Qari'at al-Finjan (; "''The Fortune Teller''") is a

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings ...

written by

Nizar Qabbani Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani ( ar, نزار توفيق قباني, , french: Nizar Kabbani; 21 March 1923 – 30 April 1998) was a Syrian diplomat, poet, writer and publisher. He is considered to be Syria's National Poet. His poetic style combines simp ...

and performed by

Abdel Halim Hafez Abdel Halim Ali Shabana ( ar, عبد الحليم علي شبانة), commonly known as Abdel Halim Hafez ( ar, عبد الحليم حافظ,) (June 21, 1929 – March 30, 1977), was an Egyptian singer, actor, conductor, businessman, music teache ...

. He sang it for the first time in April 1976. The song is considered to be one of the classic Arabic songs, and one of the most notable Abdel Halim songs. The song was composed by

Mohamed El Muji Muhammad was an Islamic prophet and a religious and political leader who preached and established Islam. Muhammad and variations may also refer to: *Muhammad (name), a given name and surname, and list of people with the name and its variations ...

. In fact, ''Qari'at al-Finjan'' was the last recording by Abdel Halim. It was recorded a year before his death and he recorded it while he was in severe pain due to liver failure. The subject is a

fortune-teller Fortune telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115-116. The scope of fortune telling is in principle identical wi ...

(practising

tasseography Tasseography (also known as tasseomancy, tassology, or tasseology) is a divination or fortune-telling method that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments. The terms derive from the French word ''tasse'' (cup), w ...

, by interpreting

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

grounds) who predicts an unhappy love. Omar Offendum converted the poem into a rap tune called "Finjan", and he mixed the original Arabic text with its translation. Also, in 2021, a series was produced under the name of the poem "''Qariat El Fingan''".

References

{{reflist

External links

Full song
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...

.
Qariat El Fingan
English translation. Arabic poetry Love in Arabic literature 20th-century works 20th-century poems