A Tour in My Mind

The sculpture of the hands of Ibn Zaydun and Wallada was placed in the plaza known as El Campo Santo de los Mártires in Cordoba, Spain in 1971, to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the love story of the great Andalusian poet Ibn Zaydun ( Cordoba, 1003 - Seville, 1071 ) and Princess Wallada (born in Cordoba in 1001 - died March 26, 1091) also a famous Andalusian poet. The monument is part of the Historic Centre of Cordoba which was considered by the UNESCO to be a world heritage site in 1996. In memory of this lost love,  one can read on the marble monument poetry verses by each poet, which appear in  both Castilian and Arabic: Here is a close up of the marble inscriptions : "أغارُ عليكَ من عيني ومني ومنكَ، ومن زمانكَ والمكانِ ولو أني خَبَـأتُكَ في عُيـوني إلى يوم القيامة مـا كــــفاني" « Tengo celos de mis ojos, de mí toda, de ti mismo, de tu tiempo y lugar. Aún grabado tú en mis pupilas, ...

This song is based on a 1300 year old love poem in Arabic.   Listen to If I Had Two Hearts -AlFarabi لو كان لي قلبان - الفارابى on #SoundCloud Here is the English translation of the Lyrics : If I had two hearts I'd live with one of them and let the other to be tortured by your love but I only have one heart owned by love Neither pleased by living nor that death is near like a little bird in the hands of a child insulting it suffering from the torment of death while the child plays neither is the child's aware of its suffering Nor the wings of the Bird are free, that it can fly - Qays Ibn Al Mulawwah (645-688 CE)  

        Jerusalem, The Flower of All Cities. Lyrics : ... It is for you O city of the prayer that I pray It is for you O splendid home, O flower of the cities O Jerusalem O Jerusalem O Jerusalem O city of the prayer Our eyes are set out to you everyday They walk through the porticos of the temples (synagogues) Embrace of the old churches And take the sadness away from the mosques O night of Al asra O path of those who left for the sky Our eyes are set out to you everyday and I pray The child is in the cave and his mother is Mary two faces crying For those who were exiled For children without houses For those who defended their homeland and were martyred at the gates And the peace was martyred in the homeland of the peace And the justice tumbled at the gates of the city   When The city of Jerusalem city fell Love retreated and in the hearts of the world the war was settled The child is in the cave ...

Swift steeds, dreary nights, and the desolate wasteland, all know me full well As do the sword, the spear, the writing paper and the pen I kept lonely company with beasts of the wilderness Amazing thereby mounts and mounds. - Al-Mutanabbi (915 – 23 September 965CE)

Omar Bashir :Love and Peace  composed by Munir Bashir  Live in Budapest 2010 Omar Bashir Live Concert in Budapest The Crazy Oud Tour 2010.. Imorovisation with Percussion Omar Bashir was born in Budapest in 1970, and started playing the oud with his father at the age of five. He joined the Baghdad Music and Ballet School and eventually created his own band, which toured in many countries. In 1991, he left for Budapest and joined the Franz Liszt Academy. Omar performed as a soloist and with his father Munir until his death in 1997. During his career, he toured many countries and released more than 19 albums. His music is a mix of traditional Arabic music with a jazz-like improvisation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Bashir_(musician )  

An old Sufi love poem sung by an Egyptian band. The Lyrics of the song in Arabic : متى يا كرام الحي عيني تراكم وأسمع من تلك الديار نداكم سقاني الغرام كأساً من الحب صافياً ياليته لما سقاني سقاكم أمرّ على الأبواب من غير حاجة لعلي أراكم أو أرى من يراكم سقاني الغرام .. سقانى الهوى كأساً من الحب صافياً ياليته لما سقاني سقاكم The English Translation : When, O honorable people in the neighborhood, would my eye see you?  And when would I hear your call from those places?  Adoration has given me a drink of Love that is pure. I wish it gave you the same drink I've been given. I pass by doors without aim, except for hoping to see you or someone who sees you. Do not bury me on a meadow, rather on a high mountain where I could always allow my eyes to see you. The lyrics are from a poem by Abu Madyan (1126–1198 CE) who was an influential Andalusian mystic. The words are so classy & elegant as the poet is referring to his loved one...

This is one of the popular songs in Arab countries sung in a sweet lebanese dialect & a beautiful voice.  Dedicated to the Palestinian children, dedicated to all of the administrative detention prisoners in the Israeli prisons...... Dedicated to every single oppressed & imprisoned human being.. عصفور طل من الشباك   عصفور طل من الشباك وقلي يا نو نو خبيني عندك...خبيني دخلك يا نو نو خبيني عندك...خبيني دخلك يا نو نو قلتله إنت من وين قلي من حدود السماء قلتله جاي من وين قلي من بيت الجيران قلتله خايف من مين قلي من القفص هربان قلتله ريشاتك وين قلي فرفطها الزمان عصفور طل من الشباك وقلي يا نو نو خبيني عندك... خبيني دخلك يا نونو * * * نزلت على خده دمعة وجناحاته مدكية واتهدى بالأرض وقال بدي أمشي وما فييّ ضميتو على قلبي وصار يتوجع على جروحاته قبل ما يكسر الحبس كسر صوته وجناحاته قلتله إنت من وين قلي من حدود السماء قلتله جاي من وين قلي من بيت الجيران قلتله خايف من مين قلي من القفص هربان قلتله ريشاتك وين قلي ف...

An Arabic song about the city of Jerusalem with English subtitles. The song is by the widely admired and respected Lebanese singer, lady Fairuz . Here is the original music video of the song from 1967  : Jerusalem, The Flower of All Cities. Lyrics : ... It is for you O city of the prayer that I pray It is for you O splendid home, O flower of the cities O Jerusalem O Jerusalem O Jerusalem O city of the prayer Our eyes are set out to you everyday They walk through the porticos of the temples (synagogues) Embrace of the old churches And take the sadness away from the mosques O night of Al asra O path of those who left for the sky Our eyes are set out to you everyday and I pray The child is in the cave and his mother is Mary two faces crying For those who were exiled For children without houses For those who defended their homeland and were martyred at the gates And the peace was martyred in the homeland of the peace ...

This is a poem by Imam Al Shafe'i  (767 — 820 CE) Here is the original poem in Arabic :     اذا المرء لا يرعاك الا تكلفا                                                                                    فدعه ولا تكثر عليه التاسفا                                                          ...