Wadih El Safi, Arabic: وديع الصافي‎ (born Wadi' Francis, November 1, 1921 –… Read Full Bio ↴Wadih El Safi, Arabic: وديع الصافي‎ (born Wadi' Francis, November 1, 1921 – October 11, 2013) was a Lebanese singer, oud player, songwriter and actor. He is a Lebanese cultural icon, and is often called the "Voice of Lebanon".

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.

La Youny Gharibi
Wadih El Safi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يابا، يا باي
يا، يا، يابا، يا، يا، يا
يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يا، يا حبيبي يا عيوني

لا عيوني غريبة
ولا صوتي غريب
ضيعني حبيبي
ومن حدي قريب

لا عيوني غريبة
ولا صوتي غريب
ضيعني حبيبي
ومن حدي قريب

ضيعني ولاقاني
مرهون بإيديه
ولا كلمة حكاني
حكاني بعينيه
ضيعني ولاقاني
مرهون بإيديه
ولا كلمة حكاني
حكاني بعينيه
قصتنا طويلة
أولها عتاب
بالدنيا البخيلة
كبرنا العذاب
قصتنا طويلة
أولها عتاب
بالدنيا البخيلة
كبرنا العذاب

أنا لولاك يا حبيبي
ما تعلمت الهوى
أنا لولاك يا حبيبي
ما عشنا سوا
لولاك يا حبيبي
ما تعلمت الهوى
أنا لولاك يا حبيبي
ما عشنا سوا
لولاك يا حبيبي
ما تعلمت الهوى
أنا لولاك يا حبيبي
ما عشنا سوا

راح تبقى بخيالي
بشهور السنة
ما بشيلك من بالي
تتفنى الدني
راح تبقى بخيالي
بشهور السنة
ما بشيلك من بالي
تتفنى الدني

لا عيوني غريبة
ولا صوتي غريب
ضيعني حبيبي
ومن حدي قريب
لا عيوني غريبة
ولا صوتي غريب
ضيعني حبيبي
من حدي قريب

لولاك يا حبيبي
ما تعلمت الهوى
لولاك يا حبيبي
ما عشنا سوا
لولاك يا حبيبي
ما تعلمت الهوى
أنا لولاك يا حبيبي
ما عشنا سوا
لولاك يا حبيبي
ما تعلمت الهوى

أنا لولاك يا حبيبي
ما عشنا سوا

Overall Meaning

The song "La Youny Gharibi" by Wadih El Safi is a heartfelt expression of love and longing. The lyrics convey the feelings of a person whose beloved is not physically present, but their presence is never far from the singer's heart and mind. The repetition of "La Youny Gharibi" (My eyes are not strange) and "La Soti Gharib" (My voice is not strange) signifies that despite the distance and absence, the singer feels a deep connection to their beloved.

The lyrics further express the singer's anguish of being separated from their lover, emphasizing that their beloved has neglected and abandoned them. The line "ضيعني ولاقاني مرهون بإيديه" (They lost me and found me under their control) suggests that the singer feels trapped and helpless in their love's hands. Despite the pain, the singer reminisces about their long journey together, starting with arguments and hardships, highlighting the shared struggle they have faced in this "stingy world." The repetition of "Ani Lulaak ya Habibi" (If it wasn't for you, my love) emphasizes the importance of their lover in their life and how they have learned the ways of love because of them.

The lyrics also convey a sense of eternal longing, with the line "راح تبقى بخيالي بشهور السنة" (You will remain in my imagination throughout the seasons of the year). This suggests that even though physically separated, the singer will always carry their beloved in their thoughts and memories.

Overall, "La Youny Gharibi" is a song that encapsulates the pain of longing and the enduring power of love, highlighting the deep connection between two individuals despite physical separation.

Line by Line Meaning

لا عيوني غريبة
My eyes are not strange

ولا صوتي غريب
Nor is my voice strange

ضيعني حبيبي
My beloved has lost me

ومن حدي قريب
And he is close to me

ضيعني ولاقاني
He lost me, yet found me

مرهون بإيديه
He is held by my hands

ولا كلمة حكاني
Yet he does not speak to me

حكاني بعينيه
He speaks to me with his eyes

قصتنا طويلة
Our story is long

أولها عتاب
Its beginning is resentment

بالدنيا البخيلة
In this stingy world