[Verse 1] You slip through the courtyard, paws on warm stone A copper bell swings as you claim the throne By the blue painted doorway, you pause and stare Then chase one dry leaf through the spice-scented air [Pre-Chorus] Little queen of the market, tail held high You turn every traveler’s head as you pass by [Chorus] Ya habibi, clever cat, come and spin around From the river reeds to the old-town ground Purr like a secret, spring like a flame Every open doorway knows your name [Verse 2] You nap by the baskets of dates and green mint Then wake at a pigeon and vanish in a sprint You brush past the lanterns, you vanish from sight And reappear perched on the roof by moonlight [Pre-Chorus] Little queen of the market, tail held high You turn every traveler’s head as you pass by [Chorus] Ya habibi, clever cat, come and spin around From the river reeds to the old-town ground Purr like a secret, spring like a flame Every open doorway knows your name [Instrumental] [Bridge] When the morning vendors lift their wooden gates You’re already waiting where the bread is warm One paw on the ledge, one eye on the street Tiny desert monarch with a soft-foot beat [Final Chorus] Ya habibi, clever cat, come and spin around From the river reeds to the old-town ground Purr like a secret, spring like a flame Every open doorway knows your name
