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Introduction:
Written by Abderrahmane Amrani, better known as Dahmane El Harrachi (1926-1980), one of
the most popular and revered singers among North African immigrants in France and
elsewhere. El Harrachi wrote several laments on what being an immigrant is about. This
song crudely and realistically highlights a recurring theme in the Algerian repertoire:
Exile and its painful consequences. In essence it says: "Candidate to exile, whatever
your destination, one day or the other you will return to your starting point." It
means that the thought of homecoming is ever present in the minds of first generation
immigrants, who are inmates in their own inner Alcatraz.
To preserve the song's originality , it's written in Arabic/Algerian dialect.
Source: Rachid Taha, Album Diwan
Chorus
Ya rayah win msafar trouh taaya wa twali
Chhal nadmou laabad el ghaflin qablak ou qabli (bis)
Chhal cheft al bouldan laamrine wa lber al khali
Chhal dhiyaat wqat chhal tzid mazal ou t'khali
Ya lghayeb fi bled ennas chhal taaya ma tadjri
Tzid waad el qoudra wala zmane wenta ma tedri
(Chorus)
Aalach qalbek hzine waalach hakdha ki zawali
Matdoum achadda wila tzid taalem ou tabni
maydoumou layyam walay doum seghrek ou seghri
Ya hlilou meskine li ghab saadou ki zahri
(Chorus)
Ya msafer naatik oussaayti addiha el bakri
Chouf ma yeslah bik qbal ma tbia ou ma techri
Ya nnayem djani khabrek ma sralek ma srali
Hakdha rad el qalb bel djbine sabhane el aali
© Abderrahmane Amrani (a.k.a Dahmane El Harrachi)