"Seyra Medley/The Good and Blessed" ("اغاني السيرة/العديل والزين") by Gisma | English Translation

This week on Sounds of Sudan we translate Gisma’s medley of Seyra songs, also known as “Al-Adeel waz-Zeyn” after the first song that plays in the medley.

The seyra (lit. “procession/walk”) is a part of the Sudanese wedding ceremony in which the groom, along with their friends and family, go to the bride’s house. In rural areas this journey tends to be taken on foot, while in urban areas it’s more commonly taken by car or bus. In any case, a key part of the seyra is seyra music, traditionally written and composed by women who play it on dalooka, but occasionally sung by male singers as well.

Gisma is a Sudanese singer and dance instructor. A student of Hawaa at-Tagtaaga, another hugely influential singer and dance instructor, Gisma played a significant role in shaping the modern Sudanese wedding industry by elevating the style of music and dance at weddings, especially bride dancing, whose modern style she is often credited with helping shape.

While controversial during the height of her career in the 70s and 80s as well as now due to the way her music and dances upset conservative norms, she continues to be well-loved among many Sudanese women and influenced later artists, like Hanaan Bulubulu.

Songs:
00:00 - Al-’Adeel waz-Zeyn (The Good and Blessed)
02:31 - Sayaro (He’s on the Seyra)
03:59 - Alleyla Saayir (Today’s He’s On The Seyra)
04:58 - Ya Baarda Al-Hasha Alleyla (What a Warm and Fuzzy Feeling Inside)
07:13 - Ya Adeela Ya Beydaa (Oh Blessed One, Oh Pure One)



Footnotes:
0:33 - A type of perfume made of mahaleb, generally used to perfume the groom.
0:36 - A silk bracelet worn by the bride and the groom during the jirtig ceremony.
1:53 - Literally “happy house.”
2:13 - The palm mat, known as the birsh, is laid out on top of the bed where the bride and the groom sit during the jirtig ceremony, an important part of Sudanese weddings. The belt mentioned is also tied around the bride’s waist during the Jirtig.
2:13 - The word used here is “‘ard,” not dance, which refers to a specific type of Sudanese male dancing, typically performed with a cane, stick, or sword.
2:33 - A reference to the kharaz.
2:47 - Literally translates to “the daughter of the tribe,” but has connotations of a proud ancestry, which is why this line is sung even if the bride and groom are from different tribes.
2:57 - A gold crescent is worn on the head of the groom and the bride during the jirtig ceremony.
3:10 - “Full moon” is a phrase used to describe someone extremely beautiful.
3:35 - In a lot of traditional Sudanese wedding celebrations, a rifle is fired at the sky during the celebration.
4:02 - Literally “the daughter of the tribes.”
4:41 - “Abshir”-ing, which is sort of like snapping fingers, is commonly done in the direction of the bride and groom in a Sudanese wedding as a means of celebrating, not dissimilar to, say, applause, albeit for a totally different social context.
5:00 - This phrase literally translates to “oh, that which cools my insides tonight,” and refers to something that makes you happy or roughly speaking feel warm and fuzzy inside.
6:33 - The term “saagya” refers to both the waterwheel, used to irrigate fields, and the irrigated field. I chose the latter interpretation since “irrigated waterwheel” doesn’t seem to make sense.
7m46s - As-sahala refers to any big open space, which is where Sudanese weddings are traditionally held.
8m13s - Ululating, known as zaghareet or zaghroot, is regularly done by Sudanese women to celebrate.