A merchant of
Baghdad was sipping tea in his garden when his servant ran up to him,
breathless and trembling. “Master,” he cried. “I have just
seen Death in your garden. She pointed at me with such a ghastly
stare that I knew she had come for me.” “So you have seen
Death,” the merchant replied, “as each man must. I
understand your alarm.” “I must leave Baghdad and go far away
from Death. I have a brother in Samarra. I will go there tonight,
Master, and escape my fate.” “Then take my swiftest horse, and
go with my blessing.” As the hoofbeats of the fleeing servant
faded in his ears, the merchant, curious, walked through his gardens
to confront Death. “My servant has done no harm. Why do you disturb him with your ghastly stare?” Death smiled. “I did not mean to.
I was merely surprised to see him in Baghdad when I have an
appointment with him this evening, at his brother’s house in
Samarra.”
old illustration from last year published in Cricket magazine
This dance is called the Dabke if anyone wants to know more! I’m pretty sure the above version is from somewhere in Palestine, but it’s also a huge deal in Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. According to legend, it originated in stamping on the dirt roofs in the houses of the region to compact the mixture of clay and straw and became a dance eventually.
More fun things: A Dabke Flashmob from Beirut in 2011
Maïmouna Guerresi who was born in Italy as Patrizia Guerresi where she was raised as a Catholic. She later changed her name when she married a Senegalese man, and converted to Sufi Islam. #Love it!
Inspiration Haven 