Prayer for the

Fire Worshiper
An Aria for Two Lovers

Nebal Maysaud
 Prayer for the Fire Worshiper
Aria for Two Tenors and Electric Guitar
From Al-Masjit Rabi’a
Full Score

Duration: 4 minutes

Premiered in April 12, 2017 by Anmol Gupta, Yonah Barany, and Luis Gonzalez at A Night of
Infinite Resignation.
Featured in the album, LOVE.

Nebal Maysaud
Nebal Maysaud Composition
Alexandria, VA
Copyright © 2017, 2018 Nebal Maysaud
All Rights Reserved

Nebal Maysaud is a member of ASCAP

Nebal Maysaud Composition is the exclusive publisher for Nebal Maysaud. Nebal Maysaud
Composition is a composition and publishing company that also provides services in copying,
arranging, editing, transcribing, orchestrating, or engraving other works, please contact Nebal at
nebal@nebalmaysaud.com for more information.

Materials for performance, including a set of parts, are available for sale. Please contact Nebal at
nebal@nebalmaysaud.com for more information.

ii
Text

Ave Maria, gratia plena,

Dominus…tu in muleribus
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
Nunc et in hora, mortis nostrae. Amen.

Performance Notes

The guitar should be played with a chorus pedal. The box in front of the music states the settings.
If available, reverb should be set to “Halo” and reverse delay to the 8th note. The performer is free to
experiment with different settings of their own. The result should be ghostly. The notes should take forever
to decay, with a low attack and very long sustain. Clarity of the notes should not be of too much concern.
Incidental sounds (such as distortion, or excessive overtones) are encouraged. The atmosphere should be
otherworldly, mournful, and ghost-like.

Context for the Piece

Prayer for the Fire Worshiper was composed as an aria within a larger opera about the life of Rabi’a al-
Adawiyya and about the nature of forbidden love. In this scene, Dawid is a Zoroastrian leader in al-Basra.
He himself carries an interesting history; his father was Jewish while his mother was Zoroaster, hence his
Jewish name.

Hasan al-Basra is famously known as one of the earliest Sufi saints. This scene is based on a real
historical anecdote where Hasan al-Basra first became famous by converting one of the last “Fire
Worshipers” (a derogatory term for Zoroastrians) upon his death.

Dawid and Hasan were viewed as rivals to the public but were both in love. When rumors of this
affair reached the occupying government, they hired assassins to kill Dawid, hoping to keep Hasan under
their power. Dawid was tied to a tree with arrows shot to his chest. He was found by a few soldiers loyal to
Hasan and brought Dawid in to the city, so he may die with his family.

Dawid asked instead to be taken to the mosque, where Hasan was. Hasan rushed to Dawid, and to
find some time alone with his lover, Dawid tells the soldiers that he would prefer to convert to Islam before
he dies than to see his family. The Islamic soldiers were taken aback by this sudden request but gave them
the space they needed and made sure they were alone.

iii
 Hasan and Dawid spent their last moment singing an aria together. From a Christian prayer – a
song that surpasses their faiths and speaks true to their hearts in that one moment. Boundaries between
religions are torn away until all that is left is the love and loss of these two souls.

Following Dawid’s death, his following joined him, and all the remaining Zoroastrians in Al-Basra
converted to Islam. Hasan became famous for this miracle, and kept the truth hidden for the rest of his life.

iv
 Premiered by Anmol Gupta, Yonah Barany, and Luis Gonzalez
Nebal Maysaud
Prayer for the Fire Worshiper b. 1995, ASCAP
Aria from al-Masjit Rabi'a
Patiently q = 72
mp cantible
w ˙™ œ
Sing whole part falsetto
4 ∑ ∑
&4
‹
Dawid

A - ve Ma -

˙™
mp cantible
4 ∑ ∑ w œ
&4
‹ Chorus pedal
Hasan

A - ve Ma -
reverb: halo
reverse delay = e

j œ
4 ‰˙ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j bœ œ ‰ j nœ œ
&4 ˙ ˙œ ˙ #œ
˙ ˙ ˙œ b˙ œ
Electric Guitar

pp

mf n mp mp cantible
5 ˙ œ œ œ
˙ Œ ˙ ˙ ∑ w
&
‹
Dawid

ri - a gra - ti - a ple - na Do -
mf n mp mp cantible
˙ ˙ Œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ∑ w
&
‹
Hasan

ri - a gra - ti - a ple - na Do -

‰ œj œ œ ‰ j œnœ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ ‰ j œ ‰ j œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ j œnœ
E. Gtr. & ˙ ˙œ ˙œ ˙œ
œ
˙œ œ
j œ œ œ bœ #œ nœ ˙
b˙ ˙ ˙ œ
˙
p mp

mf n mp f p
10 ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙
˙™ œ ˙ Œ œ w
&
‹
Dawid

- mi - nus tu in mul - ler - i - bus,

n mp f p

& ˙™
mf
˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ ˙ Œ #w
‹
Hasan

- mi - nus tu in mul - ler - i - bus,

‰ œj œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ ‰ j bœ œ ‰ j nœ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œj œnœ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ j œ œ
˙œ
& ˙ œ ˙
˙œ œ b ˙
œ ˙#œ ˙ ˙ ˙œ
E. Gtr.
˙
mf

Copyright © 2016 Nebal Maysaud

 œ œ œ -œ -˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙
15 mp with weight

∑ Ó œ ˙
&
‹
Dawid
3 3 3
et be - ne - dic - tus fruc - tus ven - tris tu - i Je -
mf with weight

œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ nœ
3 3 3 3

& ∑ Ó œ œ ˙ œ #œ œ
‹
Hasan

et be - ne - dic - tus fruc - tus ven - tris tu - i Je -

‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ ‰ j bœ œ ‰ j nœ œ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œj œ nœ ‰ œj œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ
& ˙œ œ ˙#œ ˙
˙œ œ ˙
œ œ œ
˙œ b˙ œ ˙ ˙˙™ ˙
E. Gtr.
w ˙ ˙
f

œ
20 mp with weight
w ∑ œ œ œ œ
&
‹
Dawid
3
sus et be - ne - dic - tus
mp with weight
œ
3

& nw ∑ œ œ œ œ
‹ - sus
Hasan

et be - ne - dic - tus
3
œ œ 3
3
n œ
3
‰ œ nœ œ
‰ œ œ œ œ œ
3
œ
3 3
j œ ˙ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ
3

& ‰ œj bœœ œ ‰œœ #œ nœ ˙ ˙ ˙

bœ nœ nœ
E. Gtr.
œ ˙ w
mf

23
˙ œ œ -œ -˙
œ œ ˙ ˙
& œ
‹ fruc
Dawid
3 3
- tus ven - tris tu - i Je - sus

œ œ
3
œ #œ nœ
3
˙
3

& #œ œ œ œ #œ œ n˙
‹ fruc -
Hasan
tus ven - tris tu - i Je - sus
3
œ‰ œ
3 3
œ œ œ
3
#œ nœ
3 3 3
œ œ ‰
3
œ œ œ œ œ
3
‰ œ ‰ ‰ œ ‰ œ
3 3 3

& ˙œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ nœ œ ˙ œ œ
E. Gtr.
b˙ œ ˙ #œ ˙
˙
mp

2
 poco rall.
26 mf cantible
˙ Ó ∑ ∑ w
&
‹
Dawid

Sanc -
mf cantible

& ˙ Ó ∑ ∑ w
‹
Hasan

Sanc -

‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ ‰ œj
3
j
3 3
j
3

‰ œ œ
& ˙ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ b ˙ #œ nœ ˙‰ œ
b œ ‰ ‰̇ nœ
˙ J œ œ J œ nœ
E. Gtr.
˙
f sub.

b
30 ˙
f n
U
˙™ œ ˙ ∑
&
‹
Dawid

te Ma - ri - a

#>˙
& ˙™
U
f in anguish
˙ ˙
œ n>˙
‹ te
Hasan

Ma - ri - a

bU
w
‰̇ œ œ œ œ ‰̇ œ œœ œœ ww
w
w
∏∏∏∏∏∏
E. Gtr. & ‰̇ œJ œ J œ ‰̇ J œ J œ
œ
p ff

mf
33
˙ œ ˙
p cantible
w ˙™ œ
& Œ ˙ œ Œ Ó
‹
Dawid

Ma - ter De - i o - ra pro

˙™
mf p cantible
œ œ œ
& Œ œ œ ˙ œ Œ Ó w œ
‹
Hasan

Ma - ter De - i o - ra pro

˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
#‰̇ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ
& J #œ œ ‰̇ J œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰œ ‰œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ #œ œ ‰ œ œ
œ
E. Gtr.
J œnœ œ œJ œœ œJ œJ J J
p sub. J J

3
 ˙ œ œ œ ˙
mp n p
38
˙ œ œ
& Œ w ∑
‹
Dawid

no - bis pec - ca - tor - i - bus,

mp n p
˙ ˙ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ∑
& #w
‹
Hasan

no - bis pec - ca - tor - i - bus,

œ̇ ˙ #˙ #˙ b˙ ‰ bœj œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j œ œ ‰ j bœ
& J ‰ #œ œ ‰ œnœ ˙œ ‰ œ œJ ‰ œ œ œJ ‰ nœ œ œ ‰ œnœ ˙ b ˙bœ ˙
œ
˙ œœ
œ
E. Gtr.
pp J J œ J
f

43 pp cantible mf n pp
˙
˙™
& w ˙ Œ œ ˙
‹ nunc
Dawid œ ˙ œ œ
et ho - ra mor - tis nos - trae

˙™
pp cantible mf n pp
˙ ˙ Œ œ œ œ
& w œ œ œ ˙
‹ nunc
Hasan

et ho - ra mor - tis nos - trae

j œ j bœ
& ‰˙ œ œ ‰ bœj œ œ ‰ œj bœ œ b‰˙ bœ œ ∑ ∑ ∑
b˙
E. Gtr.
˙

48
rit. al fine
pp
b
w w ∑ ˙ ˙ w ∑ ∑
&
‹
Dawid

A - men.
pp

& w w ∑ ˙ ˙ w ∑ ∑
‹
Hasan

A - men.

& ∑ ˙ ˙ ˙˙™ ˙ w
˙ œ ˙ ˙˙ b œ œ̇ n œ œ œ ˙˙
E. Gtr.
w ˙ Œ̇ w
pp sempre