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: …
‘Attar and Carminho
The Soul’s Dilemma Once again, each day, I travel the path of your love Every night without fail I mourn your absence anew. My soul lacks the courage to love one such as you- and my heart lacks the strength to abandon you too -‘Attar From Love’s Alchemy: Poems from the Sufi Tradition. New World…
Songs from Andalus
Fado: Casa de Fados (from Carlos Saura’s film Fados) Lyrics (from the film’s subtitles): First singer: A lost friendship can never return It’s a forged firendship That jokingly comes and goes It’s a forged friendship that jokingly comes and goes No one gives a thing If behind that gesture there is no value Only a…
Hafez- “For years my heart asked of me” Ghazal 143
One of my favorite poems from my favorite poet, rendered into excellent English verse-quite a feat. سالها دل طلب جام جم از ما می کرد آنچه خود داشت ز بیگانه تمنا می کرد “For years my heart inquired of me‚” BY HAFEZ TRANSLATED BY DICK DAVIS Read the translator’s notes For years my heart inquired of…
Hafez- “I said I suffer for you” “گفتم غم تو دارم”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz2peA7LFC4 I said, “I suffer because of you.” She said, “Your suffering will end.” I said, “Become my moon.” She said, “If it comes to pass.” I said, “From lovers learn the custom of loyalty.” She said, “Among the moon-faced ones this is rarely found.” I said, “I will barricade your image…
Hafez comes to life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUhaF1JI5r8 English version: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xfgfaq_tongue-of-the-hidden-ten-poems-from-hafez_creation#.UTJYw1qc70g The Peacock Until your hair falls through the fingers of the breeze My yearning heart lies torn apart with grief Black as sorcery, your magic eyes Render this existence an illusion The dusky mole encircled by your curls Is like the ink-drop falling in the curve of the…