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.
Lebnan Ya Ot'et Sama
Wadih El Safi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
عالارض تاني ما الا
لوحات الله راسما
شطحات احلى من الحلى
عالطامعين محرما
وللخاشعين محللا
بالسيف ما بتغلى دما
لبنااان يا قطعة سماااا
اسمك على شفافي صلاه
يسعد صباحك هالحلو
يال انت للدنيا صباح
روس لجبال تكحلو
بالنور واترفض جناح
بلبل حلو ياما الو
صابر على جنون الرياح
عرم بريش البللو
قطر الندي
زهزل وصاح
لبنااان يا قطعة سما
اسمك علي شفافي صلاة
The lyrics to Wadih El Safi's song "Lebnan Ya Ot'et Sama" evoke a powerful sense of pride and love for the country of Lebanon. The opening lines "Lebnan ya ot'et sama" translate to "Lebanon, you are a piece of the sky" and set the tone for the rest of the song's imagery, which speaks to the magnificent natural beauty of the land.
El Safi goes on to describe the earth as having been painted with God's palette and the vistas being more delectable than sweets. He speaks of the land as a place that is forbidden to the greedy and welcoming to the pious. The language of the song reflects a profound reverence for Lebanon and a deep connection to its natural beauty.
The lyrics also touch on the steadfastness of the Lebanese people, describing them as a people who will not hesitate to shed blood to defend what they hold dear. In the face of this, however, there is still a sense of hospitality and warmth, as evidenced by the line "and to the guest they say welcome."
Overall, El Safi's lyrics paint a vivid picture of a country that is beloved and fiercely defended by its people, one that is truly a piece of the sky.
Line by Line Meaning
لبنااان يا قطعة سما
Lebanon, oh piece of heaven
عالارض تاني ما الا
On earth there is nothing like it
لوحات الله راسما
God has painted it with scenes
شطحات احلى من الحلى
Its landscapes are more beautiful than sweets
عالطامعين محرما
For the greedy it's forbidden
وللخاشعين محللا
For the humble it's permitted
بالسيف ما بتغلى دما
Blood isn't shed easily
وللضيف منقلوا هلا
And the guest is always welcome
يسعد صباحك هالحلو
Good morning to this sweetness
يال انت للدنيا صباح
You are the morning of the world
روس لجبال تكحلو
With mountain tops that are crowned
بالنور واترفض جناح
With light and rejecting darkness
بلبل حلو ياما الو
So sweet is the nightingale
صابر على جنون الرياح
Enduring the madness of the winds
عرم بريش البللو
Flourishing with dewy feathers
قطر الندي
Dripping with dew
زهزل وصاح
Shaking and calling out
اسمك على شفافي صلاة
Your name is on my transparent prayers
Contributed by Emma J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-wg1jt1wr1b
Lebanon a part of heavens
there is no place like you on earth
paintings silhouettes brushed by God
views that are more than beautiful
forbidden for the envious
but allowed for the humbled worshipers
no blood are precious (in protecting it)
visitors are welcome
Lebanon
part from heaven
your name is a prayer on my lips
good morning to you , you whom are the world morning
all mountain tops have makeup from light while birds flickers their wings
and a beautiful bulbul(a bird with beautiful sound) whose been patient a long time with the craziness of wind
stand proudly with his misty feathers from the morning
starts tweeting in a loud voice
Lebanon oh Lebanon
you the part of heaven
your name is a prayer on my lips
@josephel-cheikh3852
My Jiddo and a glass of Arak on the balcony. Allah yerhamo. The anthem for Lebanon. Inshallah lebanon will rise again. 🙏
@user-oz4ei3wz3l
This song brought tears to my eyes . His voice , his tribute to wonderful Lebanon , part of my soul , words are not enough to express what we feel towards our country .
@vickenkodjaian5265
So so so proud to be Lebanese. And when I hear this song the level of proudness goes ten times higher.
Eternal Lebanon.
@abbassawdeh6458
Me too we are the phenocians we found america before christopher its the least thing to be proud
@mohammedalmatrooshi788
God bless Lebanon my second country ❤️🇱🇧
@hashh6924
Love from Australia
@Aries-dd3hu
Lebanon 🇱🇧 heaven on earth shall ! The Phoenix fire bird shall rise from ashes again 🔥
@z.f.6309
يا الله ...قرار..جواب .....صوت دمار يزلزل الجبال .....عذراً للجميع.....وديع الصافي اجمل صوت من غير منازع..الله يرحمك يا كبير
@abbassawdeh6458
What lebanon r u talking about wadeeh 😢💔💔i miss my country the way it was like if u miss our old country the way it was before
@wijdaneelhadloussi8728
يا سلااااااااااااااااااااااااااااام