Lamma Bada Yatathanna
Lamma Bada Yatathanna (Arabic: لما بدا يتثنى) is an muwashshah of the Nahawand maqam.[1][2] The poem is considered one of the most famous Arabic pieces of its era,[3] and it came from al-Andalus.
The author of the piece is disputed, but is thought to be ibn al-Khatib (1313-1374).
Lyrics
| Arabic lyrics | English translation |
|---|---|
| لما بدا يتثنى (أمان) | When my love appeared walking with a swinging gait (Aman)[4] |
| حبي جماله فتنى (أمان) | His beauty infatuated me (Aman)[4] |
| أمرٌ ما بلحظـة أسـرنا | Something captured our hearts at a glance. |
| غصن ثنى حين مال | A branch bended once tilted. |
| وعدي ويا حيرتــي | Oh my destiny, my dilemma |
| مالي رحيم شـكوتي | none will answer my appeal. |
| في الحب من لوعتـي | for healing me from my ardor of love. |
| إلا مليك الجمــال | except the Lord of beauty. |
Rhythm
Melody
Its mode is the nahawand maqam (مقام نهاوند, harmonic minor scale).[4]
Renditions
The song is a standard of Arabic and Middle Eastern musical repertoires. Versions of the song have been recorded by artists including Fairuz,[5] Sabah Fakhri,[5] Souad Massi, Lena Chamamyan,[6] Nabyla Maan, Hamza El Din, Sami Yusuf and Abeer Nehme.[7]
References
- ^ "Lammā badā yatathanna". foundation for Arabic Music Archiving & Research.
- ^ Thiesen, Charles (2010-12-02). "Rich, complex, and beautiful". ravishdears. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ "الموشح الأشهر "لما بدا يتثنى" إبداعٌ تعبيريٌ غير مسبوق!" [The Famous Mushshah "Lamma Bada Yatathanna", an Unprecedented Work]. Al Ra'i (Jordanian newspaper) (in Arabic).
- ^ a b c d Campbell, Patricia Shehan; Beegle, Amy (2003). "Middle Eastern Expansions on Cultural Diversity in Music Education". Music Educators Journal. 90 (1): 21–30. doi:10.2307/3399973. ISSN 0027-4321. JSTOR 3399973.
- ^ a b "حكاية صباح فخري وابن الصعيد.. كيف أعاد «سلطان الموشحات» أغنيات «لما بدا يتثنى وياحلو يا مسلينى»؟". بوابة الأهرام (in Arabic). Retrieved 2023-05-11.
- ^ Lena Chamamyan (2015-09-13). Lamma Bada Yatathana. Retrieved 2025-01-21 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Lama Bada Yatathana - Abeer Nehme & UMS Choral Union". National Arab Orchestra / YouTube. 31 March 2023. Retrieved 2023-12-28.