Ghinnawas (literally "little songs") are short, two line emotional lyric poems written by the Bedouins of Egypt, in a fashion similar to haikus, but similar in content to the American blues. Ghinnawas typically talk of deep, personal feelings and are often an outlet for personal emotions which might not be otherwise expressible in Bedouin society. Ghinnawas may also be sung. Lila Abu Lughod - the Arab American anthropologist, who studied the Awlad Ali Bedouins in Northern Egypt in the late 1970s, and collected over 450 ghinnawas, has published the most comprehensive work on ghinnawas to date.
Ghinnawa is a form of folk poetry, in the sense that anyone in Awlad Ali society could author a ghinnawa. In a broader context, ghinnawas may be looked upon as non-standard discourse which are a means of coping with social reality, similar to other discourse forms in the Arab world like the Hikaya folktales of Tunisia, or the Gussa allegories of the Bedouin of the Sinai.
Ghinnawas usually have sad themes - typically being the lament of lost love, unless sung at celebrations like a circumcision or a wedding. Ghinnawas are sung by women, boys and also on rare occasions by men. Ghinnawa semantics are well-defined only in context, because of their personal nature. Contents of ghinnawas are considered personal, even sensitive to the extent that Lila Abu Lughod was warned "never to reveal any women's poems to men".
Aww, baby
What the hell are you waiting for?
I've been patient but I'm anxious
To tell you exactly how I feel and
You could be my boo, for real and
I've been trying to let you chill but
Baby, it's a must I do put a rush on you
'Cause I never know when I'll get the chance again, I
Don't think you understand how for real I am
So, come on, let me show you
Baby, I will be your angel
I'll be the guardian girl for you
Baby, I'm a protect your heart
You don't gotta put up your guard
Just give me a chance, baby, baby
I'll be down for you
Oh, what ya say darling?
I know you're feeling me
'Cause I be looking at you looking at me
Especially when I got on them Baby Phat jeans
But now I really wanna be more than just a homie
I know you're feeling me 'cause your best friend told me
You be talking about me all the time when I'm not around
Boy, don't be scared 'cause
I will be your angel
I'll be the guardian girl for you
Baby, I'm a protect your heart
You don't gotta put up your guard
Just give me a chance, baby, baby
I'll be down for you
Hey (What the hell are you waiting for?)
You don't really know what you do to me
Well, well, well, well
See it's funny 'cause I never felt this way about anyone in my life, oh
Baby, take my hand and come roll with me
I'm a show how real love's supposed to be
Shawty, we gon' make it, we gon' make it (Ooh, ooh)
Baby, I will be your angel
I'll be the guardian girl for you
Baby, I'm a protect your heart
You don't gotta put up your guard
Just give me a chance, baby, baby
I'll be down for you
That I'm gonna be
You know I gotta be
I wanna be what ever you want
I can do what you like, yeah
I'm a protect your heart
You don't gotta put up your guard
Just give me a chance, baby, baby
I'll be down for you