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Muwashah Ayyuha al-Saqi

Majdi al-'Aqili

The poetry is crafted by the esteemed poet and physician Ibn Zuhr (also known as Avenzoar), who lived from 1094 to 1162 in Seville, during the era of Arab rule in medieval Andalusia (present-day Spain). The musical composition is from 1948 by Majdi al-'Aqili, a renowned artist from Aleppo, Syria, who lived from 1917 to 1983.

Maqam

Rahat al-Arwah

Iqa (Rhythm)

Aqsaq

Transcription

Text

دور

أَيُّها السّــاقي إِلَيكَ المُشتَكىقَد دعَوناكَ وَإِن لَم تَسمَع

خانة

وَنَديمٍ هِمتُ في غُرّتِه وَبشرب الراحَ مِن راحَتِهكُلَّما اِستَيقَظَ مِن سَكرَتِه

دور

جَذَبَ الزِقَّ إِلَيهِ وَاِتَّكاوَسَقاني أَربَعاً في أَربَع

خانة

ما لِعَيني عَشيت بِالنَظَرِ أَنكَرَت بَعدَكَ ضوءَ القَمَرِ فإذا ما شئتَ فاسمع خَبـَري

دور

عَشِيَت عَينايَ مِن طولِ البُكاوَبَكى بَعضي عَلى بَعضي مَعي

Translation

Dawr

O barkeep, to you I sigh, 

I call to you, though no reply

Khanah

A companion I cherish dear

From his hand, I sip near

As he wakes from elation, full of cheer

Dawr

He drew the flask near and began to pour

Goblets quarter full, in rounds of four

Khanah

What have my eyes seen, blinded by the sight

They deny the moon’s glow since you took your light

So if you wish, hear my tale of night

Dawr

My eyes are blind from weeping endlessly

As one part mourns for another part of me