My Beloved, this torture and pain I suffer because I am so addicted to Your Beauty. People ask me whether I prefer Your company to being in heaven. Heedless fools, what would heaven itself mean without the Friend’s Presence? -Abu Sa’id Abu’l Khayr (trans. Vraje Abramian) from Nobody Son of Nobody. Hohm Press, 2001 Selected…
Variations on a Theme: Alone with Love
In music and words… O my Lord, the stars glitter and the eyes of men are closed. Kings have locked their doors and each lover is alone with his love. Here, I am alone with you. -Rabi’a al-Basri (trans. Charles Upton) The lovers have all gone to bed And I’m alone…
Variations on a theme (with words and without)
With words: My Beloved don’t be heartless with me Your Presence is my only cure How can I be left with neither a heart nor my Beloved? Either give me back my heart, or do not deny me Your Presence -Abu Sai’d Abu’l Khayr (trans. Vraje Abramian) from Nobody Son of Nobody. Hohm Press, 2001 …
Heart-break
When it hurts so good… Long as I live I’ll eat and drink the sorrow of loving you nor will I surrender it, this sorrow to anyone when I am dead. Tomorrow when Resurrection comes I’ll walk forth with this raging thirst still in my head -‘Ayn al Qozat Hamadani from The Drunken Universe….
Andalusi Mawwal-Take the cup round
Haz circular la copa It’s amazing what you can do with two verses… فَأدِر كأس من أُحِبُّ وأهْوى فَهوى من أُحِبُّ عَين صَلاحي لوْ سَقاهَا لميِّت عاد حَيًّا فَهي روحي وَ راحة الأرْواحِ Translation: Take…
Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba-Fuzti (A poem for Sayyidatna Maryam)
Original: فزت بظرف الحسنات سيدة لمحسنات مريم فقت موقنات عند الذي لم يدرك كن فيكون لك قاد خير رسول لا انتقاد وبك فاز ذو اعتقاد ولم يكن بمشرك لم يخف عند المؤمنين كونك حب المذعنين يا أم خير محسنين معصومة من شرك يقودني لمدحك ما عنك فضلا قد حكي فزت ببشر مضحك كلِّ تَقِيٍّ…
Ibn al-Farid-Be haughty becasue that’s your right
as sung by the remarkable Saad Temsamani تهْ دلالاً فأنتَ أهلٌ لذاكا وتَحكّمْ، فالحُسْنُ قد أعطاكَا ولكَ الأمرُ فاقضِ ما أنتَ قاضٍ فعلّي الجمالُ قدْ ولاّكا Translation: Be haughty, because you’re worth it, and have your way Because of what beauty has given you The command is yours, so judge what you’re the judge of Because…
Vide Cor Meum (See My Heart)
A nice libretto based on the third chapter of Dante’s La Vita Nuova Vide Cor Meum Italian/Latin Chorus: E pensando di lei Mi sopragiunse uno soave sonno Ego dominus tuus Vide cor tuum E d’sto core ardendo Cor tuum (Chorus: Lei paventosa) Umilmente pascea Appreso gir lo ne vedea piangendo La letizia si convertia In…
Ibn al-Fāriḍ: My heart told me… -ابن الفارض : قلبي يحدّثني
A portion of one of my all-time favorite poems, beautifully recited قلْبي يُحدّثُني بأنّكَ مُتلِفي روحي فداكَ عرفتَ أمْ لمْ تعرفِ لم أقضِ حقَّ هَوَاكَ إن كُنتُ الذي لم أقضِ فيهِ أسى…
The Poetry of Prayer- صلاة مشيشة
Although not strictly speaking poetry, the famous prayer of the Maghribi Shaykh ‘abd as-Salaam ibn Mashish on the Prophet of Islam, joins beautiful and profound symbolism with an nearly equally profound beauty of sound. Every poem seems tinged with prayer, and every sincere prayer bears the perfume of poetry, as these recitations show: …