Biserna Suza with Translation

This beautiful song is by Latif Moćević and Ansambl Dah Ljubavi.  You can hear clips of their other songs on their website (lower right corner); hopefully their CD will be ready soon!  (Here’s the English version of their website, I just found out about it!!)  Latif has one of the most beautiful voices I have ever heard; I could listen to it all day!  The translation was done with the help of the lovely folks at WordReference Forums.

Biserna Suza
B. Kurtanović / L. Moćević / A. Mušanović

Biserna je suza svaka
koja kane rad Allaha
Požar mržnje ona gasi
ljubav stvori, dušu spasi;

Sve ljubavi što si im`o
u jednu se rijeku sliše,
Bistrom vodom rijeke duge
pojiš sebe, pojiš druge.

Nepresušan On je izvor
što nam žedne duše poji,
Zovi svakog ko je željan
žednu dušu da napoji.

Miris ima voda bistra
sa izvora što se kuša
Kad je jednom probaš brate,
miriše ti cijela duša.

Veliko je ime Allah
što otvara vrata svaka,
Oživljava srca kruta,
smjer nam daje pravog puta.

Na tom putu ljubav širi,
nek iz daha miris miri
Širi ljubav sad bez straha
voli ljude rad Allaha.
Voli ljude rad Allaha!

Pearl Tear

Every tear is a pearl
That falls for the sake of God
It extinguishes fires of enmity,
Creates love, and saves the soul.

Every love you ever had
Flow together in one river
With a long river’s clear water
You nourish yourself, you nourish others.

He is the Infinite Source
That fills our thirsty souls
Call the one who is yearning
To satiate his parched soul.

The clear water has a fragrance
From its source, that allures
When you taste it once, my brother,
It fully perfumes your soul.

Great is the Name of God
That opens every door,
Rejuvenates a hardened heart,
And steers us to the true path.

While traveling this path spread love,
Let your words be fragrant,
Spread love now without fear,
Love for the sake of God.

About the Zikr

Right.  I said in the Spain post that I’d write about my first zikr session, which was in Valencia.  I didn’t forget, I just realized I didn’t want to write it.  While I enjoy going to spiritual gatherings, I hate talking about them.  I don’t like talking about personal religious matters, and although I comply with a grudging smile when asked about my conversion story, inwardly I’m thinking “not again!”  Even with people I know, so of course also with most of you that I do not know.  Maybe it’s my training in research and ethnography or maybe it’s just me, but it’s just so much easier to talk about other peoples’ works and accomplishments than it is to talk about my own feelings!  Anyways, here goes.

It was a Thursday night, and I was headed to Xativa (lovely little town in Valencia province) in my friend’s big, green monster van.  The session was to be held at the man’s house who would be leading it.  I wish I could have seen Xativa in the daytime as well!  I don’t remember what time we arrived, but it was late.  With all due respect to the cool people there, I thought I had arrived at hippie central when we got to the house!  There was this enormous guy (not fat, just big) with a huge dark brown beard and ponytail, with a lot of medallions, at least six little kids running around, and incense burning.  Then, after being fed gazpacho, we were led upstairs to a room with a bunch of cushions, rugs, more incense, and candles.  Nothing strange to me now, but since I was new, it kind of added to the “hippie” feel at that time.  It was very relaxing, though!

We prayed isha and started the zikr session.  It was about 30-45 minutes long (regular Naqshbandi zikr), and very soothing.  We sat and talked for awhile afterwards.  The drive home was about an hour, and I didn’t get to bed until about 4:00am (I had to get up at 6:00am).  Surprisingly (or not), I was fully rested for work the next day and felt great!  That same day (Friday), I left for Sevilla.

Dosti (Friendship)

Here is the song “Dosti” (Friendship), performed by American Muslim rock band Project26 (top clip) and by Salman Ahmad and Junoon (bottom clip).  Enjoy!

You can buy Project26 music, see more videos, and hear other songs on their MySpace.  Junoon’s mp3’s are available on emusic if you have an account there.

Dođi dođi with Translation

This lovely song is from Hor Hazreti Hamza’s CD Leptir/Kelebek.  The soloists are Jusuf Šito and guest singer Arduana Kurić.  Check out the Bosnian Muslim Musicians page for more of their songs!

Thanks to Kenan Hadžifejzović of HHH for help with the translation!  The song is dedicated to people who have lost their mothers, especially in the war. 

*The video was created by a fan of HHH.

Dođi dođi

Dođi dođi najljepša

Nurli dušo ezelska

Moje srce smiri ti

Imanom ga napuni

 

Mrijeti moramo znadem ja

To je Božija odredba

I u cvijetu mladosti

Ja ću na to misliti

 

Rabbi kad sam tužan ja

Kad zaboli rastanak

I dok plačem ja za njom

Obaspi me rahmetom

 

Rabbi kad sam tužan ja

Sačuvaj mi moj iman

Jer sad kad mi nema nje

Bolu Allah lijek je

 

Dođi dođi u srce

Kad me nemir obuzme

Budi zvijezda vodilja

Do bistroga izvora

 

Svaka kap naše ljubavi

More svoje će pronaći

Ovaj dunja znaj prolazi

Pa se onom spremaj ti

Come, come

 

Come, come most beautiful

Eternally light soul

Soothe my heart,

Infuse it with faith

 

We all must perish, I know

That’s the divine decree

And in the flower of youth

I will ponder on that.

 

My Lord, when I’m sad

When the separation grieves me,

When I weep for her,

Shower me with Your mercy

 

My Lord, when I’m in despair,

Preserve my faith for me

Now when she is not with me,

God is the cure for all pain

 

Come, come into my heart

When distress engulfs me

Be the guiding star

To the clear stream

 

Every drop of our love

Will find its sea

Know that this world has an end

And prepare for that.