The melody for this piece came to me during a journey I made some years ago, when I was blessed to spend many days and nights immersed in and transformed by sacred music and ceremonies. When I later decided to set this poem by the Azerbaijani mystical poet Nasimi to the melody, I was amazed at how perfectly his words matched the music I had composed. I believe the reason is that both the music and the words reflect a glimpse – however fleeting in my case – of the eternal. All my thanks to the ou