“Ya Mersal El Maraseel” (“يا مرسال المراسيل”) is a classic Arabic song by Lebanese artist Fairuz. The song was composed by Philemon Wehbe and written by the Rahbani Brothers. It was released in 1965 as part of the album “Bayaa El Khawatem” (“بياع الخواتم”). The song has a duration of approximately 3 minutes and 46 seconds. It is characterized by its nostalgic and heartfelt mood.
Here is the translation and transliteration of the lyrics:
Verse 1:
يا مرسال المراسيل.. عالضيعة القريبة
Oh messenger of all messengers, to the nearby village
Ya mersal el maraseel.. ‘al-diy’a al-qariba
خدلي بدربك هالمنديل.. واعطيه لحبيبي
Take this handkerchief on your way and give it to my beloved
Khudli bidarbik hal-mandil.. wa’atiih li-habibi
Chorus:
عالداير طرّزتو شوي.. إيدي والإسوارة
Around its edge, I embroidered a bit with my hand and bracelet
‘Al-dair tarriztu shway.. ‘eedi wal-iswara
حيّكتلو إسمو عليه.. بخيطان السنّارة
I stitched his name on it with fishing threads
Hayyaktalu ismu ‘alayh.. bikhaytan al-sinnara
بِخيطان الزرق وحمر
With blue and red threads
Bikhaytan al-zurq wa-humr
وغناني الصبيان السمر
And the songs of the dark-skinned boys
Wa-ghannani al-sibyan al-sumur
كتبتلو قصة عمر
I wrote him a lifetime story
Katabtalu qissat ‘umur
بدموعي الكتيبة
With my abundant tears
Bi-dumoo’i al-kateeba
خدلي بدربك هالمنديل واعطيه لحبيبي
Take this handkerchief on your way and give it to my beloved
Khudli bidarbik hal-mandil wa’atiih li-habibi
Verse 2:
بيتو بآخر البيوت.. قدّامو عليّة
His house is at the end of the houses, opposite an attic
Beitu bi-akhir al-buyut.. qaddamuh ‘alayya
بتوصل عالبيت وبتفوت.. وبتسلّم الهدية
You reach the house, enter, and deliver the gift
Bitwasal ‘al-bayt wa-bitfut.. wa-bitsallim al-hadiya
ولو عنّا قال وكتّر
Even if they say “enough”
Wa-law ‘anna qal wa-kathar
قلّو خليه يتذكّر
Tell him to let him remember
Qulluh khalliih yitdhakkar
عَ هالمنديل الأصفر
On this yellow handkerchief
‘A’ hal-mandil al-asfar
ببعتلو مكاتيبي
I send him my letters
Bi’ba’atulu makateebi
خدلي بدربك هالمنديل واعطيه لحبيبي
Take this handkerchief on your way and give it to my beloved
Khudli bidarbik hal-mandil wa’atiih li-habibi
Verse 3:
وبتجِبلي مِنّو تذكار.. شي ورقة وشي صورة
And you bring me from him a souvenir, a piece of paper and a picture
Wa-bitjibli minnu tadhkar.. shi waraqa wa-shi soora
عالورقة يكتب أشعار.. وإسمو على الصورة
On the paper, he writes poems, and his name on the picture
‘Al-waraqa yaktub ash’aar.. wa-ismu ‘al-soora
ولمّا بتبكي المواويل
And when the melodies cry
Walamma bitibki al-mawaweel
يسأل عن أهل المنديل
He asks about the people of the handkerchief
Yis’al ‘an ‘ahl al-mandil
يا مرسال المراسيل
Oh messenger of all messengers
Ya mersal al-maraseel