For English horn, Guitar, Piano, Percussion, Female voice, and Cello – ca. 6′
On a text by Hala Nohra.
Comissioned by precept.concept.percept residency program.
Premiered as part of Teden sodobne glasbe Bled / Bled Contemporary Music Week.
The premiere took place on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in the beautiful city of Bled, Slovenia! The concert was streamed on @institut.abeceda’s YouTube channel.
About the Poem
By Hala Nahra, a Lebanese writer, critic, and poet.
The poem “Ya Daw’a l’Adwa’” [يا ضوء الأضواء] is from the poetry collection “I Give the People My 7 Names” [أمنح شعوبي أسمائي ال7] published by Fawasel Publishing House.
| O light of time | Yè ḍaw’èz zèmèn | يا ضوءَ الزمانْ |
| O light of cosmic energy | Yè ḍaw’èṭ ṭaqatél kèwniyyè | يا ضوءَ الطاقةِ الكونية |
| Give glad tidings to my cities and deserts | Bèššér moudouni wè barariyyè | بَشِّرْ مُدني وبراريَّ |
| That we have in the expanse playgrounds and a flame that never dies | ’èn lènè fil mèdè mèlè’ibè wè šou’lètèn lè tanṭafé’ | أنْ لنا في المدى ملاعبَ وشُعْلةً لا تنطفىء |
| The ember of laughter is ours | Jouḏwètouḍ ḍaḥiki lènè | جُذوَةُ الضَحِكِ لنا |
| The share of rainbow hunters | Ḥéṣṣatou ṣayyadi ’èqwèsél qouzèḥ | حِصّةُ صيّادي أقواسِ القُزَح |
| And captivating dimples on the sidewalks of mouths | Wè ġèmmèzèton ’èsirè ’èlè ’arṣifatél ’èfwèh | وغمّازاتٌ آسرة على أرْصَفَةِ الأفواهْ |
| O light of lights | Yè ḍaw’èl ’aḍwa’ | يا ضوءَ الأضواءْ |
| O foam of my morning, I | Yè rèġwètè ṣabaḥi ’ènè | يا رغوةَ صباحي أنا |
| Cover me with the radiance of the abundance of musk within you | Ġaṭṭini bi wèhji ġazaratél méski fik | غَطِّني بوهجِ غزارةِ المِسْكِ فيكْ |
| And illuminate the paths of those who go | Wè ’ènér douroubèḏ ḏèhibinè | وأنِر دُروبَ الذاهبينَ |
| On the tips of their fingers | ’èlè rou’ousi ’aṣabi’ihém | على رؤوسِ أصابِعِهِم |
| To meaning. | ’Ilèl mè’nè. | .إلى المعنى |
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