Bayt

[Intro - cinematic strings and heavy African drums entering together from bar one, talking drum and kick already driving, tempo starting to climb, no vocals, 8 bars]

[Verse 1 - FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice, close and dry, tempo actively climbing underneath her, English]

They dressed me in tomorrow, before I learned today,

laid a crown beside my window, and chose the words I'd say,

every door was opened for me, except the one I'd choose,

then I saw you light the candles like a man no one could lose.

[Verse 2 - FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII AS THE SERVANT, distant treatment, more reverb, mostly Arabic with one English framing line]

You were the only one who looked at my face, not just my coat.

Kunti taraynani hina lam yarani ahad, tahmileena al-khubz fi al-hareeri wa tukhfeenahu anni, ka'annani shay'un yastahiqqu an yukhfa, la an yura, a'rifu al-khatar, a'rifu al-thaman al-ladhi saftaridahu, lakin qalbi la yahsibu kama yahsibu al-'alam, wa hunaka, fi zawiyat al-hadiqa, kunti hurran, li-lahzatin wahida, wa dhalika yakfi, wa dhalika yakfi ledunya kamilah, wa in nasitini al-dunya, atamanna an tatadhakkarini anti.

[Chorus - MASSIVE CRESCENDO, tempo now at 132, full strings, oud and qanun surging, heavy drums crashing in hard - FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice leading, powerful and soaring]

You carved a little bird for me, small enough to hide,

said, some wings remember home even when they cannot fly,

so I closed my hand around it while the palace held its breath,

ba'd al-turuq la tansa al-bayt,

somewhere footsteps left.

[Verse 3 - FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice, driving and full at the sustained 132 tempo, not hushed, English]

The prince could give me everything and still not give me choice,

you owned almost nothing, not even your own voice,

he touched my hand before the court as though my hand were his,

you barely touched my fingertips, I knew the difference then.

[Verse 4 - FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII AS THE SERVANT, distant treatment, mostly Arabic with one English framing line]

This is what I learned as a small child, and I never forgot it.

Al-hubbu la yamlik, wal-qalbu la yushtara, hadha ma ta'allamtuhu min sighar sinni, wa lam ansahu abadan, anti lasti malikan li-ahad, hatta law dhannu dhalik, hatta law wuli'at ismuki li-rajulin lam yara qalbaki qatt, sa-ahmilu hadha al-hubb ma'i, hatta law akhadhooni ba'eedan, hatta law lam a'ud, sanabqa hurran fi shay'in wahid, fi al-dhikra allati la yamlikuha ahad, walaw marratan wahida fi kulli 'am.

[Chorus - BIGGEST CRESCENDO YET, all instruments at full force - FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, powerful and soaring, English]

You built me a small bird, small enough to hide,

you said, some wings remember home even when they cannot fly,

so I closed my hand around it while the palace held its breath,

ba'd al-turuq la tansa al-bayt,

somewhere footsteps left.

[Instrumental Break - at least 16 bars, tempo remains at 132, building to a massive orchestral, oud, qanun and drum crescendo]

[Build - FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice returning, English, tempo still at 132]

Then one chair stood empty, one candle wasn't lit,

they said you'd gone beyond the gates, they would not tell me where.

[Bridge - BIGGEST CLIMAX YET, full force, trading rapidly between her own voice and the distant servant treatment]

[FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice] Was I dreaming you?

[FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, as the servant, distant] Hal kunti tahlumin?

[FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice] Was I dreaming me?

[FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, as the servant, distant] Am kunti tatadhakkarin?

[Final Verse - FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice, tempo still sustained at 132, English]

Then morning broke the palace, no marble, no iron gate,

just sunlight through my curtains, my own familiar room,

I laughed until I nearly cried, thank God, it wasn't true.

[FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice, quiet]

I opened up my fingers,

and stopped,

there you were,

a little wooden bird.

[FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, as the servant, distant, one final line - the dream crossing over]

Ba'd al-turuq la tansa al-bayt.

[FEMALE SINGER ZSORAYII, waking voice, closing]

So tell me,

if it was only a dream,

who put morning in my hand?

[Outro - strips to a single whispered oud and violin line]