Rondi wrote to me…
Hello Lisa!
This is Rondi Charleston – I am a singer/songwriter in the NY area.
I have an important recording project coming up in which I need an Arabic Lullaby to incorporate into an original song. I’m searching for the MELODY! Sheet music? or an MP3?
I heard about “Doha Ya Doha” from an article in Mothering Magazine by Cynthia Mosher. However, I can not find the lyrics and melody anywhere! I contacted Cynthia, but she no longer has the book, and can’t remember the song.
Also, by any chance, do you know any songs in Arabic that talk about PEACE?
I would GREATLY APPRECIATE any assistance you can give. I’ve tried the Arabic publishing house but they no longer have it. It is a traditional lullaby, apparently.
PLEASE contact me with any information.
Best Always,
Rondi
If anyone can help Rondi, please comment below or email me.
Thanks in advance!
Lisa
This article was posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2008 at 9:33 am and is filed under Arabic, Arabic Children's Songs, Children's Songs, Countries & Cultures, Iran, Languages, Lullabies, Morocco, Palestine, Questions, Readers Questions, Tunisia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
June 1st, 2008 at 6:11 am
just found these on another site and came here looking for more!
doha ya doha
wa al-ka’aba banooha
wa bi al-zamzam rashooha
baba safar makka
jablee zanbeel ka’aka
wa al-ka’aka fi al-makhzan
wa al-makhzan yih’taj muftah
wa al-muftah ‘ind al-najar
wa al-najar yibgh’a al-filoos
wa al-filoos ‘ind al-aroos
wa al-aroos tibgh’a walad
wa al-walad yibgh’a al-haleeb
wa alhaleeb ‘ind al-bagara
wa al-bagara tibgh’a al-hasheesh
wa al-hasheesh foog al-jabal
wa al-jabal yibgh’a al-matar
ya matara hutee hutee
‘alaa gray’at bint ukhtee
bint ukhtee jabat walad
wa samatoo ‘abd al-samad
doha ya doha
wa al-kaaba banooha
June 1st, 2008 at 9:15 am
Thanks for the info! We’re pretty sure this lullaby is from Saudi Arabia. Two Arabic people we talked to have mentioned they thought so and your link seems to point to Saudi Arabia as its source too.
We may have someone to sing it for the tune (though she’s not from Saudi Arabia!), and to send an English translation and the Arabic text. Come back soon to see what we find out!
-Mama Lisa
June 1st, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Hi Lisa or any one who can read my words . Iam Ahmed Iraqi and living in Iraq too . Iam woking in an American company called C.H.F. international company .Iam teaching English in a high school as well and writing Aabic and English poetry as well. Call me if you need and help or write to me on my above email.My skype is ahmedalbabili and my number is 07808310721.
Best Regards,
Ahmed.
June 5th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I asked Ahmed if he was familiar with “Doha Ya Doha” and here’s what he wrote back:
The song “Doha Ya Doha” is an Iraqi tale in origin… It is a tale sung with hand clapping from Iraq history.
Regards,
Ahmed Jawad
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:06 pm
I received a translation from Fatima in Iran (Fatima is an Iranian of Arabic culture). Here it is… one word is missing, if someone can help s/he’s welcome.
doha ya doha and they built the ka’aba (Mecca)
and with zamzam water they put on it
my father traveled to Meccah
he brought me a kind of cookie
the cookie is now in the storage
and the storage needs a key
the key is with the carpenter
and the carpenter wants money
the money is with the bride
and the bride wants to have a baby boy
the boy wants milk
and the milk is with the cow
the cow wants vegetables
and the vegetables are on the mountain
the mountain wants rain
the rain: please fall fall on the mountain
on my nephew’s ….?! (I don’t know the meaning of the word in Arabic, but may be it’s meaning is near to the pregnancy)
my nephew brought a son
and she named him Abdulsamad
doha ya doha
and they built the Ka’aba
MECCA: the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, considered by Muslims to be the holiest city of Islam. Muslims do the HAJ in Mecca. Haj is the greater pilgrimage to Mecca which all Muslims are expected to make at least once if they can afford to do so
ZAMZAM: The sacred well near the Kaaba at Mecca. According to Arab tradition, this is the well that was shown by Jibril to Hagar when the baby Ishmael was perishing of thirst. Its water is believed to be more health-giving than any other.
July 7th, 2008 at 4:06 am
as far as i know its originaly a hejazy lullaby.. my grantmother and mom used to sing it for us when we were kids and now i keep singing it for my baby :)
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hejaz)
ill try to post a link with the full song ..
Doha ya doha
wal ka’aba banoha
seedi safar mecca
jabli zambeel ka’aka
wal ka’aka fil mokhzan
wal mokhzan malu mofatah
wal moftah ind al najjar
wal najjar yebgha al floos
wal floos ind al malek
wal malek yebgha al manadeel
wal manadeel ind al soghar
wal soghar yebghu al haleeb
wal haleeb ind al bagara
wal bagra tebgha al hasheesh
wal hasheesh fog al jabal
wal jabal yebgha al matara
ya rabbi houtt al matara
ya matara hutti hutti
ala gara’at bent ukhti
bent ukhti jabat walad
samatu abdulsamad
P.S
Hasheesh means grass
gara’at means bald and in the song it means on her head
——————————–
and here is the rest of the song but the next part of the song doesn’t have to be translated because some of the sentences wont give a meaning .. coz its like when some1 make up a song and doest care of the meaning he just wants rhyme the words !
hadarja madarja
min kul ain sarja
ya fatima ya bent al nabi
khoudi ketabek wo anzuli
ala sedrat al nabi
feeha hotab
wo feeha rotab
ya rayheen al hadra
khoudu ma’akum bagara
tehleb wo tesgeeni
seeni ala seeni
wal rabbi ye’ateeni
dakhalt bait allah
lagait habeeb allah
fi yaddu tair akhdar
yelagemu al sukkar
we yelagemu al anbar
July 7th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Nag, could you please give us the translation even if it’s meaningless
September 26th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
some people are confused about some of the words
Fall rain fall on the mountain
on my niece’s pumpkins
my niece gave birth to a son
she named him abdessamad
hope this helps
ridha
September 27th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Thanks so much!
If someone could email me the Arabic text, that would be great.
-Mama Lisa
April 15th, 2010 at 9:23 pm
Would anybody actually have a clip / soundtrack ??? looking for it a friend just gave birth an wanting to pass on : )
April 21st, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Can anyone give me the link to download the full song of doha ya doha.
I only have a link from youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfUZ3u9V4AA), the song on youtube is not the original song. It’s a piece of a commercial that mbc shows.
I hope that someone can give me a link to the original full song.
I really need that song!
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Al salam alaykom
The English translation is :
Doha ya doha
And the ka’aba they built it
and with zamzam they sprayed it
daddy/father went to mecca
he got me some cake
and the cake is in the closet
and the closet needs a key
and the key is with the carpenter
and the carpenter wants money
and the money is with the bride
and the bride wants a baby boy
and the baby boy wants milk
and the milk is with the cow
and the cow wants the grass
and the grass in on top of the mountain
and the mountain wants rain
come rain come
on my sister’s daughter’s village
my sister’s daughter brought a baby boy
and she called him ‘ Abd-Alsamad
Doha ya doha
And the ka’aba they built it
Since I speak Arabic I translated it myself…
Regards,Rashid
April 23rd, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Sorry
I am not really sure if ” Gar’aat ” here is meant by Bald/Bald Head…or Village.
It depends on how it is pronounced.
April 23rd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
I just checked and it is ( Gray’at ) . So it means Bald head. So the line is |Come rain come
|On my niece’s Baby boy’s bald head
When I said Sister’s Daughter ,I meant Neice
Regards,Rashid…
April 23rd, 2010 at 2:09 pm
NIECE** Sorry
April 29th, 2010 at 9:11 am
JELLOULI wrote (in French):
J’ai trouvée pour vous le lien de la chanson du lullabies arabic doha
ya doha voici le lien mais la chanson n’est pas entière c’est juste le spot publicitaire j’espere qu’il va vous satisfaire, en attendant de trouver la chanson entière.
English Translation:
I found you a link to the Arabic lullaby doha doha here is the link, but the song is not complete, it’s just a commercial. I hope it will help you, while you find the whole song.
http://www.4shared.com/audio/n_pQvdHX/__online.html
June 26th, 2010 at 8:19 am
Hello,
This is a very traditional song from the Hijazi Folklore (Western Saudi Arabia from Jeddah, Makkah and Madina).
This is a short Saudi ad about family solidarity which contains part of the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4IlsMU00TY
Thank you,
Fadi
March 29th, 2011 at 11:35 am
Does anyone know which part of the Arabic world this one comes from?
huta hamra (red fish)
ghandi huta hamra hamra
kien tahieli ziju Nin
gewwa l-vaska ddur u tilghab
qatt ma rajt huta bhal din
trid taraha kemm tferfer denbha
x’hin xi farka hobz nitfalha
kemm inhobba lhuta tieghi
kemm nixtieq kont naf nghum bhalha
cluff cluff cluff
May 3rd, 2011 at 2:35 pm
Yep! this is from Malta!
June 7th, 2018 at 6:22 pm
Beautiful page and I love the videos included!!
One correction, though! Aside from it being the niece’s bald spot, the version I know and the one sung in both of those videos say [wa Zamzam shiriboha] “and Zamzam water, they did drink”.
November 16th, 2018 at 11:05 am
I’d like to find a song with lyrics. Come take a ride to the moon on the back of a giant dragonfly…