Istanna Shwai by Autostrad

Istanna Shwai (استنى شوي) is one of the most popular songs by the Jordanian band Autostrad. The title of the song translates to “wait a bit,” and is about a relationship that’s drifting apart. Despite the dreary topic, though, the music of Istanna Shwai is upbeat. The lyrics are limited and repetitive, making it easy to sing along to. This song introduced me to a lot of vocabulary and phrasing that’s grown with me from my beginning Arabic days into the intermediate ones. Let’s a take a look at those lyrics, listen to the song, and review some of the vocabulary.

يا ترى ناسي قلبك قاسي
Oh, forgetful one, your heart is hard
انت أساسي
You are my foundation
استنى شوي
Wait a bit
صرلك ساعة ع السماعة
You’ve spent an hour on the phone
شو عم تحكي؟
What are you saying?
فهمني شوي شوي
Help me understand, little by little
شوي شوي
Just a little

استنى شوي
Wait a bit
بكرا المي بتيجي عالفي
Tomorrow, water will come to the shade
تربتت تاي
Ta-ra-ba-ta-tey
استنى شوي
Wait a bit

بتحكيلي خليني
You tell me to let you be
أه معاك خبيني
Yeah, hide me with you
خليني مع حالي شوي
Let me be on my own for a little

واستنينا ما حكينا
So we waited, we didn’t talk
ولا ردينا ولا نتفه شوي
And we didn’t answer, not even a little
صرلك ساعة ع السماعة
You’ve spent an hour on the phone
شو عم تحكي؟
What are you saying?
فهمني شوي شوي
Help me understand, just a little

Vocabulary / مفردات

استنى
Wait (second person command)
The same form of this word, used in a different context, means “I wait”

شوي/ة
A little

شوي شوي
Slowly or little by little
شوي شوي يا زلمة! انا مش فاهمة
Slow down, man! I (fem) am not understanding

يا ترى
I wonder

قاسي/ة
Tough or cruel

سماعة ج سماعات
Headphone/s or phone receiver/s
This word can be used to describe most devices you put to your ear to listen to something

بنرد / ردينا
We respond or answer / we responded or answered

نتفة
A drop, a dash, or a bit

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