Arabic (page 2)
Beginners’ Arabic I (ALMC 202): Listening to Music
Music has always been a way for me to connect with emotions, even when I don’t fully understand the language, such as Korean, Japanese and in recent years, Arabic. For this cultural portfolio, I chose two songs by Sherine, a well-known Arabic singer whose music speaks touches on about love and heartbreak. These songs helped me connect with Arabic culture and language in a personal way, and they’ve played a big role in my journey of learning and self-reflection.
Sherine is a famous Egyptian Arabic artist and iconic singer. She’s known for her emotional voice and her ability to express love in a way that feels real and beautiful. Her music is mostly related to love, and she’s gained fame for representing love so accurately and deeply. Her songs often carry strong emotions, whether it’s joy, heartbreak, or longing.
The first song I decided to choose from her is one of my favourites, “El Watar El Hassas” . This song is all about love and how someone treats you with care and gentleness. The lyrics talk about how her partner looks at her and makes her feel loved. The first line, “he treats me gently and with love,” really hooked me. It made me think about how love can be so reassuring and pure, with no room for misunderstanding. “He likes to tease me in front of people” which shows a really cute and playful side of love. This song reminds me of the early stages of love, when everything feels fresh and exciting. It’s one of my most
listened-to songs because it brings back those feelings. When I first heard it, I didn’t understand any Arabic. I was just vibing with the melody and emotion. But after taking Arabic Language and Muslim Cultures 201, I started recognizing words like “Ana” (اﻧﺎ) which means “I,” and “Anta” (اﻧت), which means “you.” That small progress made me feel proud. I even noticed the word “min” in the lyrics, which I learned in class means “from, ” when we learned to say “اﻧﺎ ﻣن ﻣدﯾ ﻧت” which means “I am from the city of… ” but in the song it seemed to mean “my. ” That made me come to the conclusion how context can change the meaning of a word.
The second choice of song is “Batmanna Ansak”. This song is the complete opposite of the first one. It’s about heartbreak and trying to forget someone you once loved deeply. The melody is slow, and Sherine’s voice carries a lot of pain and longing. I chose this song, not only because it contrasts from the first, but also this is a well known song, and it blew up all over social media platforms. I chose it as well because though it is a song, you can imagine yourself in the same situation or storyline as whatever this song is,
which is about doing everything for someone who ends up hurting you. Even though I didn’t understand the lyrics at first, I could feel the emotion in her voice. Arabic music has this way of making you feel the meaning even if you don’t know the words. After learning a bit of Arabic, I started catching words like “Qalbi” (قلبي), which means “my heart,” and parts of phrases that sounded like “Habibi” (حبيبي) or “Habaytak, ” (حبيتك) (also some mentioned in El Watar El Hassas) which relate to love “Hab,” (حب). It’s cool to see how many variations of love can be expressed in Arabic. Every time I recognize a word, I feel like I’ve achieved something new.
Listening to these songs made me want to learn Arabic, not just to understand the lyrics, but also because I felt connected to the culture. Singing along, even with my bad pronunciation, helped me feel closer to the language. It even made me think about working in the Middle East one day, though that’s not really part of this portfolio. During this activity, I tried to feel the songs like I was hearing them for the first time. I didn’t reflect on them in a super academic way. Instead, I imagined myself as the singer, going through those emotions. That helped me connect with the songs on a deeper level.
Before taking Arabic classes, I didn’t understand anything. Now, even recognizing one word per sentence feels like a win. It shows me how much emotion and meaning is packed into each word. Arabic songs aren’t just music, they’re stories told through powerful vocals and deep feelings. Exploring Sherine’s music with and without English translations, both have taught me that language isn’t the only way to understand a song, emotion, rhythm, and voice can speak just as loudly. As I started learning Arabic, I began to recognize words and meanings, which made the songs even more special. This experience showed me how music can be a bridge between cultures and how personal growth can come from unexpected places. These songs didn’t just help me learn Arabic, they helped me learn more about myself and what I aspire to do later down the path of my life.
Citations
Song 1- El Watar El Hassas
Song 2- Batmanna Ansak
Background on Sherine