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https://wahiduddin.net/music/index.htm
songs by wahiduddin
updated 9-May-2013
1) I'll Bring You Roses (mp3 file, Aug 2011, original by wahiduddin)
This song is about our journey here on earth, the purpose of our life, the journey of the heart. For
me, the Beloved in the this song is the All-Mighty, Ever-Present One. The roses represent the
beauty which we receive and which we give in this life on earth, both in thoughts and deeds. The
thistles represent those situations in life in which the ever-present beauty becomes obscured from
us.
The underlying essence of these lyrics can also be found in this magnificent short video featuring
Pir Zia Inayat Khan:
Happy is he who is able to escape from the lower self and feel the gentle breeze of friendship. His heart is so full of
the Beloved that there is no longer room for anyone else. The Beloved flows through his every vein and nerve.
Every atom of his body is filled with the Friend.
The true lovers can no longer perceive either the scent or the color of their own selves. They have no interest in
anything other than the Beloved. Their heart is attached neither to throne nor crown. Greed and lust have packed
their bags and left their street. If they speak, it is to the Friend. If they seek, it is from the Friend. They no longer
take themselves into account, and live only for love. They leave the raw and turn to the ripe, abandoning completely
the abode of the self.
The whole work of building oneself, and everything else, depends on how much one is able to forget oneself! That is
the key to the whole of life, material and spiritual, and to worldly and spiritual success.
The point is not to deny our ego, but to extricate ourselves from our exclusive preoccupation with it.
Self-consciousness is like a chain upon every feature and limb of the body, and in the self-conscious person there is
nothing of the smoothness that should flow like a fluid through every expression of life. Its only remedy is forgetting
self and putting the whole mind into work and each occupation undertaken.
The heart becomes wide by forgetting the self, and narrow by thinking of the self and by pitying one's self. To gain a
wide and broad heart you must have something before you to look upon and to rest your intelligence upon, and that
something is the God-ideal. This is the prescription for killing the self, and to kill the self is the basis of every
religion.
A couple of my favorite quotes which express some of the same ideals expressed in this song:
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of our exploration will be to arrive in the place where we started
and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot
1st Chorus:
Verses:
2nd Chorus:
The first and last lesson in love is, 'I am not Thou art' and unless man is moved to that selflessness he does not
know justice, right or truth. His self stands above or between him and God.
neighbor, companion, fellow traveler on the way -- all are He all are He
in the tattered robe of a beggar, in the red satin of a king -- all are He all are He
in the congregation of separation and the privacy of unity,
by God, all are He. Yes, by God, all are He.
To Allah belong the East and the West; whithersoever ye turn there is the presence of Allah.
Beyond Gender:
Of particular significance in this poem is the fact that in Farsi the personal pronoun , which forms the first part of
the contraction st, may mean either he or she. That is, the personal pronoun simply to points toward that one,
without regard to gender.
In the rendering used for this song, the pronoun is simply translated as He, however, there is no gender specified in
the original poem, rather the poem simply refers to that One. Hopefully this song will be heard and felt as referring
to that One who is beyond gender. The word He could also be nicely translated as Thee.
This song arrived after I had been reading some scripture verses during Ramadan meditations. As is the case with
each of these songs, I didn't intend to create a song, the song just "arrived" and urged me to sing along:
Your face,
Your eyes,
in the east
and in the west,
everywhere I look
I see You.
Your face,
Your eyes,
in the night
and in the day,
everywhere I go
I see You.
Here are some of the scripture verses that echo these same thoughts:
Love came and spread like blood in my veins and the skin of me,
It filled me with the Friend and completely emptied me.
The Friend has taken over all parts of my existence,
Only my name remains, as all is He.
God's faces are everywhere. There is nothing on the earth, in the sky, in the sea, where He is not seen; but if we do
not recognize Him we do not know that we see Him. A great Indian poet, Amir, says, "O eyes, that are longing to see
the Beloved, why do you complain of His absence?" This means the Beloved is before you, He has not run away, but
your eyes must recognize Him.
7) For Love, For Victory (mp3 file, June 2011, original by wahiduddin)
chorus
chorus
The idea for the chorus came from a Paulo Coelho book, The Valkyries, Harper-Collins, 1995.
This song is based on a few of my favorite lines from the prayer Khatm by Inayat Khan:
O Thou, Who art the Perfection of Love, Harmony, and Beauty, The Lord of heaven and earth,
Open our hearts, that we may hear Thy Voice, which constantly cometh from within.
Disclose to us Thy Divine Light, which is hidden in our souls,
that we may know and understand life better.
Most Merciful and Compassionate God, give us Thy great Goodness;
Teach us Thy loving Forgiveness;
Raise us above the distinctions and differences which divide men;
Send us the Peace of Thy Divine Spirit, And unite us all in Thy Perfect Being.
Amen.
Sometimes it seems that words are just not up to the task of praising and glorifying and singing in awe of the
Beloved... and this song has arisen from that place, a song of few words, longing to say more that words than can
say.
First I thought my life's work was psychology. And then I thought my life's work was psychedelics. Then I thought
my life's work was bringing eastern philosophy to the West. Now... whatever I'm doing is my life's work, even if it's
sitting by the window.
Ram Dass (Richard Alpert)
As one in the arms of their beloved is not aware of what is within and what is without, so a person in union with the
Self is not concerned with what is within and what is without, for in such Unity all desires find their perfect
fulfillment. With no desires to be fulfilled, one goes beyond desire and sorrow.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.3.21
If you are seeking closeness to the Beloved, love everyone. Whether in their presence or absence, see only their
good. If you want to be as clear and refreshing as the breath of the morning breeze, like the sun have nothing but
warmth and light for everyone.
Shaikh Abu-Saeed Abil-Khair
There is only one virtue and one sin for a soul on the path:
virtue when he is conscious of God and sin when he is not.
Abu Hashim Madani
This song really touched my heart when Arlo Guthrie sang it at the end of his performance in Tucson in April 2008.
So, I offer it here in the hope that perhaps you too will be touched by these words:
My peace, my peace is all I've got its all I've ever known
My peace is worth a thousand times more than anything I own
I pass my peace around and around across hands of every hue
My peace, my peace is all I've got that I can give to you.
12) Paths of Victory ( June 2011, Bob Dylan song, adapted by wahiduddin)
(repeat)
This is adapted from an old Bob Dylan song published in 1964, which Dylan himself never
released, but which was covered by others including Odetta, The Byrds, and Hamilton camp.
Life may have many troubles and battles, yet victory is lurking just beyond every
disappointment... if only we can rise up from our despair and walk on.
Well, that line ain't never busy, tell 'em what you want
Well, that line ain't never busy, tell 'em what you want
Well, that line ain't never busy, tell 'em what you want
Call 'em up and tell 'em what you want
I really enjoyed this old Fred McDowell song from the time I first heard Ry Cooder's version
around 1990. More recently Krishna Das recorded a version in 2008. As I listened to Krishna
Das' version, it seemed that the song literally begged for some additional sacred names to honor
our cultural and religious diversity hence this version was born.
Here are a few related thoughts about tellin 'em what you want:
Ask , and ye shall receive
John 16:24
Matthew 21:22
When the cry of the disciple has reached a certain pitch, the Teacher comes to answer it.
Nonetheless, we must not be so busy asking that we fail to fully appreciate the gifts which we've
already been given:
Om hre Om
Om hre Om
asato m sad gamaya
Om hre Om
Om hre Om
Om hre Om
tamaso m jyotir gamaya
Om hre Om
Om hre Om
Om hre Om
mrtyor m amritam gamaya
Om hre Om
The lyrics for this song are based on the Brhadranyaka Upanishad, verse 1.3.28:
Oh wondrous One,
Lead us from the unreal to the Real!
Lead us from darkness to Light!
Lead us from death to Immortality!
Peace, Peace, Peace.
Here are two versions of Sai Baba chanting these same verses of the Brhadranyaka Upanishad:
Sai Baba chanting with children
Sai Baba chanting with background music (from Embodiment of Love II, by Gianluca and Gabriele Ducros)
And here is a brief recording of Swami "Papa" Ramdas speaking about these same verses of the Brhadranyaka
Upanishad:
Papa Ramdas
This gentle, beseeching, longing, devotional song is deeply emotional and often brings tears of
joy to my eyes.
The name Rma as it is used in this song, is synonymous with Brahman, Allah and God... the One and Only.
This is a song from a lover to the Beloved, that Beloved who is so utterly Magnificent, so utterly Glorious that no
words, no acts could truly express the depth of feeling and emotion involved in these simple lines.
- instrumental break -
The feeling of glorious, prayerful, humble submission that this song expresses, reminds me of the story of the simple
shepherd who Moses met one day:
Moses once passed by a farm and saw a peasant boy talking to himself, saying, 'O Lord, Thou art so good and kind
that I feel if Thou wert here by me I would take good care of Thee, more than of all my sheep, more than of all my
fowls. In the rain I would keep Thee under the roof of my grass-shed, when it is cold I would cover Thee with my
blanket, and in the heat of the sun I would take Thee to bathe in the brook. I would put Thee to sleep with Thy head
on my lap, and would fan Thee with my hat, and would always watch Thee and guard Thee from wolves. I would
give Thee bread of manna and would give Thee buttermilk to drink, and to entertain Thee I would sing and dance
and play my flute. O Lord my God, if Thou wouldst only listen to this and come and see how I would tend Thee.'
Moses was amused to listen to all this, and, as the deliverer of the divine message, he said, 'How impertinent on thy
part, O boy, to limit the unlimited One, God, the Lord of hosts, who is beyond form and color and the perception and
comprehension of man.' The boy became disheartened and full of fear at what he had done. But immediately a
revelation came to Moses: 'We are not pleased with this, O Moses, for We have sent thee to unite Our separated ones
with Us, not to disunite. Speak to everyone according to his evolution.'
This song arose out of my own daily practice of joyful singing for the glory of the One. This particular celebration
of the Divine is a combination of an ancient Sanskrit mantra and two similar phrases from the Qur'an.
For some, the name Rma only depicts a character in the ancient stories of Rma and Sta, but for those who have a
mystical understanding, such as Swami Papa Ramdas, the name Rma is synonymous with Brahman, Allh and
God... the One and Only.
In this same vein, in the Qur'an we are told: "Call upon Allah or call upon Rahman: by whatever name ye call upon
Him (it is well): for to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names." (17:110)
And so it is with this song, all of the Beautiful Names belong to the One, the One and Only, the All in all.
This song will take on a new life when you sing along... please sing along!
Om Sr Rma Jaya Rma Jaya Jaya Rma
Om Sr Rma Jaya Rma Jaya Jaya Rma
Om Sr Rma Jaya Rma Jaya Jaya Rma
La ilha illa-llh
La ilha illa-h
The pronunciation that I have used is from the ancient Sanskrit mantra "Om Sr Rma Jaya Rma Jaya Jaya Rma".
In modern India, the current languages are generally derived from Sanskrit, but with some changes. Thus the
"modern" version of this same mantra is "Om Sr Rm Jai Rm Jai Jai Rm".
Here are two short clips of Ram Mantra chants from India:
17) Om Tare Tare... (traditional lyrics, melody based on Peaceful Goddess of the Turquoise Lake by
Anton Mizerak)
As is the case with many sacred phrases, the meaning of the Tara mantra is greater than words can express... words
can only point rather vaguely in the direction of the meaning.
Tara is variously interpreted to mean shining star, liberator, rescuer, savior, or one who ferries across. A traditional
explanation of the mantra is that it uses variations of the name Tara to represent three progressive stages of
deliverance or salvation:
Tare represents deliverance from mundane suffering, liberation from the sufferings of samsara.
Tutare represents deliverance into the spiritual path conceived in terms of individual salvation, liberation from fear,
external dangers and internal delusions.
Ture represents the culmination of the spiritual path in terms of deliverance into the altruistic path of universal
salvation, the Bodhisattva path, the end of suffering, liberation from ignorance.
Tara belongs to the Karma family of unobstructed compassionate activity. She is known as the Swift One, due to her
immediate response to those who request her aid. She is known as the great liberator, specializing in overcoming
obstacles in whatever form they manifest in our lives. She is especially known for her power to overcome the most
difficult situations, giving protection against dangers and all kinds of fear.
The following comments are from a talk by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama:
the mantra of the Goddess Tara. This is the manifestation of Buddha's energy. This is very useful for everything.
For long life, good health, wealth; for those people who want children --the recitation of this mantra is very good
For a good marriage, for everything, this is quite helpful and useful. We describe the goddess Tara as a very able sort
of deity... Om Tare Tutare Ture Soha.
Click here to hear the Dalai Lama chanting the Tara Mantra (mp3 audio, 64 KB)
This is a song of unity, a recognition of the One Glorious Light that shines through many windows. These
sacred lyrics are a combination of Arabic and Sanskrit.
Om Allh
Om Allh
l ilha illa-llh
l ilha illa-llh
satyameva jayate
The foundation of this song is the combination of the Sanskrit Om and Arabic Allh, which are magnificent sacred
syllables that each call out to The One that connects all of mankind, That Which is beyond name and form.
The mystical Arabic phrase l ilha illa allh is literally translated as "no deity except Allh"(Qur'an 47:19), and the
Sanskrit phrase satyameva jayate is literally translated as "Truth alone is victorious" (Mundaka Upanishad 3.1.6).
In this song, the sacred name Allh is sung in a melodic manner which lengthens the alif at the beginning the name.
Admittedly, this is not formally "correct", but is done here in the same spirit of love, harmony and beauty as the
similar artistic liberties that are so commonplace used in Islamic calligraphy and in Sufi dhikr.
For example, here is a brief snippet of dhikr led by Naqshbandi Shaikh Hashim Kabbani where the initial alif is
similarly accented. The words being chanted in this dhikr are:
And as another example of artistic liberty, the "correct" way to write Allh in Arabic is , but in Islamic
calligraphy it is often written as .... which is beautiful, and widely accepted, even though some might argue that
it does not "correctly" spell anything.
For those interested in the Dances of Universal Peace, please see the Dance page for chords, movement and
attunement for this song.
For more Naqshbandi dhikr, visit the Naqshbandi web site where you will find a section on practices, including
dhikr.
This song weaves the bismillh phrase into, through and around the opening chapter of the Qur'an, al-Ftiha, in what
feels to me like a musical version of Arabic calligraphy.
For more information about the words in this song, including a full translation, with definitions of each word, please
see my web page describing al-Ftiha.
This is loosely based on a very high-spirited led dhikr by Sheikh Sherif "Baba" Catalkaya of the Rifa'i-Marufi sufi
order.
The Arabic phrase bismillh is a recognition that every step that we take, and every breath that we breathe depends
totally upon the grace, power and will of The One.
For more information about the meaning of the three words "Bi-smi-Allah", please see my Bismillah web page.
This is an inner journey, a full circle experience of the stages of becoming, being, departing and transcending. This
is a meditation, a journey beyond the logical, a journey beyond wanting, a journey into knowing. For me, this song
is very powerful as a background for deep meditation.
Samsra is a Sanskrit word that literally means a wandering-through, or a going along with... symbolic
of our wandering into and then out of this world. On the Hindu path, samsra is often referred to as a
wheel, the wheel of life, the circle of life, the circle of coming into being (Brahma), existing for a while
(Vishnu), and then moving on into the unknown (Shiva).
22) Gyatr Mantra... (Traditional Sanskrit mantra, music composed by Bernie Heideman)
This works well as a call and response... so, please join with me...
om bhh
om bhuvaha
om suvaha
om mahaha
om janaha
om tapaha
om satyaM
See the Gyatr Mantra page for much more information about this glorious mantra.
For those who are involved in the Dances of Universal Peace, please note that this song is a slight variation in both
words and timing from Bernie's version... so, be sure to use only Bernie's version for DUP events.
- Sai Baba chanting the Gayatri Mantra with short invocation (from Embodiment of Love )
This expression subhn allh is a magnificent phrase that goes much deeper than the common translation of "glory
to God".
See the Subhan Allah web page for a deeper look into this glorious phrase.
For more information on the meaning of the phrase Bismillh ir-rahmn ir-rahm, please see my Bismillah web
page.
The phrase l ilha illa-llh is literally translated as no god except God, with the meaning that there is nothing to
worship, nothing to truly honor and glorify, other than God alone.
This song is interwoven snippets of al-Qri'a, an early mystical sura from the Qur'an.
This song is, perhaps, an unusual interpretation of this mystical sura. The word qri'a is often translated as calamity
or misfortune. However, the Semitic root q-r-' indicates knocking, thumping or striking and carries the connotation
of one soundly thumping a melon to judge if the melon is ripe. For the wrongdoers, this moment of being judged
may seem to be a great calamity, but for those who live their lives for the glory of God, such a moment is welcomed
with joy.
Also unorthodox in this musical calligraphy is the placement of the phrase nrun hmiya, which literally means
burning flame. In many interpretations of this sura, the burning flame is associated with the term hwiya in a
previous verse, but in this mystical interpretation the burning flame is directly associated with qri'a, and is the same
burning flame that the mystical poets such as Rumi have described, the flame that offers to burn away all that is
impure, the flame that illuminates the straight path, the same radiance that ripens the melon to perfection.
Zhir is one of the 99 Beautiful Names of Allh, referring to the Divine attribute of being manifest, that which is
seen.
Btin is another of the 99 Beautiful Names, and refers to the Divine attribute of that which is hidden.
Allh, Allh
Allh, Allh
Allh Zhir, Allh Btin
Allh Btin, Allh Zhir
Allh Zhir, Allh Btin
Hu Allhu
Hu Allhu
For additional information about the meanings of Zhir and Btin, see the Wazifa page.
27) Moko ... (based on a poem by Kabir, music composed by Narayan Waldman)
Born in Benares around 1440 to Muslim parents, Kabir became a disciple of Ramananda, a Hindu ascetic. His
poetry depicts the influence of both religions on him. He was a weaver by profession, but in the eyes of his followers
he was both a Sufi and a Brahman saint.
The following translation is from Songs of Kabir translated from the Hindi by Rabindranath Tagore, the Indian poet
and philosopher who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. In 1915 Tagores translation of the Songs of Kabir
was published and introduced these mystical poems to the world outside of India.
For more Kabir poetry, see http://www.boloji.com/kabir/mysticsongs/km1.htm. Click the following link to hear lines
from this Kabir poem sung in Hindi by Bhupender (397 KB mp3).
These lines are quite similar to Jesus words in the gospel of Luke 17:20-21:
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said,
The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the
kingdom of God is within you.
29) - The Secret of My Song... (my music with the opening verses of Rumi's Mathnawi)
These are the beginning phrases of Rumi's Mathnawi, as translated by R.A. Nicholson
30) - Burn Me with Your Love... (my music with a Rumi poem)
These lyrics are loosely based on Nader Khalili's "Fountain of Fire" translation of Rumi's ghazal number 2512
Burn me,
burn me with your love.
Burn me,
burn me with your love.
Burn me,
burn me with your love.
Burn me,
burn me with your love.
To enjoy the full depth of this song, it may be helpful to read Exodus 3:14, and then use this song as the background
for a meditation on the following translations:
In Exodus 3:14 the Hebrew phrase that is often translated as "I am that I am" may also be translated as "I am that
which exists" or "I am that which is" or " I am that which I have become".
33) - Crumbling Walls ... (original) ... they just keep crumbling
repeat
masha-llah, masha-llah.
masha-llah, masha-llah.
masha-llah, masha-llah.
wonder of God in you.
wonder of God in you.
The term "masha' llah", sometimes written "ma shaa Allah", is an Arabic term that is literally translated as "as Allah
has willed" and is used to express wonder and amazement at what God has created.
The seven heavens and the earth and all beings therein declare His glory: there not a thing but celebrates His praise;
and yet ye understand not how they declare His glory! Qur'an 17:44
35) - Open Our Hearts ... ( composed by Sarmad Tide... based on the Khatm prayer by Inayat Khan)
repeat
Ya Allah, Ya Allah,
Ya Allah, Allah.
repeat
I am once again
beyond the beyond,
I am that I am.
Here are some additional web pages on this web site which have similar music:
And here are some links to other web sites with similar music:
http://SalemDances.com
Here's a web site which streams sacred music from around the world:
www.sacredmusicradio.org
Also, for a continuing celebration of the Beloved, please take a look at my mystical poetry too.
http://www.kirtancommunity.com/html/bhajan_words.html
Opening Invocation:
Om Shanti, Om
Om Asatoma Satgamaya
Om Asatoma Satgamaya Lead us from Deception to Truth
Tamasoma Jyotir Gamaya from Darkness to Light
Mrityorma Amritam Gamaya from Death to Blissful Immortality
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Om, peace, peace, perfect peace
Meaning:
Guru is that which dispels the darkness
Guru is Brahma the Creator.
Guru is Vishnu the Preserver.
Guru is Shiva the Transformer.
Guru is the Supreme Being manifest in human form.
To that Supreme Divine Teacher, I offer my heartfelt salutations, reverence and endless gratitude.
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