"Those Who Ask Don't Get Lost" ("البسأل ما بتوه") by al-Balabil | English Translation

“Those Who Ask Don’t Get Lost” (“البسأل ما بتوه”) is a song written by Ishaag al-Halingi, composed by Bashir Abbas, and performed by al-Balabil. The song’s title and chorus repurpose an Arabic saying used to encourage people to ask questions. It is one of al-Balabil’s first songs, being the title track of their first album. It is also one of their most enduring, with endless covers in addition to the myriad of performances by al-Balabil over the course of their career.
Also recommended:
Al-Balabil’s performance of this song on Sudanese television at the beginning of their career: • البسأل ما بتوه - البلابل
Footnotes:
2:42 - In Sudanese folklore, the evil eye - the gaze of an envious person - can curse the envied person with misfortune.
5:43 -The phrase used literally translates to “you plant freshness/beauty into beauty.”
Lyrics:
اللي بسأل ما بتوه
alli bis’al ma bitooh
Those who ask don’t get lost*
دارنا نحنا قريبة ليك
daarna nihna gareeba leyk
My house is close to yours
انت ما مجبور علينا نحنا مجبورين عليك
inta ma majboor ‘aleyna nihna majbooreen ‘aleyk
You feel no obligation towards us, but we feel one towards you
كان سألت علينا كنت عرفت نحنا الليلة وين
kaan sa’alta ‘aleyna kunta ‘arifta ihna alleyla weyn
If you cared to ask about me, you’d know where I am today
كنت أول لما نحنا نغيب ثواني تقول سنين
kunta awal lamma nihna nagheeb sawaani tagool sineen
In the beginning, you thought seconds away from us felt like years
غيروك يا وحيدنا؟ ولا صابت ريدنا عين
ghayarok ya waheedna wala saabat reydna ‘eyn
Did they change you, my one and only? Or did our love attract the evil eye?*
اشتهينا تكون معانا
ashtaheyna takoon ma’aana
I wish you were with me
ما لقينا حنان عينيك
ma lageena hanaan ‘eyneyk
It’s been so long since I’ve seen your compassionate eyes
مرة شفناك يا الحنين طالي فى حارتنا صدفة
marra shufnaak ya al-hineyyin tali fi haaratna sudfa
Once I saw you in my neighborhood by coincidence, darling
جابنا ليك الريد وجينا الحصل جابتنا إلفة
jaabna leyk ar-reyd wa jeena al-hasal jaabatna ilfa
Desire brought us together, and once I arrived, what happened brought us closer
ولا لالا الجابنا ليك
walla lala al-jaabna leyk
Or maybe [desire] wasn’t what brought us together
لو بتطرا دربنا عرفة
law bitatra daribna ‘irfa
If you remember, we know each other
إن سرحت شوية فينا وما رجيتنا عشان نجيك
in sarahta shiwayya feena wa ma rajeetna ‘ashaan najeek
You may have thought of me a little, but you still didn’t wait for me to come to you
لسا مستنين تجينا ناسي طالبنك زيارة
lissa mustanneen tajeena naasi taalibnak ziyaara
I’m still waiting for you...have you forgotten that I invited you over?
يا جمال فرحتنا شاتل الصباحة بالنضارة
ya jamaal farhatna shaatil as-sabaaha ban-nidaara
You’re the beauty of our happiness, you give the morning its freshness*
كان عمرنا زمان وروح في رجاك ما راح خسارة
kaan ‘umurna zamaan wa rawwah fi rajaak ma raah khasaara
If I spent my life waiting for you, it wouldn’t’ve been spent wastefully
انت ما تفكر تجينا
inta ma tfakir tajeena
You don’t even think of coming to see me
نحنا بالافراح نجيك
nihna balafraah najeek
But I come to you gladly

[@afandiimuttaqii2894]

The "Middle East Eye" and the Guardian newspaper dubbed this hit "one of the five songs that defined Sudan's golden age of music". Indeed it is the best song the Al-Balabil sisters sung ever sung. In the Horn of Africa countries (Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia), the most famous songs of Al-Balabil are "Masheena", "Lawnal Manga", "Hilwin Halawa", "Al-Binrudu Ta'i", "Usha Saghira", "Muta'alu Aleyna" and "Tairal Jannah" in addition to "Al-bis'al Maa bituh". But note also that the last album of the trio titled "Kul al Nujuum" is one of the best Sudanese music albums of all time.

[@andemeskelkifle3025]

thank you very much . . . I was grown up in Asmara (eritrea) listening sudan songs

[@waleedelgadi4171]

Thank you so much for documenting all these songs in one place to be enjoyed. Beautiful!

[@MohCoolMan]

I love this song. One of my favorites! ❤

[@duaa6233]

I was waiting for this ♥️ Thank you so much.

[@jerajigaliano8846]

subscribed and gives 5* keep it up bro ...love from Eritrea!

[@majokthiep6432]

Beautiful song