The Western Aramaic Context of a Famous Lullaby

What is it about?

The present text concerns a traditional lullaby, sung throughout the Levant in various versions, of which the most famous was produced by the Rahbani brothers and sung by Fairouz. The framing story surrounding the lullaby, which is only implicit in the Rahbani version, concerns themes such as kidnapping and the age-old conflict between transhumant pastoral groups and sedentary agriculturalists. Despite the perennial widespread popularity of the lullaby, aspects of its framing story point to its origins in Maaloula.

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