Yafa!

from Sprinting Gazelle - Palestinian songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora by Reem Kelani

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about

Jaffa-born poet, mythologist and translator Mahmoud Salim al-Hout (1917-1998) represents the generation that lived through the Nakbah (the 'Catastrophe') of the expulsion of the Palestinians from their homeland in 1948.

The poet wrote this after losing all his manuscripts when fleeing Jaffa. As the lyrics suggest, it left him with painful memories.

This rendition is in the time-honoured Arabic singing tradition of qasidah, an ornamented vocal improvisational form based on a poetic text in classical Arabic. It is sung in free-rhythm, and in this case employs a continuous
state of question-and-answer with Zoe Rahman's taqasim (instrumental improvisations) on the piano.

lyrics

Yafa! My tears have dried up;
I weep for you with stricken eyes

Will I ever see you?
Will I live long enough?

How are your sister towns?
How are they?

I long for them
As if each were a paradise.

And those we left behind?
Those we left for dead …

I'm weary! I'm weary!
But in my weariness
I only complain to God
And to no one else.

Yafa…

Yafa!

credits

from Sprinting Gazelle - Palestinian songs from the Motherland and the Diaspora, released February 6, 2006
Poetry: Mahmoud Salim al-Hout
Music: Reem Kelani.

Vocals: Reem Kelani
Piano: Zoe Rahman

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Reem Kelani London, UK

Reem Kelani is an independent artist. Please buy Reem’s music & support her work.
Get your copy of Reem's 2022 EP release "The Singer Said: Bird of Dawn". Reem's amazing booklet comes with the download!

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