Texts and Translations for The Wedding
Hussein Janmohamed
The texts for this composition are drawn from a pluralistic confluence of diverse cultural traditions that have profoundly shaped my experience as a Kenya-born South Asian Ismaili Muslim living in Canada. Texts in Gujarati are drawn from Indic folk song and Ismaili devotional literature, and texts in Arabic are drawn from the Quran. Texts in English and drawn from the Bible and John Bennet.
Texts, sources, translations in order of appearance
Gujarati folk song
Taaliyo na taale, gori garbe ghoomi gayre
punam ni raat chhe
Clapping hand on hand, let's celebrate, singing and circling in the garba [traditional circle dance]. It's full moon night.
Arabic text
Awwal, Akhir, Zahir, Batin (Quran 57:3)
tr. the First, the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden
La illaha ilallah
tr. there is no god but God, affirming oneness of God
English text
Oh, where is my love? (adapted from Bible, Song of Solomon 3:3)
English text
I seek, I call (Translated from Persian Qasida Bi Ruz-u Shab)
Oh when begin you to swell so high that I may drown me in you? (John Bennet)
Indic Ismaili devotional poem
Oh, chaalo saaheli var jova jaiye, so peeya mene paaya Sharan tamare
Come, oh friends, let us go to meet the Beloved, the Beloved whom I have found.
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