“Nassam Alayna El Hawa” (Arabic: نسم علينا الهوا, Romanized: Nassam ‘Alayna Al-Hawa) is a classic Arabic song by Lebanese artist Fairuz. It was featured in the 1968 film “Bint Al-Haris” and has a duration of approximately 4 minutes. The song was composed by the Rahbani Brothers, Assi and Mansour Rahbani.
The lyrics express a deep longing for one’s homeland, resonating with many in the Arab diaspora. Below are the lyrics in Arabic, their English translation, and the Arabic Romanized version:
نسم علينا الهوا من مفرق الوادي
The breeze blew upon us from the valley’s crossroads
Nassam ‘alayna al-hawa min mafraq al-wadi
يا هوا دخل الهوا خدني على بلادي
Oh breeze, as the air entered, take me to my country
Ya hawa, dakhal al-hawa, khudni ‘ala bladi
يا هوا يا هوا يللي طاير بالهوا
Oh breeze, oh breeze, you who fly in the air
Ya hawa ya hawa, yalli tayir bil-hawa
في منتورة طاقة وصورة خدني لعندن يا هوا
In the garden, there’s a window and a picture; take me to them, oh breeze
Fi mantura ta’a wa sura, khudni la’ndon ya hawa
فزعانة يا قلبي أكبر بهالغربة ما تعرفني بلادي
I’m afraid, oh my heart, to grow up in this estrangement, and my country won’t recognize me
Faz’ana ya albi, akbar bihal-ghurba, ma ta’rifni bladi
خدني على بلادي
Take me to my country
Khudni ‘ala bladi
شو بنا شو بنا يا حبيبي شو بنا؟
What’s wrong with us, what’s wrong with us, oh my love, what’s wrong with us?
Shu bina, shu bina, ya habibi, shu bina?
كنت وكنا تضلو عنا وافترقنا شو بنا
You were, and we were, you stayed with us, and we parted; what’s wrong with us?
Kunt wa kunna, tazallu ‘anna, wa iftaraqna, shu bina
وبعدا الشمس بتبكي عالباب وما تحكي يحكي هوا بلادي
And still, the sun cries at the door and doesn’t speak; the breeze of my country speaks
W ba’da al-shams bitibki ‘al-bab w ma tihki, yahki hawa bladi
خدني على بلادي
Take me to my country
Khudni ‘ala bladi
For a visual and auditory experience, you can watch the song with English subtitles here:
Fairuz – Nassam Alayna El Hawa – With English Subtitles