Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)

Subject: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,An Old Folkie
Date: 02 Apr 21 - 10:13 PM

I am trying to find the lyrics to a song I remember from the 1960s “international” folk scene. It was called “Ya Ayna Zorga,” which I believe means “Blue Eyes” in Arabic.

It was from a recording of a live performance in a coffeehouse or folk club. Unfortunately I don’t recall the name of the band but I think the lead (female) singer was Israeli and possibly another one of the songs was Turkish.

The song I’m looking for was supposedly Moroccan and was sung by the drummer. Some of the lines I can recall were (or at least “sounded like”):

Al-ayna zorga goulou aleha...
Shuft ayounek kteer helwe,,,Khaliuni gulbi (something)
Oh, oh, oh, mil-ayna zorga

Then the singer went into possibly a different song with the lyrics
:
Aleylaki alaylak ...
(Missing line)
Moushmoush Baalbek mstawa lawla stawa jibnalak

I suspect that’s a different song because I do recognize the word Baalbek as being in Lebanon rather than Morocco. But there was no break between the two songs of so.

I know what I’ve written is not accurate but I’m hoping it might be enough if anyone actually knows the song. I would love to have the correct lyrics, and a translation, and the background of the song, and any other relevant information.

Thanks in advance!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 02 Apr 21 - 10:29 PM

Is this the song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GerryM
Date: 03 Apr 21 - 12:57 AM

Perhaps it's on this album: An Evening at Cafe Feenjon.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,An Old Folkie
Date: 03 Apr 21 - 01:16 AM

Yes! That’s the song! I’m relieved to know it exists. Thank you for finding it...but It’s a bit dismaying to see that it’s been on that website since October 2019 but one has supplied the lyrics.

I will keep checking both sites with my fingers crossed!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 03 Apr 21 - 09:32 AM

I doubt the lyrics have been put online anywhere that's easy to locate. If you have any Arabic-speaking friends you may have some luck by asking them. Sorry, but Mr Google has come up empty in this regard. I wish you luck.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,maryrrf
Date: 04 Apr 21 - 04:12 AM

I just happened to see this post. My husband is Moroccan. He said the song is actually Tunisian, but it was known in Morocco as well. The lyrics are about a woman with blue eyes that burned the singer's heart.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 04 Apr 21 - 10:20 AM

maryrrf, would you be kind enough to ask your husband why the song seems to be listed as both Ya Ayna Zorga and Aina Zorga ?? I take it either AZ term translates to blue eyes ??

Thank you.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,maryrrf
Date: 04 Apr 21 - 11:00 AM

Ya is just something like "Hey". "Ya aina zorga" would be something like "Hey Blue Eyes".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Apr 21 - 11:28 AM

So here is a translation

I warn you about the blue eyes
The blue eyes burn in the heart
Oh Oh Oh the blue eyes
They say about the blue eyes
That the one who is hurt by them will not recover
Whenever I start to feel better I get hit again by the blue eyes
I saw the beautiful eyes and they drove me mad
The blue eyes cut and they leave your heart hurting

The second part is an Egyptian song used a lot for belly dancers. Hope this helps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 04 Apr 21 - 11:31 AM

Thank you very much. :-)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,Grateful Old Folkie
Date: 03 May 21 - 08:32 PM

Thank you all so much!

To the person whose husband provided that wonderful translation, an extra thank you, but also a request: could he possibly write out the actual Moroccan or Tunisian Arabic words?

What I really would love to do is sing it (or at least be able to pronounce it!) I have been struggling online to reverse-translate it into Arabic but still can’t get the whole thing. I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with it, but after spending decades looking for it, I would just love to be able to see the words written down. Either Arabic or English transliteration would be amazing. Thanks so much I’m advance.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,Oudman
Date: 04 May 21 - 01:11 AM

You’re right about Baalbek. The second song is Lebanese, two lines from a great song by the legendary Sabah called Aal Laylaki. You can find videos of her performing it herself on YouTube, which I highly recommend.

The lyrics are:

???????? ????????
??? ?? ? ????? ?????
???? ????? ?? ?????
???? ????? ???? ??

Hope that helps.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,Oudman
Date: 04 May 21 - 01:18 AM

Or maybe not. For some reason the Arabic lyrics don’t display correctly. At least you know where to find the second song. It’s quite well known and I’m sure the lyrics are posted online. It can be spelled a variety of ways in English: Al Laylaki, Aal Laylaki.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: Monique
Date: 04 May 21 - 02:12 AM

The lyrics posted in the comments below this video are...

ع الليلكي ع الليلكي .. زهر ال ع الصدر ليلكي
مشمش بعلبك ما استوى .. لولا استوى جبنا لك

خيال براس الجرد .. يرمح ويخطر بالجرد
وسألت عن لون الورد .. ردوا وقالوا ليلكي

يا قلب يا قلب الحلو .. يا طفل يا زغير حلو
روح اشتكي منك .. قالو الا قالو لا تشتكي

مشمش بعلبك هـ السنه تعوقت ع الحلوه سنه
بتحلا دني بتعبس دني .. انت اضحكي وضلي اضحكي

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 May 21 - 10:40 AM

To have the non-Western text appear you'll need to do each letter or word in html. Sorry, Oudman, that's a lot of work, but that is what Monique did.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 04 May 21 - 12:54 PM

I did a Google translate from Arabic to English using the Arabic lyrics posted by Monique. This is the result, although I can't attest to its accuracy:


Lilac on the lilac .. the flower of the chest is lilac
Apricot Baalbek would not be good .. had it not been made of cheese for you

Khayal Brass inventory .. speared and notified of inventory
I asked about the color of roses .. They answered and said lilac

Oh heart, my sweet heart, oh sweet baby boy
Spirit, I complain about you .. They said they said, do not complain

Apricot Baalbek e the year has interrupted the sweet year
I look down on my world with my sadness ... You laugh, and I will laugh

______________________

The transliteration from Arabic to phonetic English is

alliylkiu e allaylakii .. zahir al e alsadr liluki
mushamash baelabak ma aistawaa .. lawla aistawaa jabnaan lak
khial biras aljurd .. yarmah wayakhtar bialjurud
wasa'alat ean lawn alwird .. ruduu waqaluu lilaki
ya qalb ya qalb alhulw .. ya tifl ya zaghiir hulu
rwh aushtaki mink .. qalu 'iilaa qalu la tashtaki
mushamash baelabak h alsanah taeawaqat e alhaluwh sinh
bthla dny btebs dni .. 'ant adhky wadaliy adhuky

That according to Google translation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: Monique
Date: 04 May 21 - 01:34 PM

I only do it letter by letter when the text can only be found as an image. If the text is available online as a text, I copy and paste it in this tool. Now... if the original text reads from right to left and has punctuation marks you'd better check it and fix it if need be before you hit Submit.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ya Ayna Zorga (Moroccan? song from ‘60s)
From: GUEST,Al-Arabi
Date: 04 May 21 - 04:44 PM

Getting back to the first song, Ayna Zorga, it comes from the Maghrebi Jewish repertoire, and has been recorded by Salim (Simon) Halali of Algeria and Simon Amiel of Tunisia in the 1950s. I believe it was also sung by Pinhas Cohen in Israel. You can find all of those singers’ versions in YouTube. (I just did) under a variety of spellings. in English and in Arabic, because of the different dialects.

Some tips about Arabic spelling and pronunciation:
3ayn“ = “eye”
“zarqa” = blue.
“Al-3ayn al-zarqa” = the blue eye(s)
“Al-3ayna al-zarqa” = her blue eye(s)

“3” is the Arabic letter non-Arabs can’t pronounce that sounds like you’re choking.
The “l” in the article “al” is pronounced like a “z“ before words beginning with “z.”
In North African dialects the letter “q” is pronounced like a “g” so “Al3ayna azZorga”