Raghib on Nostr: Beautiful and I’m a great fan of Andalusian tones/melodies myself. ...
Beautiful and I’m a great fan of Andalusian tones/melodies myself.
quoting note1xuw…lfwsFrom the courtyard of the white-plastered mosque rose the sounds of singing men, old and young alike. Their differing tones intertwined to create a zellige-like pattern, perfect in its seeming unevenness.
In Andalusian lyric fashion, the men sang in a melody that, to a Westerner's ear, resembled songs of All Hallows' Eve.
How ironic, I thought, that such a beautiful poem was being sung under the bright light of a rising moon, in a style reminiscent of midnight's eerie stillness.
The clapping hands set the rhythm; the flute carried the sentimental emotion. Anyone without a love to long for had conjured one from thin air. This night was reserved for longing, as only the brokenhearted could truly understand.
Her cheeks, rose-red, and her intense green eyes captured the moment. Even far away, surrounded by strangers and enshrouded in darkness, I was held hostage by her fleeting glances.
At long last, I understood why the men sang with such fervor. The heart had taken command, casting aside all else beyond its reach—for this night, at least.
Tonight, we surrendered.
"I saw the crescent moon and the face of my love;
They appeared as two moons high above.
I could not tell which one caused me to die—
The moon among men or the one in the sky.
Had it not been for those cheeks, rose-red,
And the wonder at the black tresses she shed,
It would surely seem to me,
That the rising moon was my love,
And my beloved was the moon above."