Eddaysh Kan Fi Nas

It’s remarkable how some songs can deeply resonate with us and occupy a special corner in our hearts. I selected this beautiful song because it has been the closest to my heart, both musically and lyrically, since childhood.

Eddaysh Kan Fi Nas by Fairouz – 1973

Fairouz

Nouhad Haddad (born November 21, 1935), known as Fairouz, is a Lebanese singer and actress widely considered to be one of the most celebrated Arab singers of the 20th century. Her artistic works gained wide popularity in both the Arab and Western worlds.

Fairouz’s husband was Assi Rahbani, who, alongside his brother Mansour Rahbani, known together as the “Rahbani Brothers”, wrote and composed the majority of the songs and plays performed by Fairouz from the mid-1950s until Assi suffered a debilitating stroke in 1973. Subsequently, Fairouz began collaborating separately with her son and daughter, Ziad and Rima Rahbani.

Eddaysh Kan Fi Nas – Lyrics:

قديش كان في ناس عالمفرق تنطر ناس

وتشتي الدنيا ويحملوا شمسية

وأنا بأيام الصحو ما حدا نطرني

قديش كان في ناس عالمفرق تنطر ناس

وتشتي الدنيا ويحملوا شمسية

وأنا بأيام الصحو ما حدا نطرني

صارلي شي مية سنة مشلوحه بهالدكان

ضجرت مني الحيطان ومستحية تقول

وأنا عيني عالحلى والحلى عالطرقات

غنيله غنيات وهو بحاله مشغول

نطرت مواعيد الأرض وما حدا نطرني

ناس، ويحملوا شمسية

وما حدا نطرني

صارلي شي مية سنة عم ألف عناوين

مش معروفة لمين واوديلن أخبار

بكرا لابد السما ما تشتيلي عالباب

شمسيات وأحباب ياخدوني بشي نهار

واللي ذكر كل الناس بالأخر ذكرني

قديش كان في ناس عالمفرق تنطر ناس

وتشتي الدنيا ويحملوا شمسية

وأنا بأيام الصحو ما حدا نطرني

ما حدا نطرني

English Translation:

Oh how many people there were on the crossroads waiting for others
And it’s pouring rain and everyone is carrying umbrellas          And even on clearer days, no one waited for me

I have been thrown in this shop for around a hundred years
The shop’s walls are bored from me but they are shy to say
And my eyes are fixed on beauty and the beautiful is on the streets                                                                             

I am singing him songs and he is busy with himself

I waited for all earthly dates and no one waited for me

For a hundred years I have been making fake addresses and sending them news
Tomorrow the skies will pour rain on my door and lovers that

might take me someday
And who remembered all the people in the end remembered me

Oh how many people there were on the crossroads waiting for others
And it’s pouring rain and everyone is carrying umbrellasAnd even on clearer days, no one waited for me, no one waited for me

Fairuz – Eddaysh Kan Fi Nas (Lebanese Arabic) Lyrics + English Translation

Eddaysh Kan Fi Nas

The song “Eddaysh Kan Fi Nas” is one of the greatest songs by the Lebanese artist Fairouz. It was composed by the Rahbani Brothers and arranged by Ziad Rahbani, Fairouz’s son, who chose the lyrics of the first paragraph before being completed by his uncle, Mansour Rahbani. The song expresses feelings of longing, solitude, and yearning for a distant loved one. It is characterized by its profound and impactful lyrics, as well as Fairouz’s powerful and moving performance.

What makes the song successful and popular?

The Melody

The Story

The Ending

The Melody:

Ziad Rahbani chose the “A’jam maqam” to compose this song, and in my opinion, it is a smart choice that reflects his poetic sensibility and his approach to the song as a thinker rather than just a composer. The “A’jam maqam”  in the song is characterized by its romanticism and determination, evoking a sense of joy and happiness that all people need: the optimists, the melancholic, the strong, and those awaiting joy no matter how difficult the reality they are living in.

The story:

In the beginning, the lyrics of the song depict waiting in the streets and observing people carrying their umbrellas, waiting for their loved ones. This scene creates a sense of vitality and life in the streets, yet the person singing the song hasn’t found anyone waiting for them, even on days when it’s not raining. Here, with Fairouz, you feel as if you’re alone, watching joy and love from afar during the winter season, but unable to touch it.

Then, Fairouz continues singing with the same pain in the shop, where even its walls seem tired of her presence. The shop symbolizes the slow, monotonous routine of work, where individuals seek solace amidst the mundane by looking for ” beauty”, which symbolizes beautiful values or people who they encounter daily, hoping for someone to acknowledge their existence. However, everyone seems preoccupied.

The song expresses the loneliness and isolation that anyone can feel, the feeling of being invisible, insignificant, and realizing that one’s presence doesn’t make a difference or fill a void in love. It’s a portrayal of finding oneself abandoned and alone in the midst of a crowded world.

The Ending:

At the end of the song, Fairouz withdraws, leaving the earth, as she no longer has hope in the people of the earth. Instead, she chooses to gaze at the sky where rain, blessings, people, and umbrellas descend.

Here, Fairouz teaches us the essence of beautiful moral waiting. She practices it as if it were the secret of her uniqueness and captivating strength. She has opened a new gateway for us to the beauty and ethical patience in its absolute and human sense.

Fairouz speaks of a pain that we all may feel when we contemplate people more than anything else. We contemplate and yearn for love stories, and when they do not materialize, we create stories and characters in our imaginations to nourish our thirsty souls for love and life. While she speaks of the bitterness of loneliness and the regret of waiting, she nonetheless teaches us patience and hope after fatigue and despair from prolonged neglect.

Now I leave you to enjoy Fairouz’s wonderful performance of the song. I hope you enjoy!