Just before the wedding party, friends and relatives of the bridegroom gather in his house for the talbeeseh party, when the 'arees (bridegroom) is dressed up for the big event while his friends cheerfully chant along with the traditional 'arada group:
Shennekleileh... Shennekleileh
Shoo hal leileh... Shoo hal leileh
(What a night... What a night!)
Men hal leileh hamal al salleh
(From this night on he'll carry the basket)
Men hal leileh sarlo 'eileh
(From this night on he'll have a family)
Allah ye'ino 'ala hal leileh
(May God help him this night!)
2 comments:
I always loved the part when the arada goes:
la takhod bint el balkon (don't choose the girl who's always on the balcony)
u lau libsitlak malion lon (even if she dresses in million colors for you)
khod el bint el "mastoora" (choose the girl "with morals")
u lau kanet faqha u aora (even if she is clumpsy and has one-eye!!)
ikbalak Ayman (which is a greeting wishing the person to have the same i.e. wishing Ayman to get married) ;)
Actually I was also surprised to know it is used in Jordanian weddings! I thought the arada is a Damascene art. Although people of other Syrian cities, like Aleppo and Homs also perform the the 'arada in weddings, they usually do it in a way different from the way it's done in Damascus, maybe in a less "festive" way. Wallahu A3lam!
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