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Ya Zareef al-Toul / ياظريف الطول

Among some of the most famous Palestinian folk songs is Ya Zareef al-Toul, which is a love song turned revolutionary, addressed to an enigma; a tall handsome revolutionary man during the British mandate of Paletsine.

Zareef al-Toul, which translates to tall and handsome, is rumored to be a Palestinian young man who got the nickname because of his physical height. He was working in a town away from his own. The women in this town were infatuated by his manners and all wished for him to marry their daughters.

One day, terrorist gangs raided the town and he was amongst those in the frontlines defending the town. It was then discovered that he would save up his money from his carpentry work to buy rifles for the men of the town.

One day, Zareef al-Toul left the town and never returned, which prompted the first verse of the song:

يا ظريف الطول وقف تقلك رايح عالغربة و بلادك أحسن لك خايف يا ظريف تروح و تتملك و تعاشر الغير و تنساني أنا

Oh tall, handsome man, wait so I can talk to you You are choosing to go abroad but your homeland is better for you I worry that you will leave and start to own land elsewhere,  Accompany others, and forget about me

Naturally, poets and composers built on this verse and created many versions of the song based on the feelings they wanted to invoke making Ya Zareef al-Toul a song about sadness and longing but also about revolutionary love, giving the first verse a popular space within Palestinian wedding songs.

Throughout the years, the song travelled across the region, most notably landing in Lebanon with Nasri Shamseddine. The first verse also landed on various music genres such as with Palestinian artist Haifa Kamal's version of the song who used electric guitars.

Perhaps one of the most popular additions is sung by Palestinian band El-Funoun (translation included) and more recently with Palestinian band 47SOUL who added this verse to the song:

يا ظريف الطول الحق يا ظريف اللي قالوا عنها تريدك نزفت عالرصيف بيقولوا دورك يا خيتا عنّا خفيف هدول اللي ما عرفوا تاريخ بلادنا

Oh tall, handsome man  Hurry up, your beloved is bleeding on the sidewalk Those who say your role, dear sister, is insignificant Are those who are ignorant to the history of our land

Although the whereabouts of Zareef al-Toul have been debated, as some claimed to have seen him in other neighbouring Palestinian villages while others insisted he had joined groups of Palestinian freedom fighters at the time, one thing is undebatable: Zareef al-Toul had an everlasting impact on Palestinian culture and folklore, making his nickname recognizable across generations both in Palestine and in the diaspora, to whom love and revolution are closely connected in the fight for freedom.

More songs are shelved at my (humble but growing) Palestine folk music library.

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Suspended in Gaffa - Kate Bush

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Bisan Owda

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The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

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in india, more houses belonging to muslims bulldozed (x, x). shrines and madrasas demolished (x,x,x). kashmiris forced to attend modi’s speech during his visit there (x,x,x). caa bill passed (x,x). muslim students attacked during friday congregational (x,x) and taraweeh prayers (x,x,x). all in the last month.

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i don't think people in gaza will have a ramadan kareem this year, they will have one though. one day, a ramadan without bombs, without death, without starvation, without pain, without war, on a free (from the river to the sea) palestine. until then, keep them in your thoughts and prayers everyday. donate if/whenever you can, keep posting/reblogging about palestine however you can.

ramadan kareem everyone. i hope it brings patience, victory and salvation to gaza. amen

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Ghassan Kanafani teaching exiled Palestinian children in the hills of Lebanon, early 1970s.

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never before joined across the cold airless terror of space…

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Kali Reis as Evangeline Navarro in S4E02 of TRUE DETECTIVE

#pre vi ous #i just want to be around her

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translated by Agha Shahid Ali. happy birthday, Faiz.

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Image source: Josh Mayfield