The Mother – الأم
From a poem of the erudite scholar, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi
The secret of life, the garden of blissful hopes
The token of reliance, the bliss of all generartions
The hymn of the soul, striking the strings of the hearts
when children sing it, like nightingales
The song of life, that makes flower buds open
towards life, smiling, full of hope
O my Mother, how sweet is (the taste of) mentioning you on my tongue
Whenever you are mentioned, I begin to chant, raising you above the skies
How often did you wake until dawn the night, so that I may spend the night in comfort
How much efforts tired you so that I may be safe and well guided.
This is an excerpt from a poem that the great scholar Sheikh Ibrahim al-Yaqoubi wrote for his children in the year 1970, and taught his som Muhammad Abul Huda al-Yaqoubi when he was in 3rd grade, on the occasion of a school celebration for the wefare of the children, held in the vecinity of the Umaya Mosque in Damascus.