CORONA IN THE MELODIES OF FOLKLORE: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY OF THE PALESTINIAN FOLK SONG DURING THE PANDEMIC

Abstract

This study examines the manifestations of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Palestinian folk song, addressing how the global health crisis shaped the Palestinian context through sung folklore. As the pandemic spread, Palestinian folk performers developed multiple ways to articulate the crisis in their songs, which were disseminated primarily through social media—especially during periods of home quarantine and lockdown. The study aims to explore the presence of COVID-19 in Palestinian folk song by analyzing lyrics and thematic content that reflect the crisis across political, economic, health, and religious domains. It also highlights linguistic shifts within folk song, including the introduction of new pandemic-related terms such as “quarantine,” “mask,” and “sanitization.” In addition, the study presents the diversity of poetic/performative forms used—such as dihyeh, murabba‘ (quatrain), and dal‘ouna—which characterized Palestinian songs during the crisis. The research further discusses the role of satire and political stances in these songs, particularly in relation to governmental handling of the pandemic and the economic conditions resulting from it. The study concludes that Palestinian folk song functioned as an effective medium for awareness-raising, irony, and the expression of popular emotions in confronting the pandemic.