(these lyrics were roughly translated from Arabic)
To the world you will speak out
And take an oath to make it better
You have been quiet for too long
What did Egypt gain from your silence?
...
Go call out for the ‘9a3idi’ (from upper Egypt) and your nephew from ‘Port Said’ and the youth from ‘Alexandria’ for this is a gathering of men
And I will come with those from ‘Sohag’ and ‘Qina’ and ‘Sinai’ and ‘ who are the best of the best
No need to double check on the people from Suez, everything is now jumbled together
And the people from ‘Al Ismailiyyah’ who have been through a lot
Talk to me about the people from the East, and together we are stronger
And together we are stronger
And our hope is high
The song was wildly popular, and in some places was used as an "anthem" of sorts for the revolutionary undertaking. In fact, after the success of the first song, Mr. al-Jasmi wrote a new version with the same melody that incorporated cities and countries from all over the Middle East.
In short, I chose this topic because of my personal background with it, and because it lends itself powerfully to the idea that while music may not necessarily be its own language, it is an extremely effective method of communication and can serve as a powerful symbol of unity.
Although some believe that the Middle Eastern culture promotes violence, in this paper I will show that traditional Egyptian music reflects an innate desire for peace and unity in Middle Eastern countries.