#musa's inner dialogue:

[floralovebot]

you can love a character and still acknowledge they aren’t a great person. i love riven and accept his flaws (none he’s perfect) and acknowledge that he’s messed up before (no he hasn’t) and that consequences in stories are a good thing (everyone else is wrong actually and he’s right)

[jarenka]

It seem like someone pirated mezzo's recording of "Jalil" and downloaded it on youtube. Good for them tbh and good for us.

"Jalil" is a Tatar opera written by Nazib Zhiganov in 1957. It's about XX century Tatar poet Musa Jalil, who was executed by Nazis in 1944. He participated in WWII and was captured Nazis in 1942, he agreed to join Idel-Ural legion and became a part of inner resistance movement in Wehrmacht. Their group agitated Idel-Ural soldiers to sabotage, desert and switch sides. They were so successful that one battalion switched sided in the moment they came closer to Belarusian partisans, and others became absolutely unsuitable for combat because of mass deserting and sabotaging. Unfortunately their resistance group was uncovered by Nazis, and all participants were executed. Musa Jalil continued to write his poems in prison, he was able to hand over his notebooks to his cellmates, who survived and brought Jalil's poems to USSR later.

This part of Musa Jalil's life and his death are the plot of the opera. You can read libretto here (in Russian). The recording has French subtitles. The opera itself is written mostly in Tatar with some recitatives and arias in Russian, and it's fascinating how they switch from Tatar to Russian when there are dialogues with non-Tatar characters and there are accidental Russian words in Tatar dialogues and Tatar words in Russian. They also have Germans singing in German and there are two songs in other languages (Kazakh and French I assume but I am not sure).

Jalil was branded as a traitor by Soviets. His family was under suspicion. Only in early 1950s, after Stalin's death, I presume, Tatar writers and Konstantin Simonov was able to make Soviets drop charges. In 1953 Jalil poems were published in Literaturnaya Gazeta, and there was an article in Pravda about him participating in resistance.

[alhamdulillah10]

يا منزل الآيات والفرقان *** بيني وبينك حرمة القرآن

إشرح به صدري لمعرفة الهدى *** واعصم به قلبي من الشيطان

“O Revealer of the Verses and the Criterion,

Between You and I is the sanctity of the Qur’aan

With it open up my heart to acknowledge the guidance,

And with it protect my heart from the Shaytan

يسر به أمري وأقض مآربي *** وأجر به جسدي من النيران

واحطط به وزري وأخلص نيتي *** واشدد به أزري وأصلح شاني

With it ease my affairs and settle my needs

And with it save my body from the Fire

With it lighten my load and purify my intention

And with it increase my strength and rectify my state

واكشف به ضري وحقق توبتي *** واربح به بيعي بلا خسراني

طهر به قلبي وصف سريرتي *** أجمل به ذكري واعل مكاني

With it remove my harm and confirm my repentance

And with it make me profit from my pledge without any loss

With it cleanse my heart and purify my character,

And with it beautify my reputation and raise my rank

واقطع به طمعي وشرف همتي *** كثر به ورعي واحي جناني

أسهر به ليلي وأظم جوارحي *** أسبل بفيض دموعها أجفاني

With it cut of my greed, and honour my ambitions

And with it increase my piety and give life to my heart

With it pass my night and make thirsty my limbs,

And soak my eyelashes with the abundance of tears

أمزجه يا رب بلحمي مع دمي *** واغسل به قلبي من الأضغاني

أنت الذي صورتني وخلقتني *** وهديتني لشرائع الإيمان

Mix it with my flesh O my Lord along with my blood,

And with it wash my heart from malice

You are the One who fashioned me and created me

And guided me to the fountains of Iman

أنت الذي علمتني ورحمتني *** وجعلت صدري واعي القرآن

أنت الذي أطعمتني وسقيتني *** من غير كسب يد ولا دكان

You are the One who taught me and had mercy on me

And made my heart heedful to the Qur’aan

You are the One who fed me and made me to drink

Without my earning it by hand or via trade

وجبرتني وسترتني ونصرتني *** وغمرتني بالفضل والإحسان

أنت الذي آويتني وحبوتني *** وهديتني من حيرة الخذلان

And You restored me, covered me and aided me

And enveloped me in Grace and Goodness

You are the One who gave me refuge and awarded me

And guided me from the confusion of disappointment and loss

وزرعت لي بين القلوب مودة *** والعطف منك برحمة وحنان

ونشرت لي في العالمين محاسنا *** وسترت عن أبصارهم عصياني

And You have planted love for me between hearts,

And the inclination from You is by way of mercy and affection

And You have spread goodness out for me amongst the people

And You have hid my sin from their eyes

وجعلت ذكري في البرية شائعا *** حتى جعلت جميعهم إخواني

والله لو علموا قبيح سريرتي *** لأبى السلام علي من يلقاني

And You have made my reputation amongst the people widespread

Until You made them all my brothers

By Allaah, had they known the ugliness of my inner self,

Whoever met me would have refused to greet me

ولأعرضوا عني وملوا صحبتي *** ولبؤت بعد كرامة بهوان

لكن سترت معايبي ومثالبي *** وحلمت عن سقطي وعن طغياني

And they would have shunned me and be disgusted with my friendship

And I would have drawn on myself disgrace after honour

But You covered my faults and defects,

And You bore my sin and my tyranny

فلك المحامد والمدائح كلها *** بخواطري وجوارحي ولساني

So all Praise is to You, and all commendations

With my thoughts, my limbs and my tongue

ولقد مننت علي رب بأنعم *** مالي بشكر أقلهن يدان

“O Lord, You have indeed bestowed upon me blessings

The smallest of which I cannot fully give thanks for

فوحق حكمتك التي آتيتني *** حتى شددت بنورها برهاني

It is truly by Your Wisdom that You have given me such

Until You strengthened my faith by its light

لئن اجتبتني من رضاك معونة *** حتى تقوي أيدها إيماني

If, from Your Pleasure, I were to be selected by Your Aid

Such that its authority strengthened my faith

لأسبحنك بكرة وعشية *** ولتخدمنك في الدجى أركاني

Then surely, I will praise You day and night

And in the darkness, my limbs will be at Your service

ولأذكرنك قائما أو قاعدا *** ولأشكرنك سائر الأحيان

I will indeed remember You whether I’m standing or sitting

And the rest of the time, I will be thanking You

ولأكتمن عن البرية خلتي *** ولاشكون إليك جهد زماني

I shall hide my dire needs from the people

And I shall complain only to You of my troubled times

ولأقصدنك في جميع حوائجي *** من دون قصد فلانة وفلان

I shall seek You in all of my needs

Without seeking the aid of anyone in specific

ولأحسمن عن الأنام مطامعي *** بحسام يأس لم تشبه بناني

And I will surely sever my hopes in mortals

With a decisive dismemberment not seen before

ولأجعلن رضاك أكبر همتي *** ولاضربن من الهوى شيطاني

I will make Your Pleasure to be my greatest concern

And I will indeed cast the devil out from my desires

ولأكسون عيوب نفسي بالتقى *** ولأقبضن عن الفجور عناني

I will surely clothe the defects of my soul with the garments of Taqwa (piety)

And I will indeed seize my stubbornness in committing evil

ولأمنعن النفس عن شهواتها *** ولأجعلن الزهد من أعواني

And I will prevent my soul from its desires

And I will make Zuhd (asceticism) to be my supporter

ولأتلون حروف وحيك في الدجى *** ولأحرقن بنوره شيطاني

I shall indeed recite the letters of Your Revelation in the depths of the dark

And I will burn the Shaytan (devil) with its manifest light

أنت الذي يا رب قلت حروفه *** ووصفته بالوعظ والتبيان

O my Lord, it is You Who has uttered its letters

And You have expressed therein much admonition and clarity

ونظمته ببلاغة أزلية *** تكييفها يخفى على الأذهان

You have constructed it with eternal eloquence

The manner of which cannot be understood by the mind

وكتبت في اللوح الحفيظ حروفه *** من قبل خلق الخلق في أزمان

And You have written its letters in the Preserved Tablet

Before the creation of all things aforetime

فالله ربي لم يزل متكلما *** حقا إذا ما شاء ذو إحسان

Allah, my Lord, has not ceased to speak

The truth if He Wills; Owner of Great Generosity

نادى بصوت حين كلم عبده *** موسى فأسمعه بلا كتمان

He called out in His Voice when He called His slave

Musa; and so He caused him to hear without any obscurity

وكذا ينادي في القيامة ربنا *** جهرا فيسمع صوته الثقلان

And likewise our Lord shall call on the Day of Resurrection

In an audible voice, and every Man and Jinn shall hear Him:

أن يا عبادي أنصتوا لي واسمعوا *** قول الإله المالك الديان

That ‘O my slaves, pay attention to Me and listen

To the Word of God, the King and Judge!’

هذا حديث نبينا عن ربه *** صدقا بلا كذب ولا بهتان

This is the narration of our Prophet from His Lord

In truth, without any lie or falsehood

لسنا نشبه صوته بكلامنا *** إذ ليس يدرك وصفه بعيان

We do not liken His voice to our speech

For its exact description is not known

لا تحصر الأوهام مبلغ ذاته *** أبدا ولا يحويه قطر مكان

Minds can never encompass the extent of His Being

And place can never contain Him

وهو المحيط بكل شيء علمه *** من غير إغفال ولا نسيان

He is the One Whose knowledge encompasses all things

Without heedlessness or any forgetfulness

من ذا يكيف ذاته وصفاته *** وهو القديم مكون الأكوان

And who can attempt to describe or shape Him and His Attributes

When He is the All-Present, Creator of all existence?

سبحانه ملكا على العرش استوى *** وحوى جميع الملك والسلطان

Glory be to Him, a King Who rose over His Throne

And Who has gathered all the Dominion and Authority

وكلامه القرآن أنزل آيه *** وحيا على المبعوث من عدنان

His Speech is the Qur’an whose verses He has revealed

A revelation to the sent one from ‘Adnan (the Arabs)

صلى عليه الله خير صلاته *** ما لاح في فلكيهما القمران

May God’s best blessings be upon him

So long as the sun and the moon shimmer in their orbits

هو جاء بالقرآن من عند الذي *** لا تعتريه نوائب الحدثان

He came with the Qur’an from the One Who

Cannot be stopped by the misfortunes of time

تنزيل رب العالمين ووحيه *** بشهادة الأحبار والرهبان

It is the Revelation of the Lord of the Worlds

Witnessed by the scholars and the righteous ones

وكلام ربي لا يجيء بمثله *** أحد ولو جمعت له الثقلان

And none can bring the like of the Speech of my Lord

Even if Man and Jinn were to come together to achieve that

وهو المصون من الأباطل كلها *** ومن الزيادة فيه والنقصان

And it is protected from every single falsehood

And it is protected from any excess or deficiency

من كان يزعم أن يباري نظمه *** ويراه مثل الشعر والهذيان

Whoever claims that its construction is useless

And sees it to be like poetry or senseless chatter

فليأت منه بسورة أو آية *** فإذا رأى النظمين يشتبهان

Then let him bring a single chapter or verse from it!

And if he sees the two texts to be just like each other,

فلينفرد باسم الألوهية وليكن *** رب البرية وليقل سبحاني

Then let him single himself out for worship and let him become

The Lord of people, and let him say: ‘Glory to me!’

فإذا تناقض نظمه فليلبسن *** ثوب النقيصة صاغرا بهوان

But if his text is contradictive, then let him wear

The garments of failure, belittled by humiliation

أو فليقر بأنه تنزيل من *** سماه في نص الكتاب مثاني

Otherwise, let him admit that it is a Divine Revelation

From the One Who named it ‘Mathani’ (Oft-repeated) in His Book

لا ريب فيه بأنه تنزيله *** وبداية التنزيل في رمضان

There is no doubt that it is His True Revelation

And the start of this Revelation began in Ramadan

الله فصله وأحكم آيه *** وتلاه تنزيلا بلا ألحان

Allah explained it in detail and clarified its verses

And recited it as a Revelation without any mistakes

هو قوله وكلامه وخطابه *** بفصاحة وبلاغة وبيان

It is His Saying, it is His Speech, it is His Dialogue

With absolute articulacy, eloquence, and clarity

هو حكمه هو علمه هو نوره *** وصراطه الهادي إلى الرضوان

It is His Judgement, it is His Knowledge, it is His Light

And it is His Path which guides to ultimate Pleasure

جمع العلوم دقيقها وجليلها *** فيه يصول العالم الرباني

In it He gathered all Sciences; the subtle and the great

And hence the righteous scholar delves into them

قصص على خير البرية قصه *** ربي فأحسن أيما إحسان

Within it are stories unfolded to the best of creation (the Prophet)

My Lord narrated them and in perfection did He do so!

[myhouseidea]

Heart touching moments found here, with respect to the beauty of the city and its people. Annual rings of trees increase with time. Every circle carries the story of the time, and is rooted in the memory of its surroundings. When combined together, they form aesthetic patterns, which embody the beauty of time. Taking “tree ring” as the concept, CCD turned MUSAE’S LAUREL GARDEN into a place that creates and records wonderful memories. Like a tree, it coexists with four seasons, silently watches people come and go, listens to and witnesses what happens under the tree, and records the stories here via its “annual rings”.

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.

The geometric building is characterized by undulating pitched roofs. With points, lines and planes interweaving, it’s like a simplistic yet aesthetic “time box” which blends into its natural surroundings and the city. The foyer is reorganized in combination with the garden and architecture. Artworks featuring wooden mortise-and-tenon structures are brought in to create a unique experience and first impression. Life is full of changes. Time records the moments we have experienced, which often echo with our minds. The space is created not merely to serve the current moment, but also to preserve the wonderful memories here as time goes by. People come, and spend enjoyable time here, which will be engraved in their memories after they leave. The space has a 13-meter-high ceiling, with orderly full-height screens creating a sense of formality. Just like the doors of a time tunnel, these screens lead people to a world where they can totally relax and set the mind free. The design touches the heart, and the space accommodates moments. Every moment spent here will become a meaningful part of the memory. The full-height wall and bookshelf provide a stage for sunlight, which moves freely on the surface and generates playful shadows. The design connects nature with emotional feelings, brings in order and the play of light and shadows, and creates the contrast of the old and new, in order to interpret the meaning of time. The archaized brushed bronze and the modern glass bricks generate the dialogue between the old and new, it signifies the flow of time and the passage of life. The interior also uses low wall and adopts the concept of “room in room” that is usually applied in tea house, planting bamboos on the periphery, which enriches the layering of the space and highlights its towering storey height. Besides, the scenery of the outdoor bamboo grove is brought in, which generates a refreshing and oriental-style elegant atmosphere. Why are we always in a hurry every day? Perhaps we can treat our time from a new perspective. Don’t worry that past time never comes back, since the memories have been already imprinted in our minds. This space allows us to temporarily stay away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, listen to the voice of our inner mind, enjoy and preserve the wonderful moments here, which will soothe our soul and help us to get through tiring days.

Project name: MUSAE’S LAUREL GARDEN Interior design: CCD / Cheng Chung Design (HK) Location: Guangzhou, China Area: 1,100 m2 Completion time: December 2019 Photo credit: CCD / Cheng Chung Design (HK)

Musae’s Laurel Garden by CCD Heart touching moments found here, with respect to the beauty of the city and its people. Annual rings of trees increase with time.