Mr. Zaki Nassif: “Lover of flowers” [“Ya Ashikata el Wardi”]

According to the American University of Beirut (AUB)’s website (https://bit.ly/3fQ7ff1), Mr. Zaki Nassif 1916-2004)’s “rich and vibrant musical heritage” included “1,100 songs and pieces of music belonging to various genres and styles. He may be considered the founder of a new Lebanese Arabic school of compositions, unique in a genre that combines words, music, orchestration and dance“.

One Mr. Nassif’s most influential songs was composed at the end of the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990). It is entitled “Raje’h Yit’Ammar Loubnan” [“Lebanon will be rebuilt again”]. It became a VERY famous song, even rivalling the Lebanese national anthem, imagine, as per his biography published on the AUB’s website (https://bit.ly/3fQ7). This song will be perhaps featured in future posts about Bambi’s birth country.

However, today, Bambi will focus on another melody. She will share with you a few interpretations, by some of Lebanon’s talented artists, of one of Mr. Nassif’s most beautiful songs. The latter is a love poem about a lover of flowers. Below you can find an English translation of the Arabic lyrics. Of note, the last video is musical only.

To conclude this musical post, may Mr. Nassif’s memory be eternal. Now, if she may, Bambi would like to dedicate this song to all those who love flowers, including one of her beloved aunts. Yes, today is her birthday and Bambi is thinking of her ❤️; she will forever cherish those memories of “Amto Renée” with her lovely bouquets of flowers, coming to welcome her at her arrival to Beirut during family trips over three decades.

Lover of Flowers (taken from: https://lyricstranslate.com)

“Oh, lover of roses,

If you are keeping your promise,

Your love is waiting for you,

Oh, lover of roses.

Dazed, he awaits, his heart weary,

What is the hill, what is the moon,

What is joy, what is vigil,

If you were to go back to worrying,

Wandering through the horizon,

Bathing in the twilight?

For your searching will do no good.