Warda was born in Puteaux, France to a Lebanese Mother and Algerian father. She started singing at the age of eleven in 1951. She quickly became well known for her singing of patriotic Algerian songs. When she married in 1962, however, her husband forbade her to sing. In 1972, Algerian president Houari Boumédienne asked her to sing to commemorate Algeria's independence, and she performed with an Egyptian orchestra. As a result her marriage broke up, and she dedicated her life to music.
She then moved to Egypt, where she married the composer Baligh Hamdi. She performed many of his songs and those of other Arabic composers, quickly rising to fame and releasing several albums per year. Additionally, she has starred in a few films.
Warda is a female name of Arabic origin meaning Rose
At the height of Panarabism, Gamal Abdel Nasser requested that Warda be given a part in a production by Mohammad Abdelwahhab entitled My Great Homeland (Watani Al-Akbar). The song was performed by the biggest stars at the time including Abdel Halim Hafez, Shadia, Sabah (singer), Nagat Al-Saghira and Faida Kamel. The song denounced Colonialism and urged for a united Arab People to defeat foreign occupation (see Partitioning of the Ottoman Empire).
Warda passed away on 17 May 2012 in Cairo, Egypt after suffering a cardiac arrest, she was 73 years old.
Warda
Warda Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
9alou mada jra
goult ana lmima 9lbi mjrouh
kiya 3la kiya
9oulou li kwani li mcha w 5lani wach 9lbou hani
dem3a 3la dem3a 9oulou lhbibi li mcha bla rej3a hadi hiya denya
9oulou li kwani li mcha w 5lani wach 9lbou hani
dem3a 3la dem3a 9oulou lhbibi li mcha bla rej3a hadi hiya denya
wrda 3la wrda
9alou mada jra
goult ana lmima 9lbi mjrouh
kiya 3la kiya
9oulou li kwani li mcha w 5lani wach 9lbou hani
dem3a 3la dem3a 9oulou lhbibi li mcha bla rej3a hadi hiya denya
The song "Warda" by the Algerian singer, Warda Al-Jazairia, speaks of a love that has gone astray. The repeated lines of "wrda 3la wrda" and "kiya 3la kiya" seem to represent the cycles of love and heartbreak that the singer has experienced. The first verse begins with the line "9alou mada jra," which roughly translates to "they said what happened has passed." This line suggests that the singer's heartbreak is not a new experience and has been something that has happened multiple times before.
In the next line, the singer declares "goult ana lmima 9lbi mjrouh," meaning "I said that right now, my heart is in pain." This line highlights the current state of the singer's emotions and how she is feeling the pain of the heartbreak acutely. The second verse repeats the same lines as the first verse, emphasizing the cyclical nature of love and heartbreak.
The chorus begins with "kiya 3la kiya," which can be translated to "like on like." This line is followed by "9oulou li kwani li mcha w 5lani wach 9lbou hani," meaning "tell me who has gone and left me, and what has made my heart suffer." The repetition of these lines in the chorus further emphasizes the singer's pain and her search for answers. The chorus ends with "dem3a 3la dem3a 9oulou lhbibi li mcha bla rej3a hadi hiya denya," meaning "tear after tear, say to my love who has gone without returning, this is life."
Overall, the lyrics of "Warda" by Warda Al-Jazairia speak of the pain of love and heartbreak, and the cyclical nature of these experiences. The singer's repeated search for answers emphasizes the all-consuming and confusing nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
wrda 3la wrda
Flower upon flower
9alou mada jra
They said it's still flowing
goult ana lmima 9lbi mjrouh
I said, today my heart is wounded
kiya 3la kiya
Layer upon layer
9oulou li kwani li mcha w 5lani wach 9lbou hani
They said, tell me who left and stayed, and what's left of my heart
dem3a 3la dem3a 9oulou lhbibi li mcha bla rej3a hadi hiya denya
Drop by drop, they said my love left and won't come back, this is the world we live in
kiya 3la kiya
Layer upon layer
9oulou li kwani li mcha w 5lani wach 9lbou hani
They said, tell me who left and stayed, and what's left of my heart
dem3a 3la dem3a 9oulou lhbibi li mcha bla rej3a hadi hiya denya
Drop by drop, they said my love left and won't come back, this is the world we live in
wrda 3la wrda
Flower upon flower
9alou mada jra
They said it's still flowing
goult ana lmima 9lbi mjrouh
I said, today my heart is wounded
Contributed by Jake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.