O Lovers: Music from the Unseen World

Tracklist + Liner Notes

1. Ilahana (Live at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music)

   إلهنا.. ما أعدلك
   O our God, how just You are,

   مليكَ كل من ملك
   You are the King of all kings [or Owner of all who own].

   لبيك قد لبيتُ لك
   Here I am, I answer Your call,
   
   لبيك إن الحمدَ لك
   Here I am, verily all thanks are due to You,
   
   والملكُ لك، يا مولاي
   And all sovereignty, O Master.

   الله يا الله، يا مولانا
   Allah, Allah, O our Master.

   سبحانه ما أعظمه
   How great is His glory,
   
   والملك له، لا شريك له
   And there is no partner in His sovereignty.

   لبيك إن الحمدَ لك
   Here I am, verily all thanks are due to You,
   
   والعز، لا شريك لك
   And You have no partner in glory.

   الله وحده.. لا شريك له
   Allah is One, He has no partners.

   الله الله الله
   Allah, Allah, Allah,
   
   لا إله إلا هو
   There is no god but Him.

   الله الله الله
   Allah, Allah, Allah,
   
   لا إله إلا هو
   There is no god but Him.

   إلهنا.. ما أعدلك
   O our God, how just You are,
   
   مليكَ كل من ملك
   You are the King of all kings [or Owner of all who own].

   لبيك قد لبيتُ لك
   Here I am, I answer Your call,
   
   لبيك إن الحمدَ لك
   Here I am, verily all thanks are due to You,

   و هو أول و هو آخر، الظاهر والباطن
   He is First, and He is Last, the Outer and the Inner,
   
   و الوالي ما أعظمه
   And how great is the Friend and Protector,
   
   والملك له، لا شريك له
   And He has no partners is His sovereignty.
   

   لبيك إن الحمد لك
   Here I am, verily all thanks are due to You,
   
   والعز، لا شريك لك
   And You have no partner in glory.

   الوكيل، القوي، المتين، الغني،
   The Guardian, the Possessor of all Strength, the Impassible, the Rich One,
   
   اللطيف، الخبير، الحليم
   The most Subtle and Gracious, the All-Aware, the Forbearing,

   سبحانه، ما أعدله
   How just He is,
   
   مليكَ كل من ملك
   You are the King of all kings [or Owner of all who own].

   لبيك قد لبيتُ لك
   Here I am, I answer Your call,
   
   لبيك إن الحمدَ لك
   Here I am, verily all thanks are due to You,

   ارحمنا، واسترنا، واحفظنا من كل بلوى، الرحيم، يا مولانا
   Have mercy on us, and help us, and save us from every calamity, O our Master.

   إلهنا.. ما أعدلك
   O our God, how just You are,
   
   مليكَ كل من ملك
   You are the King of all kings [or Owner of all who own].

   لبيك قد لبيتُ لك
   Here I am, I answer Your call,
   
   لبيك إن الحمدَ لك
   Here I am, verily all thanks are due to You,

   سبحانه
   Glory be to Him.

2. I Only Knew Love

   I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
   I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.

   I stood long in converse with Thee, who doth see
   My heart’s inner secrets, but Thou I don’t see.

   My love is twin loves, yet the twain are for Thee,
   The first’s for Thy love, and the other’s for Thee.

   And as for the first, which is love of Thy love:
   Remembrance complete, not distracted from Thee.

   ‘Araftul-hawā mudh ‘araftu hawāk
   Wa-’aghlaqtu qalbī ‘alā man ‘ādāk
   I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
   I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.

   And as for the second: my true love of Thee,
   I see Thou as present in all that I see.

   All praise to Thy name, and no praises for me,
   For Thine is the glory in all unity.

   ‘Araftul-hawā mudh ‘araftu hawāk
   Wa-’aghlaqtu qalbī ‘alā man ‘ādāk
   I only knew love when I knew love of Thee,
   I sealed up my heart against Thy enemy.

   ’Uḥibbuka ḥubbayni, ḥubba l-hawā
   Wa-ḥubban li-’annaka ’ahlu l-lidhāk
   My love is twin loves, yet the twain are for Thee,
   The first’s for Thy love, and the other’s for Thee.

   Fa-’amma l-ladhī huwa ḥubbul-hawā
   Fa-shughlī bi-dhikrika ‘an man siwāk
   And as for the first, which is love of Thy love:
   Remembrance complete, not distracted from Thee.

   Wa-’amma l-ladhī ’anta ’ahlu l-lahu
   Fa-lastu ’ara l-kawna ḥattā ’arāk
   And as for the second: my true love of Thee,
   I see Thou as present in all that I see.

   Fa-la l-ḥamdu fī dhā wa-lā dhāka lī
   Wa-lākin laka l-ḥamdu fī dhā wa-dhāk
   All praise to Thy name, and no praises for me,
   For Thine is the glory in all unity.

    

   Maqām: Nahāwand
   Commentary: This most famous poem of the 8th century female Sufi saint of Iraq, Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyyah, has been set to music many times, but this Andalusian melody fits the tone and rhythm of the poem beautifully. The inclusion of the tanbour and daf add a Persian influence to the piece. English lyrics and translation provided by Dr. Tim Winter.

   Words: Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyyah
   Music: Traditional Islamic (Andalusian)

   Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf
   Recorded at Andante Studios

3. Hamziyya (Live at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music)

   Ṣalli yā Rabbi thumma sallim ‘alā man
   So pray my Lord and bestow blessings upon him

   Huwa li-l-khalqi raḥmatun wa-shifā’un
   Who is for all mankind, a grace and a healing

   Wa-‘ala l-āli wa-ṣ-ṣaḥābati jam‘an
   So also on his fair Companions and kinsmen

   Ma tazayyanat bi-n-nujūmi s-samā’u
   With blessings that abide like the sky’s lofty ceiling.

   So pray my Lord and bestow blessings upon him
   Who is for all mankind, a grace and a healing

   So also on his fair Companions and kinsmen
   With blessings that abide like the sky’s lofty ceiling.

   Accept and pity them as my intercessor
   Upon the day when all need an intercessor.

   And in this gloomy age keep me and my people
   For in our day our power has grown faint and feeble.

   For in these times the faith is once more a stranger
   Thus did you once foretell, the decent in danger.

   So catch us lest we fall in the pit of peril
   For on this day we tire, after blunder and quarrel.

    

   Maqām: Sīkāh-‘Ajam (with allusions to Rāst)
   Commentary: The lyrics of this song come from portions of the thousand-verse Hamziyya (poem rhyming in hamza) of the renowned Palestinian scholar Yusuf Nabahani (d. 1932). It describes the Prophet’s life and character and is frequently recited during Mawlid celebrations to commemorate the Prophet’s (pbuh) birthday. The melody sung here is inspired by group chants of the Shadhili-Darqawi-‘Alawi Sufi Order in Mostaghanem, Algeria. The melody has been slightly modified to fit the English lyrics (which are a translation of the original Arabic). English lyrics and translation provided by Dr. Tim Winter.

   Words by Yusuf Nabahani
   Music: Traditional Algerian
   Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf
   Recorded at Andante Studios

4. Taha (Live at the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music)

   Ṣalla l-Lāhu ‘alā Ṭāhā
   Khayri l-khalqi wa-’aḥlāhā
   God’s blessings be upon Taha,
   Best of creation and the sweetest

   Khayru l-khalqi huwa l-hādī
   Nūru l-kawni bihi bādī
   Best of [God’s] creation, he’s the guide
   The light of existence shines through him

   ‘Amma n-nāsa bi-’irshādi
   ’Azka l-khalqi wa-’arḍāhā
   He encompassed all mankind with his guidance
   Purest of creation and the most pleasing

   Nūru l-Lāhi l-mutaqaddim
   Qabla l-khalqi l-muta‘allim
   The first light of God
   He was taught before all other creation

   Badru n-nūri l-mutalaththim
   Hādi l-khalqi li-Mawlāhā
   The veiled light of the full moon
   Guiding creation to its Lord

   Ba‘da s-sidrati qad sārā
   Wa-ra’a l-ḥaqqa wa-’anwārah
   Beyond the Sidra* he walked
   And saw The Truth and His Lights

   Waqafa r-ruḥu wa-ma sārā
   Idhhab waḥdaka yā Ṭāhā
   The Spirit (Jibra’il) stopped and did not continue
   [saying] go on alone Taha

   Irża l-Lāha bi-l-ālāf
   ‘an ’ahli l-bayti l-’ashrāf
   May God be pleased with his intimates
   from his noble family

   Wa-l-’aṣhābi ’ūli-l-’insāf
   Nālu l-khulda wa-suknāhā
   And his companions, the people of justice
   Who gained eternity and its dwelling

   Malīḥun lawnuhū**
   Kahīlun ṭarfuhū
   Jamīlun na‘tuhū
   Ṣalla l-Lāhu ‘alā Ṭāhā
   Of fine complexion
   His eyes, dark and wide
   Of beautiful face
   The guide, with whom God is satisfied

   Qamarīyun wajhuhū
   Bahīyun shakluhū
   ‘Aẓīmun khuluquhū
   Ṣalla l-Lāhu ‘alā Ṭāhā
   His face is like the moon
   His form is resplendent
   His character is mighty
   Taha, the chosen one

   Rahīmun qalbuhū
   Ṣadūqun wa‘duhū
   ‘Amīmun jūduhū
   Māḥin muntaqā
   His heart is kind,
   His promises are kept
   His generosity is vast
   The effacer (of sins), the chosen one

   Ṣalātu Rabbī
   Ma‘a s-salāmi
   ‘Alā Muhammad
   Zaynu l-’asāmī
   The blessings of my Lord
   And His peace
   Upon Muhammad
   The most beautiful of names

    

   Maqām: Bayātī
   Commentary: “Ṣalla l-Lāhu ‘alā Ṭāhā” was written by the Sudanese/Egyptian Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari (d. 1979) who taught and lived at the famous al-Azhar University in Cairo and was also the Imam of the al-Azhar mosque. He was a Sufi shaykh in the lineage of Ahmad ibn Idris of Fez (d. 1837) and a prolific author of works on the Qur’an, Hadith, Islamic law and Sufism. He also wrote a celebrated collection of poetry, from which this song is taken. The end section incorporates the blessed names of the Prophet (pbuh) taken from the Diwan of the famous Moroccan Sufi saint Imam Mohammed Al-Jazuli’s (d. 1465), Dala’il al-Khayrat.
   *The Sidra is a reference to the “Lote tree of the furthest boundary” (sidrat al-muntahā) mentioned in the Qur’an (53:14) and described by the Prophet on his night journey to heaven (mi’rāj). The sidra marks the outer boundaries that separate the created world (‘ālam al-khalq) from the spiritual world of the divine command (‘ālam al-amr).
   **This section is an original composition with words provided by Mohammed Ali El Oumari and Abdel Ilah Ikhal. The inspiration behind the melody comes from an old Kurdish folk song heard by Sami Yusuf when he was a child.

   Words by Shaykh Salih al-Ja’fari
   Music: Traditional Islamic (unknown provenance)

   Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf
   Recorded at Andante Studios

    

5. Ya Rasul Allah, Pt. 2

   Ṣallū ‘alayhi shafī’ l-’ummah
   Send salutations upon him, the intercessor of the Muslim nation

   Bi dhikri r-Rasūl tushḥadhu l-himmah
   By mentioning the messenger we sharpen our zeal

   Yā Rabbi bi-jāhin Nabī ’azihi l-ghummah
   O God, for the sake of the prophet, clear the adversity

   Ṣallū ‘ala l-Hādi l-Bashīr*
   Send salutations upon The Guide and Bearer of good tidings

   Ḥabībī l-Badri l-Munīr
   My beloved the luminous full moon

   Shafī’ī ‘inda l-Qadīr
   My intercessor with the All-Powerful

   Ṣallū ‘alayhi
   Send salutations upon him!

   Ṣallū bi-’aḥla l-kalām
   Send salutations upon him with the sweetest of words!

   Ṣallū ‘ala l-badri t-tamām
   Salutations upon him, the full-moon

   Rasūlī, khayri l-’anām
   My messenger, the best of mankind!

    

   Dastgāh: Shūr
   Commentary: This is the second part of “Ya Rasul Allah”. We split the song over two tracks for easier listening.
   *This is a new section (till the refrain) composed by Sami Yusuf with words provided by Dr. Imed Nsiri.

   Words by Dr. Imed Nsiri
   Music: Traditional Islamic (from Kurdistan region)
   Additional composition by Sami Yusuf

   Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf
   Recorded at Andante Studios

    

6. Ya Nabi

   Wa ṣalli ‘ala l-Hādī, ḥabībī jaddi l-Hasanayn
   Salutations upon our Guide, the beloved, the grandfather of Hasan and Hussein

   Rasūlī ma’danu l-jūdi, Imāmu l-Ḥaramayn
   My prophet, the quintessence of generosity,
   the Imam (leader) of the Two Holy Mosques

   Nabīyinā khayru man yamshī ‘ala l-qadamayn
   Our prophet is the best of those who walk on two legs

   Yā ‘āshiqīn ṣallū ‘ala sayyidi l-kawnayn
   O You who love him, send salutations upon the master of the two worlds

   Ṣalla l-Lāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihī, wa aṣḥābihi l-mayāmīn
   Salutations of God upon him, his family, and his blessed companions

   Yā Nabī
   O Prophet

   Ṣalla l-Lāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihī wa-‘ala aṣḥābihi
   Salutations of God be upon him, his family and auspicious companions

   Lā mithluhū ’aḥadun, lā mathīla lak
   You have no match, no one can compare

   Yā Rasūlī, yā Habībī, yā Malādhī, yā Bashīrī
   O my prophet, O my beloved, O sanctuary, O bearer of good tidings

   ’Anir ṭarīqī bi-jāhi Ṭāhā
   Enlighten my path O God, for the sake of Taha

   ’Ataytu ḥimak ’arjū riḍāk
   I came to Your sanctuary, hoping for Your approval

   Ṣalli ‘ala l-’Amīn
   Salutations upon The Trustworthy

   Sayyidī, Sayyidu l-’awwalīn wa-l-ākhirīn
   My master and the master of the first and the last

   Yā Nabī
   O Prophet

   Ṣalawātu l-Lāh
   Blessings of God

   Wa Salāmu l-Lāh
   And His Peace

   Ṣalla l-Lāhu ‘alayhi
   Be upon him

    

   Raag: Kafi
   Commentary: This song, written in honor of the great Indian saint and founder of the Chishti order, Mu‘in ad-Din Chishti (d. 1236), was composed by the Sabri brothers from a compilation of poems and melodies of the Chishti order. The music and lyrics have been modified in this rendition: the words are sung entirely in Arabic about the love for the blessed Prophet (pbuh), his household and companions.

   Words by Dr. Imed Nsiri
   Music: Traditional Islamic (Indian Subcontinent)

   Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf
   Recorded at Andante Studios

    

7. Mast Qalandar (feat. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan)

   Dam mast Qalandar mast mast
   The drunk Qalandar*, in his drunken state**

   Iko vird hai dam dam Ali Ali
   (Has) Only one chant – Ali, in every breath

   Sakhi Lal Qalandar mast mast
   The generous red-robed Qalandar, in his drunken state (a reference to the  12thcentury sufi saint Lal Shahbaz Qalandar)

   Jhoole Lal Qalandar mast mast
   (Another reference to Lal Shahbaz Qalandar)

   Akhi ja malanga tu Ali Ali Ali akhi ja malanga
   Oh my brother, keep saying Ali, Ali, Ali; keep on saying

   Akhi ja malanga sach ape mun len ge
   Oh my brother, Go on saying, they will (themselves) accept the truth

   Aj ne te kal saray Ali Ali can ge
   If not today then tomorrow everyone will repeat Ali, Ali

   Rab ne kinne shaan banaye
   God has blessed countless (people)

   Be karma Te karm kamaye
   He has even blessed the wretched

   Jeda vi Tere dar Te Aaye
   Whoever comes to your doorstep

   O na kaddivi khaali jaye
   Never returns empty-handed

   Shana uchiyaan teria Peera
   Oh teacher (referring to Ali) with lofty grace

   Hovan door haneriyaan Peera
   May the darkness (within me) be purged, Oh teacher

   Aasan he ba teriya Peera
   I have pinned my (very many) hopes in you, Oh teacher

   Soon arzaa aj meeriya Peera
   Grant my requests today, Oh teacher

   Raag: Kafi
   Commentary: This song, which has been popular in the Indian subcontinent for centuries, is based on a poem by the Chisti Sufi and musical genius, Amir Khusro, which was later modified by the great Panjabi Sufi poet Bulleh Shah. The song’s lyrics honor and revere (but do not worship) ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, to whom virtually all Sufi orders trace their lineage, as well as the famous 12th century Sufi saint of Sindh, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

   *A Qalandar is a type of wandering Sufi or dervish who would often live in the wilderness and wear tattered clothes. Lal Shahbaz Qalandar was one such Sufi.

   **Drunkenness here refers not to intoxication from alcohol, but to the ecstatic state of remembrance of God. As the famous verse of the Egyptian Sufi poet Ibn al-Farid says:
   “In remembrance of the beloved, we drank wine; we were drunk with it even before the creation of the vine.”

   Words: Amir Khusro & Bulleh Shah
   Music: Traditional Islamic (Sufi Qawali)

   Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf
   Recorded at Andante Studios

    

8. Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum (feat. Abida Parveen)

   Yā Ḥayyu Yā Qayyūm
   O the Ever-Living, The Ever-Lasting One!

   Yā Raḥīmu Yā Raḥmān
   O the Most-Merciful, the Beneficent

   Yā ‘Ādilu Yā Mannān
   O the Just One, O the Bestower (of blessings)

   Yā Ḥāfiẓu Yā Sattār
   O the Protecting One, the Concealing One

   Yā Wāhidu Yā Ghaffār
   O the Only-One, the Forgiver

   Yā Māliku Yā Razzāq
   O the One who owns everything, who provides for everyone

   Tu khāliq-e- har khallāq
   You are the Creator of all creators

   Har rāz tujhe ma‘lūm
   You know every secret

   Yā Ḥayyu Yā Qayyūm
   O the Ever-Living, the Ever-Lasting One!

   Be misl hai to la-raib
   You are the quintessence of certainty

   Tu pak hai to be-aib
   You are pure and immaculate

   Tu zist ka hai unwan
   All life begins from You

   Tu sakhir-e-har udwan
   You are the Subduer of all enemies

   Teri zat hai azz-o-jal
   Your being is eternal

   Tu har mushkil ka hal
   You are the solution to every problem

   Har samt hai teri dhum
   You are known all over

   Music: Traditional (intro composed by Sami Yusuf)
   Words: Traditional (Indian Subcontinent)
   Arranged & produced by Sami Yusuf
   Performed by Sami Yusuf and Abida Parveen

9. Lovers

   Ey ‘Āsheqān, Ey ‘Āsheqān
   Amad gahe waṣlo leqa
   Az āsemān āmad nedā
   Key mahrūyān aṣ-ṣalā

   O lovers, O lovers, the time of union and meeting has come
   A calling from Heaven proclaimed, “Moon-faced ones, it is time to pray!”

   Ḥay Allāh, Hu Allāh, Yā Allāh

   Ey sarkhoshān, Ey sarkhoshān
   Amad ṭarab dāman keshan
   Begrefte ma zanjīre ū
   Begrefte ū dāmāne mā

   O divinely intoxicated ones, the joyously whirling One has arrived;
   The chains of His curls have captured us and the yearning of our hearts have captured Him.

   Amad sharābe ātashīn
   Ey Dīve gham konjī neshīn
   Ey jane marg-andīsh ro
   Ey sāqīye bāqī darā

   The fiery wine has come, demon of grief, off to a corner!
   Leave O death-pondering soul, O immortal Saqi, come through!

   Ey haft gardūn maste to
   Mā mohreyi dar daste to
   Ey haste mā az haste to
   Dar ṣad hezārān marḥabā

   O by whom the seven vaults are enraptured,
   We are but a bead in your hands
   Our being is by your being, a thousand hails!

   Ey bānge naye khosh-samar
   Dar bānge to ṭa’me shekar
   Āyad marā sham-o sahar
   Az bānge to būye vafā

   O sound of the reed with sweet stories
   In your sound is the taste of sugar
   From your sound, comes the fragrance of fidelity day and night!

   Bāre degar āghāz kon
   Ān pardehā rā sāz kon
   Bar jomle khūbān nāz kon
   Ey Āftābe khosh leqā

   Begin once more and tune those notes!
   Display your charm to the good souls,
   O fair-faced sun!

    

   Dastgāh: Shūr (Avaz-e Abū ‘Atā)
   Commentary: This beautiful piece comes from the Khanqahs (Sufi centers) of the Qadiriya-Talebani Tariqah in Kirkuk, Iraq. The original poem (“Mosalmanan”) was written in Persian approximately 200 years ago by Shaykh Abdul Rahman Khales (Shaykh of the Qadiriya-Talebani Sufi order). However, the lyrics of this rendition come from Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Balkhi’s (“Rumi”) Divān-i Kabir (Ghazal 34). The daf “Ḥay Allah” maqām is used in the first half of this piece followed by Maqām Haddādī (both traditional khanghāh rhythms).

   *God’s name, “al-Ḥayy” (“The Living”), is often chanted by Sufis in spiritual sessions because it permeates all life and attracts the blessings of God who is the source of all life. The name “Ḥayy” is also the beginning of each breath we take. Without “al-Ḥayy”, all would perish. The name Allāh is the all-comprehensive name of God that contains within it all the meanings and significance of all the other Divine Names. The “Hu” is derived from “Huwa” (He) and expresses the divine Essence (al-dhāt al-ilāhiyya) which can neither be grasped nor encompassed by anything other than Itself.

   Words by Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Balkhi’s (“Rumi”) Divān-i Shams
   Music: Traditional Islamic (from Kurdistan region)

10. Fiyyashiyya

    A humble slave am I of an almighty Lord.
    No work is too hard for that One who’s adored.

    But though I’m a beggar who cannot afford
    To claim any strength, sure and strong is my Lord.

    He says, where He wills, when He wishes a thing,
    just “Be”, and it is, by the might of a King.

    The ruler whose edicts and wise rulings bring
    All blessings and grace by the might of a King.

    I haven’t got the force,
    No strength between my sides
    Why feel such remorse
    when the Maker provides?

    I haven’t got the force,
    No strength between my sides
    Why feel such remorse
    when the Maker provides?

    Ana ‘abdu Rabbī lahū qudratun
    A humble slave am I of an almighty Lord.

    Yahūnu bihā kullu ’amrin ‘asīr
    No work is too hard for that One who’s adored.

    Fa-’in kuntu ‘abdan ḍa‘īfa l-quwā
    But though I’m a beggar who cannot afford

    Fa-Rabbī ‘alā kulli shay’in qadīr
    To claim any strength, sure and strong is my Lord.

    Minnī ash ‘alayā wa ana ‘abadun mamlūk
    I’m but a humble slave, what should I worry about?

    Wa-l-’ashyā’ maqaḍīya mā fi t-taḥqīqi shukūk
    All affairs are ordained, of this there is no doubt

    Rabbī nāẓir fiyā wa ana naẓarī matrūk
    My Lord sees everything, while my sight leaves much out

    Fi l-’arḥām wa l-’aḥshā’ min nuṭfa ṣawwaranī
    In the womb, He formed me from a drop

    Ana mā lī fiyāsh, ash ‘alayā minnī
    I haven’t got the force, No strength between my sides

    Aqliq mir-rizqī lāsh, wa-l-Khāliq yarzuqnī
    Why feel such remorse when the Maker provides?

    Allāhumma ṣalli ‘ala l-Muṣṭafā, ḥabībnā Muḥammad ‘alayhi s-salām
    O Allah, send your blessings on The Chosen One
    Our beloved Muhammad, Peace be upon him

    I’m safe in the shade of his all-knowing height
    And no strength have I — His all power and might.

    So glory to God, his bounty shining bright,
    All gratitude and praise are His due and His right.

    He says, where He wills, when He wishes a thing,
    just “Be”, and it is, by the might of a King.

    The ruler whose edicts and wise rulings bring
    All blessings and grace by the might of a King.

     

    Maqām: ‘Ajam
    Commentary: Written by the Moroccan poet Sidi Othman ibn Yahya Cherki (known as “Sidi Bahloul Cherki”) in the 17th century, the qaṣidah (ode) “Fiyyashiyya” became a standard classic of the Maghrebi genre of malhoun— a genre of Sufi music popular amongst tradesmen in the urban centers of what is today Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Sidi Bahloul was a member of the Harraqi zawiya of Tetouan in northern Morocco, and his poetry, especially this qaṣidah, continues to be chanted by the members of his Shadhili-Darqawi-Harraqi Tariqah to this day. It has become one of the best-known and loved traditional songs amongst Moroccans from all walks of life. The inclusion of tanbour and daf gives this new arrangement a Persian or Khorasani touch. We have also added English lyrics to the song (English lyrics and translation provided by Dr. Tim Winter).

    Words & Music: Sidi Othman ibn Yahya Cherki (Traditional Moroccan/Islamic)
    English translation by Dr. Tim Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad)

    Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf
    Tanbour performed by Seyed Ali Jaberi
    Dafs performed by Seyyed Mohammad Jaberi
    Recorded @ Crosstown Studios & Andante Studios

     

11. Māhūr Instrumental (Live at the Dubai Opera)

    Composed, arranged and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Dastgāh: Māhūr

     

12. Lament

    The encounter with the Transcendent inspires an unspeakable awe, in the face of which our worldly existence appears as a source of separation and sorrow. Lament meditates on lines written by Ibn ‘Arabi communicating the terror and wonder of an experience of the Infinitely Beyond. The poet uses visceral language that associates the desolation of the lover with the desolation of the desert to evoke the meeting of overwhelming attraction and overwhelming fear in a heart that trembles in the face of the Absolute.

    Lyrics

    My father be the ransom of him for whose sake I melted with anguish!
    My father be the ransom of him for whose sake I died of fear!
    The blush of shame on his cheek is the whiteness of dawn conversing with the Redness of eve
    They left me at al-Uthayl and an-Naqá

    Who will compose my distracted thoughts?
    Who will relieve my pain?
    Guide me to him!
    Who will ease my sorrow?
    Who will help a passionate lover?

    Whenever I keep secret the torments of desire
    My tears betray the flame within and the sleeplessness
    They left me at al-Uthayl and an-Naqá

    And whenever I say, ‘Give me one look!
    The answer is, ‘Thou art not hindered but for pity’s sake.’
    My father, my father, my father

     

13. Mawlana (Live in New Delhi)

    Composed, produced and performed by Sami Yusuf
    Words by Umar ibn Ali ibn al-Farid (d. 1234)

    Translation:

    In memory of the Beloved
    We drank a wine

    With which we had been drunk
    Before the creation of the vine.

    The full moon was its cup.
    While the wine was a sun passed round

    By a crescent, which when mixed,
    How many stars appear!

    Mawlana

    If not for its fragrance,
    I would never have been guided to its tavern.

    If not for its radiance,
    Imagination could never picture it,

    Time preserved nothing of it, but a fading breath,

    As if its being hidden in the breasts of the wise were concealed.

    If you are drunk with it for but one hour,

    You will see time an obedient slave at your command.

    For there is no life in this world for one who lives sober;

    And one who dies not drunk from it,
    Resolution has passed him by.

14. Awake

    Wake from your heedlessness O my eyes awake
    Long you have slumbered so now my eyes awake.
    Azrail’s intention is your soul to take.
    Wake from your heedlessness O my eyes awake
    Long you have slumbered so now my eyes awake.

    This world is not your home, soon it melts away.
    Even were all seven climes under your sway
    Throne and dominion and glory pass away
    Wake from your heedlessness O my eyes awake
    Long you have slumbered so now my eyes awake.

    Here is Murad your slave, all his sins erase!
    Forgive my errors and all my burden raise,
    Raise me in the shade of Ahmad’s flag of praise.
    Wake from your heedlessness O my eyes awake
    Long you have slumbered so now my eyes awake.

    Uyan ey gözlerim gafletten uyan
    Uyan uykusu çok gözlerim uyan
    Azrail’in kastı canadır inan
    Uyan ey gözlerim gafletten uyan
    Uyan uykusu çok gözlerim uyan

    Maqām: Muhayyer Kürdi
    Commentary: This piece was composed by a renowned 17th century Ottoman Polish scholar and musician, Wojciech Bobowski (1610- 1675) who embraced Islam and adopted the name Ali Ufki Bey. Sultan Murad IV (r. 1623-1640) employed Ali Ufki in his court as a language interpreter and musical composer. He assembled hundreds of classical Ottoman songs and applied Western staff notations to them for the first time in a work entitled Majmuah-e Saz u Soz (Anthology of Instrumental and Vocal Music). The lyrics for this particular song, which are ascribed to sultan Murad III (1546-1595), express the poet’s remorse for having slept through the dawn prayer.
    The first line of the poem reads, “Wake from your heedlessness O my eyes awake!”
    *The musical portion preceding the Turkish verse is a new section composed by Sami Yusuf.

    Music by Ali Ufki
    Words by Sultan Murad III
    English translation by Dr. Tim Winter (Abdal Hakim Murad)
    *Special thanks to Dr. Savaş Barkçin for additional backing vocals.

15. Barakah

    Dastgāh – Maqām: Maqām Tarz with allusions to Dastgāh Shūr
    Commentary: This piece, the only original composition on the album, takes as its structure the traditional maqām and dastgāh musical systems. Within this framework, the music evokes both power in its dynamic rhythms and beauty in its interwoven melodies. An echo of the Sufi samā’, the ceremony of listening and remembrance, can be heard in the resonant “Allah Hu”.

    Music: Sami Yusuf
    Performed and arranged by Sami Yusuf