Translation (sung portion in bold): On the day of parting they did not saddle the full-grown reddish-white camels until they had mounted the peacocks upon them, Peacocks with murderous glances and sovereign power : thou wouldst fancy that each of them was a Bilqis on her throne of pearls. When she walks on the glass pavement l…
White Doves
Pombas Brancas Translation: White doves Flying high Scratching the shadows Of the large clouds There they go Doves that do not return They bring within Their wings In rosy beaks Scattered clouds On the sea Doves of my singing Merely singing Various recollections Coming on the paths Nobody knows Where they go The Doves that…
Rabi’ al-awwal: Burda and Fiyashiyyah
A beautiful performance of two of the most beautiful poems from the North African tradition. The first is from the first lines of the famous Qasidah al-Burda of Shaykh al-Busiri, while the second is from the beloved Fiyashiyyah of Sidi Bahloul Cherki. Listen to them back to back, the transition is lovely. The Burda:…
Love and Beauty, Unity and Multiplicity, Realization and Reason
Three of my favorite verses of Arabic poetry (the last of which is from Ibn al-Farid) form a lovely meditation on these three topics (Love, Unity, and Truth), when taken together. “Various positions have those who love from (mere) passion But I have a unique place, in which I dwell alone.” مذاهب…
Points of Ink, Gasps of Breath
“All that is in the Revealed books is in the Qur’an, and all that is in the Qur’an is in the Fatihāh, and all that is in the Fatihāh is in ‘Bismi ‘Llāhi ‘r-Rahmāni ‘r-Rahīm.’” “All that is in ‘Bismi ‘Llāhi ‘r-Rahmāni ‘r-Rahīm’ is in the letter Bā, which itself is contained in the point that…
Hallaj-The sun doesn’t rise or set…
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…
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…