“Bala Wala Chi” (بلا ولا شي, Bala Wala Shi) is a modern Arabic song by Lebanese artist Ziad Rahbani. Featured on the album “Houdou Nisbi,” the song was released in 1985. It is a smooth, jazzy track lasting approximately 3 minutes and 27 seconds. Ziad Rahbani, a renowned composer and playwright, is both the writer and composer of this piece.
Here are the lyrics with their English translations and Arabic Romanization:
بلا ولا شي بحبك
Without anything else, I love you
Bala wala shi b7ebbik
ولا في بهالحب مصاري
And there is no money in this love
Wala fi bhal 7obb masari
ولا ممكن فيه ليرات
Nor are there liras
Wala momken fi lirat
ولا ممكن في اراضي
Nor is there land
Wala momken fi aradi
ولا فيه مجوهرات
Nor are there any jewels
Wala fi mojawharat
تعي نقعد بالفي
Come, let’s sit in the shade
Ta3i ne23od bel fay
مش لحدا هالفي
This shade belongs to nobody
Mesh la7ada hal fay
حبيني وفكري شوي
Love me and think a little
7ebbini w fakri shway
بلا ولا شي… وحدك
Without anything else… just you
Bala wala shi… wa7dik
بلا ولا شي
Without anything else
Bala wala shi
بلا كل انواع تيابك
Without all types of your clothes
Bala kel anwa3 tyabik
بلا كل شي في تزيين
Without all the decorations
Bala kel shi fi tezyin
بلا كل اصحابي.. صحابك
Without all my friends… your friends
Bala kel as7abi… s7abik
السؤلا والمهضومين
The annoying ones and the likeable ones
El so2ala wel mahdoumin
تعي نقعد بالفي… مش لحدا هالفي
Come, let’s sit in the shade… this shade belongs to nobody
Ta3i ne23od bel fay… mesh la7ada hal fay
حبيني وفكري شوي
Love me and think a little
7ebbini w fakri shway
تعي نقعد، تعي نقعد…
Come, let’s sit, come, let’s sit…
Ta3i ne23od, ta3i ne23od…
بلا جوقة امك بيك
Without your mother and father’s entourage
Bala jaw2it emmik bayyik
ورموش ومسكرة
Without eyelashes and mascara
W rmoush w maskara
بلا ما النسوان تحيك
Without all the women’s gossip
Bala ma el neswan t7ayyik
بلا كل هالمسخرة
Without all this mockery
Bala kel hal maskhara
تعي نقعد بالفي… مش لحدا هالفي
Come, let’s sit in the shade… this shade belongs to nobody
Ta3i ne23od bel fay… mesh la7ada hal fay
حبيني وفكري شوي
Love me and think a little
7ebbini w fakri shway
بلا ولا شي
Without anything else
Bala wala shi
This song emphasizes a pure and simple love, free from materialistic attachments.