Friday, May 26, 2006

Bi`id, Bi`id, Wahdina. I have never been a huge fan of Umm Kulthum--I know, I should be ashamed. I find her songs too long, and tedious for me. But due to cultural nostalgia, I have become more appreciative of some of her songs. Take her song Anta `Umri: what a great song this is--a great match of lyrics and music (music by `Abdul-Wahab and lyrics by Ahmad Rami), and I like it that it offended Al-Azhar clerics when she pleaded: "bi`id, bi`id, wahdina" (far away, far away, alone together).
PS Kamal, who knows about matters small and big in Arabic politics and culture, corrects me. He said that Anta `Umri's lyrics are by Ahmad Shafiq Kamil. I stand corrected. As usual, this error should not detract from my record of infallibility.