Ya khaytat ya miaata

folk song / traditional

Info

This is sung almost like a chant often while jumping rope.

Transliteration

(Folk song from Algeria)

Ya khaytat ya miaata
shufi shufi hzamak tah
tah fi almrwih
mrwah sydy ‘ebas
eabaas eindah tifla
tshtah balmakhla
yu yu yu yu
mushtaqat hulwatan

English Translation - Oh seamstress, oh weaver

Oh seamstress, oh weaver,
Look look, your belt fell off
It fell in the yard,
Mr. Abbas’s yard.
Abbas has a baby girl
She dances with a musket*
Yu yu yu
She doesn’t have sweets.

*This refers to the musket used in the sport called “fantasia.” Horse riders wearing traditional garb race their horses and fire the muskets simultaneously so only one shot is heard.