"Mother, My Man Didn't Come" ("يا يُمة زولي ما جاء") by Hanaan Bulubulu | English Translation

“Mother, My Man Didn’t Come” (“يا يُمة زولي ما جاء”) is a song written, composed, and performed by Hanaan Abdallah Abdelkareem, better known as Hanaan Bulubulu, one of the most influential aghaani banaat singers of all time. This recording of the song is a showcase of what Hanaan was known for: combining aghaani banaat, traditionally only accompanied by the dalooka, with other musical instruments, helping pave the way for modern aghaani banaat-based Sudanese pop. Originally from Omdurman, Hanaan was given her nickname after appearing on a children’s show on Omdurman television in the 1970s, in which she sang a song about the Bulubulu bird. Afterwards, she began performing with the dalooka at weddings, leading to a temporary break in her relationship with Omdurman TV and radio. Hanaan Bulubulu was inspired not only by aghaani banaat performers like Hawaa at-Tagtaaga and Gisma, but also by male artists like Zeydaan Ibrahim, which may have inspired her to combine the orchestras associated with Sudanese pop artists like Zeydaan with the rhythms and instruments of aghaani banaat. This move, which helped pioneer Sudanese aghaani banaat-based pop, helped rebuild her relationship with the Sudanese media, leading to her recording cassettes, appearing on television again, and ultimately attaining stardom. In 1987, Hanaan Bulubulu also became one of the first Sudanese women to dance on television, incorporating long instrumental breaks into her songs to allow her to dance, typically in the traditional Sudanese bride dancing style. However, after the rise of Omar al-Bashir’s government in 1989, she stopped dancing due to government restrictions. While decried by many in the media as “loose,” Hanaan Bulubulu didn’t stop singing. In her interview with Saadia Malik, she said: “When we sang aghani al-banat, the Sudanese people sang with us. If the people did not experience the realities of these songs, they would not have sung them. Aghaani banaat is a type of singing that is desirable and requested by the audience. As a performer I should please the audiences and not the media.” Footnotes: 2:45 - A potential play on words: this line can be understood as “the man is compassionate in reality/by nature” or “the man’s truth is Hanaan (the name of the singer and more or less the narrator).” 3:03 - Traditionally, some sheikhs are said to have special powers, ranging from prophecy, to granting followers’ wishes by praying, to helping administer the Zar ceremony in which people make contracts with spirits. 3:24 - Kabreyt is a special high-end sandalwood incense used by the bride to scent her bedroom and her clothes. 3:26 - This line literally translates to “I pull the string for him,” but in this context “string” is used to refer to one of many “Zar strings,” which are spirits summoned during the Zar ceremony who offerings are made to. People often take part in a Zar ceremony when they are afflicted with some ailment, mental or physical, so this line implies that the narrator is so possessed by love for this person that they need to take part in Zar. 4:17 - Yusuf as-Sideeg (Yusuf the True) is the Arabic name for the Prophet Joseph, who, according to Islamic theology, was legendarily handsome: according to one hadith, the Prophet Muhammad is quoted as saying that God embedded half of the beauty in all the world in Yusuf. 6:08 - This part of the song tends to change based on the tribes of the people attending the gathering it’s being played at. The term “haar” here literally means “hot,” it can mean someone is incredibly handsome, but also hot-blooded (i.e. they get angry easily). Considering the nature of the song I picked the more flattering meaning.