Translation (sung portion in bold): I swear by God, sun riseth not nor setteth, But in each breath I breathe my love for Thee Nor go I e’er apart with friends for discourse But Thou, as I sit with them, art my theme; Nor dwell my thoughts on Thee, sadly or gladly, But Thou art…
When she begins to sway — لمّا بدا يتثنى
Another gem from al-Andalus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRGlzIhWgAY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GV6P3YSvrY Translation (of the most common version, in Arabic below): When she began to sway my Love’s beauty entranced me With a glance, she captured me the branch bends when it sways O my promise, O my wonder, None can console my complaint of love and…
Sidi Qaddur al-‘Alami: Qasida-Pleading | سيدي عبد القادر العلمي : قصيدة التوسل
Muwwál Modo Zerga -Casida _El Perdón Translation: Mine is not the power, nor the effort, nor the strength Neither mastery of fate nor any chance is mine From me, the request alone, from him, the acceptance And in this matter, there’s no turning back The one who commands me to be patient and to…
My heart became…
This amazing poem of Ibn ‘Arabi’s is often interpreted somewhat sentimentally, but the love he writes of is far more than mere sentiment, and the universalism he espouses is much more than mere coexistence. Among other things, it refers to a profound spiritual transformation in which opposites unite and the limitations of particular existence are…
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…
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: …