يا ليلة العيد Ya Laylit Il-'Id أم كلثوم Umm Kulthum [Al-Ahly 17th September 1944]

Details

Description

Title of Piece: يا ليلة العيد Ya Laylit Il-'Id
Performer: أم كلثوم Umm Kulthum
Date of Performance: 17th September 1944 [17-9-1944]
Venue: Al-Ahly Sports Club, Cairo, Egypt
Composer: Riad al-Sunbati
Poet: Ahmad Ramy
Mode: Bayati
Genre: Ughniyah

First Performance: Al-Ahly Sports Club, Cairo, Egypt on 17th September 1944
Number of Performances: 1
Number of Available Performances: 1

Studio Version Available: Yes [Two Versions – Both 1939]

Note 1: This piece celebrates the end of the month of Ramadan and the beginning of the celebration of Eid that follows. This performance was at special concert held to celebrate Eid (which occurred on Tuesday 19th September 1944, two days after the concert). After extensive research (e.g. contemporary newspapers, periodicals and magazines), I have been unable to find any references to other performances of this piece. I believe, therefore, that this performance is the first and only performance of this piece.

Note 2: This piece was written for and used in the 1940 film “Dananir”, Umm Kulthum’s third film. The film was directed by Ahmad Badr Khan and released on 29th September 1940. Umm Kulthum played the lead role, as Dananir.

Note 3: Although the film “Dananir” was released on 29th September 1940, all of the songs (other than Version 3 of Bukrah Al-Safar, which was recorded in 1940) featured in the film were (as you would expect) written and recorded some months beforehand, in 1939, and that is the date used here (and in a number of other sources, including commercial releases of these songs). However, it should be noted that some sources prefer to use the year 1940, the year of the film’s release..

Note 4: The concert at the Al-Ahly Sports Club, Cairo, Egypt on 17th September 1944 is perhaps one of the most well-known and beloved of Umm Kulthum’s concerts. It is distinctive for a number of reasons: [1] it is Umm Kulthum’s earliest surviving complete concert; [2] four pieces were performed at the concert, the earliest known example of an Umm Kulthum concert where more than three pieces were performed (the others were at Cinema Rivoli, Cairo, Egypt on 7th January 1954 and at The Armed Forces Officers’ Club, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt on 23rd July 1954); [3] the earliest surviving performance of Raqq Il-Habib is from this concert and it is the most distinctive, being the only surviving performance having a musical introduction by Mohammad al-Qasabji called "Zikrayati"; [4] the concert was held in celebration of Eid (which occurred on Tuesday 19th September 1944) and thus Umm Kulthum performed Ya Laylit Il-'Id, the only performance of that piece; [5] King Farouq bin Faud [Full Name: Farouk bin Ahmed Fuad bin Ismail bin Ibrahim bin Muhammad Ali bin Ibrahim Agha], King of Egypt and Sudan from 28th April 1936 until 26th July 1952, made a surprise appearance at this concert, shortly after the performance of Raqq Il-Habib; [6] Umm Kulthum playfully and skilfully adapted the other three pieces performed at the concert to take into account the King’s presence; [7] Ahmed Hassanein Pasha, Head of the Royal Court, informed Umm Kulthum during the concert that the King had bestowed blessings and an honour ['Nishan al-Kamal' or 'Order of the Virtues', the female Egyptian Order of Knighthood, an award for merit] upon her, one which was usually reserved only for Royal Princesses and the wives of Prime Ministers. It was unheard of for this honour to be bestowed upon someone born from the peasant class and raised in lowly and humble conditions as Umm Kulthum was. This honour was announced to the audience by journalist Mustafa Amin. Umm Kulthum had already received the Syrian and Lebanese Order of Merit in previous years.

Note 5: Umm Kulthum adapted this piece in honour of the King.

يا ليلة العيد آنستينا ... وجددتي الأمل فينا
هلالك هل لعنينا ... فرحنا له وغنينا
وقلنا السعد حيجينا ... على قدومك يا ليلة العيد
جمعت الأنس ع الخلان ... ودار الكاس على الندمان
وغني الطير على الأغصان ... يحيي الفجر ليلة العيد
حبيبي مركبه تجري ... وروحي فى النسيم تسري
قولوا له يا جميل بدري ... حرام النوم فى ليلة العيد
يا نور العين يا غالي ... يا شاغل مهجتي وبالي
تعالى اعطف على حالي ... وهني القلب بليلة العيد
يا نيلنا ميتك سكر ... وزرعك فى الغيطان نور
تعيش يا نيل ونتهنى ... ونحيي لك ليالي العيد

yā laẙlaẗi ạl̊ʿīdi ậnstynạ ... wajadãd̊tī ạl̊ạảmala fīnā
halāalaka hal̊ laʿ̊nīũnā ... faruḥ̊nā lahu wagẖanãẙnā
waqul̊nā ạlsãʿ̊da ḥyjynạ ... ʿalay̱ qadūmika yā laẙlaẗi ạl̊ʿīdi
jamaʿat̊ ạl̊ạủn̊su ʿ ạl̊kẖulāãna ... wadāru ạl̊kāsiⁿ ʿalay̱ ạlnãd̊māni
wagẖanīã ạlṭãẙri ʿalay̱ ạl̊ạảgẖ̊ṣāni ... yuḥayĩy ạl̊faj̊ru laẙlaẗa ạl̊ʿīdi
ḥabybīã mar̊kabihi tajarīuⁿ̃ ... warūḥī fiy̱ã ạlnãsīma tas̊rī
qūlūạ lahu yā jamīlu bad̊rī ... ḥarāmu ạlnãẘmi fiy̱ã laẙlaẗa ạl̊ʿīdi
yā nūri ạl̊ʿaẙni yā gẖālī ... yā sẖāgẖilu muh̊jatī wabālīiⁿ̃
taʿālay̱ ạiʿ̊ṭif̊ ʿalay̱ ḥālīiⁿ̃ ... wah̊nīũ ạl̊qal̊bi bilaẙlaẗi ạl̊ʿīdi
yā naẙlinā maẙtika sukãruⁿ ... wazar̊ʿuka fiy̱ã ạl̊gẖaẙṭāni nūruⁿ
taʿayãsẖa yā naẙli wnthny̱ ... wanuḥayĩy laka lyạly ạl̊ʿīda