has set and the winds have cooled down, the night has taken over and we are lost.
وحــــــــط الفلك ع جبالنا شالات وباتوا الطـــــيور بسنديانتنا
The stars have risen above our mountains, the birds have rested on our cedar trees.
وانـــــــــدرز خد الســما شامات ، شامات بيــــــض متل زرار فلتنا
The sky blushed red, with white clouds scattered like the buttons on our clothes.
والندي ســــــقســــق ع الوردات الي فتحوا بحيطان حارتنا,
The dew drops sparkled on the flowers blooming on the walls of our neighborhood.
وعرزال تحكيلوا الدني حكايات ، حكايات عن امـــــــــجاد ارزتنا
The storytellers told tales of our ancestors' glory and pride.
يا ما ع دربو حامت فراشـــــات ونجوم غطت ع سطيحتنا
Butterflies fluttered along their path as the stars shone upon us.
ومنجيرة الراعي لها عنّات مقطـــــفي من نار نهدتنا
The shepherd's flute played its tunes, plucking at the strings of our hearts like fire.
وســــــــاقية موجاتها مرايـــــات قديش فرقت شعر حورتنا
The flowing stream reflected our sorrows, separating us like locks of hair.
وع كل حفّة باقـــــــــة بنــــيّات قَصـــتلون فساتين لوزتنا
On every mulberry tree branch, we hung our dresses as if they were our own daughters.
يا ما عليهن جنّت اللفتـــــــات وتنـــهدوا شبيبات حارتنا
The girls who wore them were the gifts of our orchards and they longed for our youth, our neighborhood.
يا ختي انشـالله تنجلي الغيمات ومنلـــــتقي من بعد فرقتنا
Oh, sister, let's pray for the clouds to clear and for us to be reunited again.
مشــــــــــتاق للمعدور للرزقات للمصــــــطبة لتنور قبوتنا
We yearn for our fields, our livestock, our farms, and for the lights to shine in our homes again.
لدق الجرس للمخل للقيـــــمات للعين لحــــــكايات جارتنا
We miss the sound of the bell, the friendly neighborhood grocer, the traditional values, and the stories of our neighbors.
للراعية السمرا الـ ورا العنزات للميجنا بفيّـــــــات خيمتنا
We long for the brown shepherdess following her flock, for the goatskin bag filled with milk, for the tent that was our shelter.
للكنار الاصفر الريشــــــــــات ينقر خصور كواز تينتنا
We miss the yellow canaries chirping, pecking at the figs in our orchard.
للمحدلة للسطح للخشـــــــــبات للكاس يضحك ع سكملتنا
We miss the sunbathed terraces, the wooden balconies, the laughter over coffee with our families.
صلّي معي يا حلوة الخيّــــــات تنعود يختي هموم حاجتنا
Pray with me, my sweet sisters, for our worries to fade away.
ما بيرجع لخيّك هنا الغفـــــوات تا الشـــمل يجمعنا بضيعتنا
Your sleepiness won't bring you back here, until we are reunited in our village again.
Contributed by Isabella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.