Fairuz - Bring Me the Flute and Sing

Fairuz is one of the most popular Arabic singers of all time. In this song, she sings a poem (in Fusha) by the Lebanese-American mystic poet Khalil Jibran called “Bring Me the Nay (an Arabic flute) and Sing.” The last line of the poem reflects a very prominent Sufi sentiment. Translation courtesy of Roba al-Assi at her blog, And Far Away. I made just a few tiny changes.


Fairuz - Bring Me the Flute and Sing

Bring me the flute and sing, for song is the secret of eternity...
And the wailing of the flute remains, even after the end of existence...
Have you taken the forest, rather than the palace, to be your home?
Have you climbed up the creeks and the rocks?
Have you bathed in perfume and then dried yourself with sunlight?
Have you tasted the wine of the early morning from goblets of ether?
Bring me the flute and sing, that is the secret of eternity...
And the wailing of the flute remains, even after the end of life...
Have you sat alone at dusk among the grapevines...
Among their clusters hanging like chandeliers of gold...?
Have you made the grass your night-time bed?
Have you wrapped yourself in the evening air with the sky for a blanket?
So that you can allow the future to come and let go of the past?
Bring me the flute and sing, so our hearts may be in balance...
And the wailing of the flute remains, even after the end of all sins...
Bring me the flute and sing, forget maladies and their cures..
For people are but lines of poetry, written, but with water.

فيروز - اعطني الناي و غني

أعطني الناي و غن فالغنا سر الوجود/الخلود
و أنين الناي يبقى بعد أن يفنى الوجود
هل تخذت الغاب مثلي منزلا دون القصور
فتتبعت السواقي و تسلقت الصخور
هل تحممت بعطر و تنشفت بنور
و شربت الفجر خمراُ في كؤوس من أثير
أعطني الناي و غن فالغنا خير الصلاة
و أنين الناي يبقى بعد أن تفنى الحياة
هل جلست العصر مثلي بين جفنات العنب
و العناقيد تدلت كثريات الذهب
هل فرشت العشب
ليلاُ و تلحفت الفضا
زاهداُ في ما سيأتي ناسياُ ما قد مضى
أعطني الناي و غن فالغنا عدل القلوب
و أنين الناي يبقى بعد أن تفنى الذنوب
أعطني الناي و غن و انس داء و دواء
إنما الناس سطور كتبت لكن بماء