At the end of 2022, NPR named Nancy Mounir’s Nozhet El Nofous one of the “11 best experimental albums of 2022.”
Reviewer Lars Gotrich writes that the album “is a conversation with the past. The Cairo-based composer and instrumentalist weaves aching arrangements around crackling recordings of 1920s Egyptian singers. In translations provided, we grasp how Mounir’s own violin, bass and piano dance seamlessly with beautiful Arabic poetry of love, torment and darkness — characters who express longing and sorrow with the same nostalgic verve of what Brazilians call saudade. The ghostly effect, however, isn’t haunting, but an empathetic hand across time.”
Here, the lyrics of four of the songs, shared by Simsara Records and award-winning translator Katharine Halls:
| Taala Ya Shater ft. Naima El Masreya Come on, bright spark, let’s take a trip down the river Be sweet and indulge me, and don’t disappoint Pass me that bottle and keep me entertained The mezze are fresh and I’m having a fine time Charm and delight me, keep my glass overflowing When I’m with you, precious, I could sing the night away | تعالى يا شاطر تعالى يا شاطر .. نروح القناطر هاودني ودينك ما تكسر لي خاطر هات الإزازة واقعد لاعبني دي المَزة طازة والحال عاجبني هنيني بخفتك .. و اسقيني بذمتك في قربك ياغالي أغني الليالي |
| Khafif Khafif feat. Saleh Abdel Hay Softly softly, an arrogant man Has made my nights darker than carob Neither quarrel nor compromise will bring him around But I put up with him no matter how badly he treats me He has a place in my heart One look from him is enough for me But there’s always some new trouble brewing Strange how he quarrels with me without reason I ask him to explain, to love, to care He says “Leave me alone” “Have some respect” But I was destined to love him | خفيف خفيف خفيف خفيف ووراني المضروب ليالي لون قرن الخروب .. ياما وراني لا يجي بمسايسة ولا بخناقة نهايته أنا مقايسة مهما اتشاقى دا جوة قلبي مربع ونظرة منه تشبع وكل ساعة و له ملعوب .. ياما وراني خفيف خفيف ووراني المضروب ليالي لون قرن الخروب .. ياما وراني عجيبة يخاصمني من غير داعي وأقول له فهمني حب وراعي يقول لي مالك بيا خلاص مافيش مراعية غرامه وعد وكان مكتوبياما وراني |
| Wallah Testahel Ya Albi ft. Hayat Sabry Serves you right, heart of mine Why grow fond, when you were empty? You’re the cause of all my sorrows You’re the cause of what’s befallen me When all my luck has forsaken me… Who can I tell of my pitiful state? If I complain of my heart and my senses They’ll join forces against me If I cry that love is cruel My eyes will surely protest What am I to do when we’re strangers to each other? Strangers like us are like orphans No-one to comfort them in their sadness So much they endure, so much May lovers who are far apart Never be deprived of each other But be safely reunited again | والله تستاهل يا قلبي والله تستاهل يا قلبي .. ليه تميل ما كنت خالي انت أسباب كل كربي وانت أسباب ما جرى لي إذا كان حظي ناسيني .. مين أروح له وأشكي له حالي إن شكيت قلبي وحواسي يعملوا مؤامرة عليا وان بكيت الحب قاسي تشتكي مني عينيا أعمل ايه واحنا في غربة والأغراب دول زي اليتامى مين يواسيهم فى كربة ياما بيقاسوا وياما يارب كل من له حبيب وطال بعاده ولا قريب ما تحرموش منه .. وهاته له بالسلامة |
| Ana Bas Saktalak ft. Fatma Serry I’m keeping quiet for now But a day will come, so just you wait When my mind will clear A day will come when you will beg me Let’s see you forget me then And I’ll play hard to get, just you wait I’m keeping quiet for now But a day will come, so just you wait Soon your heart will be in agony I’ll torment you and happily get on with my life You’ll beg for us to reunite but I’ll refuse I’ll play hard to get, just you wait | أنا بس ساكتة لك أنا بس ساكتة لك .. حيجيلك يوم طوّل بالك لما يروق عقلي وبالي حيجيلك يوم تترجاني وأشوف أنا إزاي تنساني وأتقل عليك .. طوّل بالك أنا بس ساكتة لك .. حيبجيلك يوم طوّل بالك بكرا فؤادك يتلوع وأكيدك قوي أنا وأتدلع وتطلب الوصل أتمنع وأتقل عليك .. طوّل بالك |
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Nancy Mounir is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, arranger, and composer, a key member of Egypt’s independent music scene. Mounir plays a range of instruments—including violin, piano, bass, theremin, and the traditional Egyptian bamboo flute called the kawala.
Katharine Halls is an Arabic-to-English translator and a 2021 recipient of a PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant for her translation of Haytham El-Wardany’s Things That Can’t Be Fixed. She was awarded the 2017 Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation for her translation, with Adam Talib, of The Dove’s Necklace by Saudi author Raja Alem. The novel was also shortlisted for the 2017 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.
