Thread: Sana helwah ya gameel...

So, I know that people often sing Sana Helwah Ya Gameel to the tune of the happy birthday song at birthday parties.

What, exactly, do the words "Sana Helwah Ya Gameel" mean? I know it's not "happy birthday to you", but what is it? Doesn't "helwah" mean "sweet" and "Ya Gameel" mean "O Beautiful One"?

I heard this sung at a birthday party in Egypt for a 16-year-old girl. How widespread is the use of this song in Egypt? Is it limited to families of a certain social class, or is it pretty widespread across all social classes?

I don't know if this helps, but Lucy sung it to a patron during a nightclub show I saw (maybe 6 years ago).

Sana means year, so a rough translation is wishing the birthday person a "sweet year, oh beautiful one".

Sana Hilwa ya gameel is one of the Arabic bday songs. In Egypt we also have another one called " Yala Halan Balan." Sana Hilwa Ya Gameel is, as Nikki said, basically wishing someone a Beautiful/sweet/good year( all the while calling the bday boy/girl beautiful.)..g.:

Originally Posted by princessisabella

Sana Hilwa ya gameel is one of the Arabic bday songs. In Egypt we also have another one called " Yala Halan Balan."

Ah, I've never heard of Yala Halan Balan. Interesting! What are the lyrics to that one like?

Originally Posted by princessisabella

Sana Hilwa Ya Gameel is, as Nikki said, basically wishing someone a Beautiful/sweet/good year( all the while calling the bday boy/girl beautiful.)

So it's ok for sing it for either a man or a woman? I didn't know if "Gameel" was used only for women.

Do people sing these songs for both adults and children, or would it be only for children?

Do Egyptians ever sing Walid Toufic's Inzal Ya Gameel as a birthday song? Or Gawaher's Koulli Sana Wi-Inta Tayyeb Ya Habibi?

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Ah, I've never heard of Yala Halan Balan. Interesting! What are the lyrics to that one like?

Sure! It goes:

Yala Halan Balan Balan, Hanoo Abu Al Fasaad. Haikoon 3eed Milaadoo Alaila As3d al A3yaad.Fal Ya7ya Bul Fasaad

* this gets repeated a bit*


This basically means " Quickly, quickly now congratulate Abu Al Fasaad( folkloric figure rumored to be the 1st one this was sung for, but now simply means bday person) May his/her bday today be the happiest of bdays!Long live Bu Al Fsasaad!

Originally Posted by *Shira*

So it's ok for sing it for either a man or a woman? I didn't know if "Gameel" was used only for women.

In this case, it's for both men and women. Gameel, incidentally, is in its masculine form grammatically anyway.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

Do Egyptians ever sing Walid Toufic's Inzal Ya Gameel as a birthday song? Or Gawaher's Koulli Sana Wi-Inta Tayyeb Ya Habibi?

Yes, the younger generation sometimes sings bday songs that are more modern. Sana Hilwa ya gameel is just our main bday song. It's sung to the Western bday song tune, as many have mentioned..g.: We 'borrowed' it!

Ah yes.. I hear this bday song all the time working at restaurants on the weekends-- and plates of baklava w/ sparklers! hehe. Yep, definetely wishing a sweet year to the beautiful bday person!! :) the workers I asked are from syria and morroco and they use it in both those home countries too. when I lived in Tunisia for a month people said *trying to think of best way to write this in english* '3yd (ayd?) mee-lahd saeed. for happy bday. with the ayn