خايف اقول - Khayef A'ool (I Am Afraid to Say)

I was trying to figure out which song I should go with next, and I just decided to go with an Egyptian one. Khayef A'ool is composed by Mohamed Abdel Wahab who is one of Egypt's greatest musical masterminds of this last century. Abdel Wahab performed the song himself too. I am not sure who wrote the lyrics, but they are also by someone Egyptian as they are in the Egyptian dialect, instead of Fairouz's regular native Lebanese Arabic.

خايف أقول اللي في قلبي تتقل و تعند ويايا
و لو دريت عنك حبي تفضحني عيني في هوايا 
أنا زارني طيفك في منامي قبل ما أحبك 
طمعني بالوصل و سابني و أنا مشغول بك
عايز أعتبو لكن خايف يروح يقول إني بحبك
بحبك 
مشغول بك

I am afraid to say what is in my heart because you might play hard to get and get more stubborn

And if I hid away my love from you, my eyes will embarrass me by revealing my love

Your phantom visited me in my sleep before I fell in love with you

It filled me with longing and left me with only you in my mind

I want to blame it, but I am afraid it will go and tell you that I love you

I love you

Only you on my mind

Here's an actual live performance YAY!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-Yqdb5S9Ek

This is a good example of a common motif in Arabic music: the dilemma of whether to confess your love or to keep it hidden to avoid rejection/heart break. This song also adds the following twist: even if you hide your love, it will be so easily revealed because it shows on your eyes and mannerisms. This love has lasted for a while even before meeting for the first time. I know this sounds weird, but it's another common Arabic music motif. It's this feeling of meeting someone finally and realizing that this is who you were looking for all this time. It's as if you actually missed their presence in your life even before you knew they even existed.

So, why do I like this song? I just simply love the second line and the way Fairouz performs it just makes it even way better. The thing is you might be too scared to admit to your significant other that you really love them because of whatever reasons, but if you are so in love them, your actions, attitude, and mannerisms communicate your sentiment even if you don't declare "I love you!" It is definitely borderline embarrassing sometimes. It's like where can I possibly hide when every breath I take screams "I love you." The way Fairouz sings this line makes you live her embarrassment. You can feel her blushing away from her guy, and you blush with her too. The truth is being in love is that obvious. You can practice as much self restraint as you want, but your eyes will always betray you and reveal your secret. 

On a side note, I would really like to know if someone actually reads this blog. Feel free to send me a comment or something. I mean, this is meant to just be for me, but it's cool to know there's an audience.