sleeve of her beautiful red dress...
And she made no comment... for she feels that she sings with sincerity, authenticity, and art.
Fairuz kept her lips closed until we were summoned to a generous table whose center of gravity was the dish of Circassian chicken that is the specialty of the house of Abdel Wahab... and our artist, as his wife testifies, is a taster of food of a unique stamp...
And Fairuz fell to toying with a chicken breast...
We finished, and gathered in a circle on the glass veranda of the elegant apartment, whose face the Nile and the Cairo night reach up to greet; and the elder Rahbani took up Abdel Wahab's oud and began plucking soft notes upon it, accompanying the voice of Fairuz as she sang (“I Love You”).
And love, in Fairuz's voice, has a warbling ring.
Even the word comes out of her steeped in feeling...
I love you in my leafy silence and in the flutter of the fearful lash; and in me, O you who color my life, there is toward you the longing of the vines for the gatherer.
And hearts opened upon a deep communion — a company that feels the melody and lives it. Allah, Allah — so Abdel Wahab voiced his great delight... Allah, Allah, what pride is this, in such a summons to love!! They had her sing it again, twice and three times... and she followed (“I Love You”) with (“Min dallak fil-hawa a baytna”).
And the voice that exudes feeling fell silent, and eyes closed upon dreams.
And so ended a night that lords it over all the nights of melody, since first melody had dominion and thrones!!
Sin wa-Ayn