Jerusalem in My heart

                "We shall return-سنرجع"

Arabic:

أسراب السنونو عادت إلى الشبابيك العتيقة

 رعيان التلال عادوا إلى البيوت المطمئنة

 وآبت اليمائم إلى الأعشاش الجبلية

 أترى نرجع مثل سنونو، مثل راعٍ جبلي
 مثل شراع عائد؟

أترى نرجع، نرجع، نرجع؟

،سنرجع يوماً إلى حيّنا

ونغرق في دافئات المنى

سنرجع مهما يمرّ الزمان

وتنأى المسافات ما بيننا

فيا قلب مهلاً ولا ترتمي

على درب عودتنا موهنا

يعزّ علينا غداً أن تعود 

رفوف الطيور ونحن هنا

هنالك عند التلال تلالُ

تنام وتصحو على عهدنا

وناس هم الحب، أيامهم

هدوء انتظار شجي الغنا

ربوعُ مدى العين صفصافها

على كل ماء وهى فانحنى

تعبّ الظهيرات في ظلّها

عبير الهدوء وصفو الهنا

سنرجع خبّرني العندليب

غداة التقينا على منحنى

بأن البلابل لمّا تزل

هناك تعيش بأشعارنا

وما زال بين تلال الحنين

وناس الحنين، مكان لنا

فيا قلب كم شردتنا رياح

تعال، سنرجع، هيا بنا

English: (Literal)  

The flocks of swallows have returned to the old windows

The shepherds of hills have returned to the safe houses 

And the doves went back to mountain nests
Will we ever return, like the swallows?

Like a mountain shepherd, like a returning sail?

Will we ever return? 

We shall return one day to our neighborhood, and drown in the warm  hopes (wishes)

We shall return, no matter how much time will pass, and how much distance will grow between us

Therefore, O Heart, slow down, 

And do not throw yourself

On the road of return, exhausted

It pains us that tomorrow, the flocks of birds will return

And we are here

There are hills, at the hills, that sleep and wake on our pledge
And there are people, who are Love, 

Their days are a silent waiting (anticipation), melancholic in its songs
Places whose willows fill the eye, 
Over the water, they grew tired, and so bent 
Noontime quaffs, in their shadows (willows' shadows)
The aroma of calmness, and the essence of happiness 

We shall return...The nightingale told me, when upon a hill we met,

That nightingales still live there, in our poems.
And that there is still, among the hills of nostalgia 
And the people of nostalgia
A place for us.
Therefore, O heart, how long have we been scattered by winds?
Come, we shall return.
Let us return.


English: (Liberal)

The flocks of swallows have returned to the old windows
The shepherds of hills have returned to the peaceful houses
And the doves went back to their mountain nests
Will we ever return, like the swallows?
Like a mountain shepherd, like a returning sail?
Will we ever return?

We shall return to our home, one day

To drown in the warmth of hope.

We shall return

Though time passes us by

And distances grow only greater

Between us.

Therefore, O Heart, slow down, 

And do not throw yourself

On the road of return, in exhaustion 

For it pains us that tomorrow, 

The flocks of birds will return

While we remain here

There are hills 

That sleep and wake on our pledge 

And there are lovely people, 

Whose days are a silent anticipation 
That's melancholic in its songs

Places where willows fill the eye 

They grew tired, and over the water have bent
And in their shadows, noontime quaffs the aroma of calmness, 
And the essence of happiness, 

We shall return, the nightingale told me,
When upon a hill we met,
That nightingales still live there in our dreams
And that among the yearning hills, and the yearning people
There is a place for us still
O heart then, how long has the wind scattered us!

Come, we shall return
Let us return.

Comment:

This song was written by the Palestinian poet Harun Hachem Rachid*. It mainly speaks of the nostalgia and the heartache that the Palestinians who were forcefully displaced from their homes (and country) feel at the time of return of bird flocks in spring. Palestinians refugees are scattered in the countries that surround their land (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt). The feeling that they are close and yet too far renders them exasperated, and makes the heart throw itself "in exhaustion" on the "road of return". 
There are two versions of the song: the one featured above, which is taken from the program "Jerusalem in my heart" (see the comment on "Old Jerusalem" below) and another, that lacks the chorus introduction, although both are featured in the album "Jerusalem in my heart".

*The italic part, which is sung by the chorus, is written by the Rahbani brothers in order to introduce the poem that Fairouz will be singing. Click here for more information.


Song: Sanarji'ou
Lyrics: Rahbani Brothers - Read this article in Arabic for more information on the author dispute
Music: Rahbani Brothers
Video reference:Here

                                             ------------------------------------------------

"Old Jerusalem-القدس العتيقة"

Arabic:

مريت بالشوارع ... شوارع القدس العتيقة 

قدام الدكاكين ... ال- بقيت من فلسطين 

حكينا سوى الخبرية و عطيوني مزهرية 

قالوا لي هيدي هدية من الناس الناطرين 

و مشيت بالشوارع ... شوارع القدس العتيقة 

اوقف عباب بواب صارت و صرنا صحاب 

وعينيهن الحزينة من طاقة المدينة 

تاخدني و توديني بغربة العذاب 

كان في أرض و كان في ايدين عم بتعمر تحت الشمس و تحت الريح 

و صار في بيوت و صار في شبابيك عم بتزهر

 صار في ولاد و بايديهم في كتاب 

و بليل كلو ليل سال الحقد بفية البيوت 

والايدين السودا خلعت البواب و صارت البيوت بلا صحاب 

بينن و بين بيوتن فاصل الشوك و النار، والايدين السودا 

عم صرخ بالشوارع ... شوارع القدس العتيقة 

خلي الغنيي تصير عواصف وهدير 

يا صوتي ضلك طاير، زوبع بهالضماير 

خبرهن عللي صاير، بلكي بيوعى الضمير 

English: (Literal)

I passed the streets, the streets of old Jerusalem,

In front of the stores...that were left of Palestine,

We discussed the story together, and they gave me a vase,

They told me that this was a gift

From the people who are waiting

And I walked down the streets, the streets of old Jerusalem

And I stopped over at one of the doors, and we became friends

And their sad eyes, from the city's windows, 

Were taking me, and sending me, in the torture's alienation

There was land, and there were hands, building under the sun and under the wind

And then there were houses, and blossoming windows,

There were kids, with a book in their hands

And on a dark night, rancor spread to the houses' shadows

And black hands broke the doors, and houses became without owners

Between them and their houses a barricade of thorns and fire, and the black hands

I'm screaming in the streets, the streets of old Jerusalem

Let the song become storms and thunder

Oh my voice, may you remain flying, as a tempest in these consciences,

Tell them what's happening, perhaps the conscience awakens.

English:(Liberal)

I passed the streets...the streets of old Jerusalem

In front of the stores... that are left of Palestine

We discussed the story together, and they gave me a vase

They said that it was  a gift from the people who are waiting

And I walked down the streets...the streets of old Jerusalem

"I stopped at one of the doors and made friends"

And the people's sad eyes, showing from the window of the city, took me with suffering's alienation.

There was land and there were hands building under the sun, and under the wind

"And then there were houses and windows gleaming and children, with books in their hands.

And in the dark of night hatred spread to the shadows of the houses

And the black hands tore off the doors and the houses became uninhabited"

Between the people and their houses there's a barricade of thorns and fire, and the black hands

I’m screaming in the streets, the streets of old Jerusalem.

Let the song become like storms and thunder,

"May my voice remain aloft, a hurricane in these consciences"

Tell them what's happening, perhaps the conscience awakens

Context:

In 1964, the Rahbani Brothers and Fairouz visited Jerusalem, and this song was inspired by a true story: As Fairouz was wandering in one of the city's streets, a lady stopped her and told her about the misery she was enduring. Fairouz was so touched that she started to cry, and therefore the lady offered her a vase as gift. So this song was inspired by the incident.

Old Jerusalem inspired the Palestinian poet Samih al Kassem to write a poem called "زنابق لمزهريّة فيروز-Zanabek li mazhariyyat Fairouz" or "Lilies for Fairouz's Vase". The poem was then interpreted by various artists, including the Bahraini Khaled el Sheikh (song) and the Lebanese Khaled el Habr (song). 

The video shown is taken from Fairouz's 1966 Kuwait concert. I came across another video (with better audio & video quality), which is an extract from Télé Liban's "القدس في البال- Jerusalem in my heart" program, which featured songs for Palestine sang by Fairouz. 

Finally, I recommend you read the paper from which I took some of the lines in the contextual translation. The paper discusses the place of Jerusalem in Fairouz's and the Rahbanis' work (reference cited below).

Song: "L'Eds l'aati'a"

Lyrics & Music: Rahbani Brothers

Album: Jerusalem in my heart.

Video reference:Here

Quotations' reference:Here

Context reference (in Arabic):Here

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"Flower of the cities- زهرة المدائن"

Arabic:

لأجلك يا مدينة الصلاة، اصلّي

لاجلك يا بهية المساكن، يا زهرة المدائن

 يا قدس، يا مدينة الصلاة، أصلّي

عيوننا إليك ترحل كل يوم

تدور في أروقة المعابد

تعانق الكنائس القديمة

و تمسح الحزن عن المساجد

يا ليلة الأسراء، يا درب من مرّوا إلى السماء

...عيوننا إليك ترحل كل يوم، وانّني أصلي

الطفل في المغارة وأمه مريم وجهان يبكيان

يبكيان لأجل من تشردوا

لأجل أطفال بلا منازل

لأجل من دافع وأستشهد في المداخل

و أستشهد السلام في وطن السلام

و سقط العدل على المداخل

حين هوت مدينة القدس

تراجع الحب وفي قلوب الدنيا أستوطنت الحرب

الطفل في المغارة وأمه مريم وجهان يبكيان وأنني أصلي

 الغضب الساطع آتٍ، وأنا كلي ايمان

الغضب الساطع آتٍ، سأمرّ على الأحزان

من كل طريق آتٍ، بجياد الرهبة آتٍ

و كوجه الله الغامر، آتٍ آتٍ آتٍ

لن يقفل باب مدينتنا فأنا ذاهبة لأصلي

سأدقّ على الأبواب وسأفتحها الأبواب

و ستغسل يا نهر الأردن وجهي بمياه قدسية

و ستمحو يا نهر الأردن أثار القدم الهمجية

الغضب الساطع آتٍ بجياد الرهبة آتٍ

و سيهزم وجه القوة

البيت لنا والقدس لنا

و بأيدينا سنعيد بهاء القدس

بايدينا للقدس سلام، آتٍ

English: (Literal)

For you, O city of Prayer, I pray

For you, O city of splendid homes, O flower of the cities

O Jerusalem, Oh city of Prayer...I pray

Our eyes travel to you everyday

They roam the hallways of temples,

Embrace the old churches,

And wipe the sadness off the mosques.

O night of Al Isra', O path of those who have ascended to the sky

Our eyes travel to you everyday...And I pray

The child in the cave and his mother Mary

Two crying faces...crying

For those made homeless

For children without houses

For those who defended and were martyred at the entrances

And Peace was martyred, in the nation of Peace

And justice tumbled at the entrances

When the city of Jerusalem fell...

Love retreated, and in the heart of the world, war settled

The child in the cave and his mother Mary

Two crying faces...and I'm praying

The glaring choler is coming, and I am full of faith

The glaring choler is coming, I'll circumvent the grief

From every route, coming,

On the steeds of dread, coming

And like the omnipresent face of God, coming

The gate to our city will not close, for I am going to pray

I will knock on the gates, and I'll open the gates

And you shall wash, O Jordan River, my face with sacred water

And you shall wipe, O Jordan River, the of barbaric feet

The glaring choler is coming,

On the steeds of dread, coming

And it'll defeat the face of power

The home is ours, and Jerusalem is ours

And with our hands we'll bring the splendor of Jerusalem back

With our hands, for Jerusalem, peace is coming.

For Jerusalem, peace, is coming.

English: (Liberal)

I pray for you, O city of Prayer

I'm pray for you, O city of splendid homes, O flower of all cities

O Jerusalem, O city of Prayer...I pray for you

Our eyes travel to you everyday

They roam the hallways of temples,

Embracing the old churches,

Wiping the sadness off the mosques.

O night of Al Isra'(1), Oh path of those who have ascended heavenwards(2)

Our eyes travel to you everyday...And I pray

The child in the cave and his mother Mary(3)

Are two crying faces...

Crying for those made stateless

For children who became homeless

For those who defended their city at the gates, and were martyred...

And Peace was martyred, in the nation of Peace

And justice tumbled at the city's entrances

When the city of Jerusalem fell...

Love retreated, and in the heart of the world, war settled

The child in the cave and his mother Mary

Are two crying faces...and I'm praying

The blinding anger is coming, and I am full of faith

The blinding anger is coming, I'll circumvent the grief

From every road, it's coming,

Riding the steeds of dread(4), it's coming

And like the omnipresent face of God, it's coming

The gate to our city will not close, for I am going to pray

I will knock on the gates, and I will open the gates

And you shall wash, O Jordan River(5), my face with sacred* water

And you shall erase, O Jordan River, the traces of barbaric feet

The blinding anger is coming,

Riding the steeds of dread, it's coming

And it'll defeat the face of oppression

The home is ours, and Jerusalem is ours

With our own hands, we shall bring Jerusalem's splendor back

We're bringing Peace to Jerusalem, with our own hands.

For Jerusalem, peace, is coming.

Explanation:

(1)Al Isra': According to Islamic tradition, Prophet Mohamed took both a physical and spiritual journey from the Kaaba in Mecca to Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, on the heavenly steed of prophets called Buraq. That happened on the day of " Al Isra' ".
(2)Prophet Mohamed ascended to the heavens, also on the heavenly steed of the prophets. The miracle is referred to as Al Mi'raj.
Both Al Isra' and Al Mi'raj occurred in the same night.
(3) The child is Jesus Christ, who was born in the cave of Bethlehem, according to both Christian and Islamic traditions. 
(4) The employment of the word "steeds" reminds << of Salah al-Din’s recapture of Jerusalem from
the Crusaders in 1187.>>
(5) Jordan River:

*The word (qudsiyya/قدسيّة) which means "sacred", is derived from the word (quds/قدس) which means "Jerusalem" in Arabic.

This song is a tribute to Jerusalem, the capital city of Palestine. It was written after the 1967 6-days-war in which Israel seized East Jerusalem, among many other Palestinian cities. The video I'm sharing is a rare one, broadcast by the Tunisian TV and taken from Fayrouz's 1968 concert in Tunisia, as indicated by its caption on Youtube. I also found a small part of the song that is apparently taken from the Cedars concert. Here it is:

Song:"Zahrat al mada'en"
Album: Jerusalem in my heart
Lyrics and music: Rahbani Brothers
Video reference: Zahrat Al Mada'en
Image reference: Here
Quotation reference:Here