Shāh Khoshīn, an 11th century mystic who lived in Iranian Lorestān, inaugurated the tanbur as the choice instrument for expressing spiritual love. It is said that he would gather large numbers of musicians and perform spiritual concerts of extraordinary strength and splendor. This recitative piece relies on a strong rhythmic framework as Ostad’s soft touch creates an intimate atmosphere conducive to reflection and prayer. The rhythm becomes increasingly prominent, the ornamentations more numerous, and the expressions more intensified, as Ostad begins to sing the following verses in a low voice:<blockquote>Dardam az Dūst, īmānam az Dūst, Ali Khoshīn batcha nānī āzādeh darvīsh (x2) Hezārān tīr-e bātenī yā dūst darīm dar tarkīsh Har kas az kār-e Shāh Khoshīn shak āvarad pīsh Palangāzī khorad sāfī nabūdīshThe source of my sorrow stems from the Beloved The object of my faith is the Beloved Khoshīn is pure like a child and free like a dervish (repeated) A thousand mystical arrows have we in our quiver Whomever doubts Shāh Khoshīn Will be deprived of His light forever.</blockquote>Then, in the second part:<blockquote>Seyyed-e sarvar, Khoshīn batcha nānī Seyyed-e sarvar, Khoshīn batcha nānī seyyed-e sarvar Dīn-e pāk mā dārīm mazhab-e JafarLord and Master, Shāh Khoshīn is as pure as a child (repeated) We are of the pure faith of Jafar.1</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>The sixth Imam in the Twelver Shia tradition.</li></ol>

Shāh Khoshīnī

Bābā Faqīh was among the first companions of Shāh Khoshīn. This eponymous piece is an imploration in which the voice and the instrument both reach an extreme degree of purity: A few notes (A, B, C, D, then Bb) with the counterpoint on the lower string, and a slow, non-dynamic rhythm. The poem sung by Ostad evokes several mystics who sacrificed their lives on the path of divine love. Mansūr Hallāj (d. 922), a martyr celebrated in the East, was put to death after having declared in a moment of ecstasy and mystical union: “I am the Truth.” Another martyr mentioned in the poem, Nasīmī, was skinned alive because he wanted to reveal the mysteries of life and death to the uninitiated. A similar fate awaited Tork-e Sar Borīā (“The Beheaded Turk”) and Zachary.<blockquote>Dardam az Dūst, darmānam az Dūst Kofram az khod, īmānam az Dūst Gar tchon Nasīmī bekanandam pūst Dast barnadāram ze dāman-e DūstDardam az Haqq, darmānam az Haqq Kofram az khod, īmānam az Haqq Gar tchon Zakarīyyā marā konnand shaq, Dast barnadāram ze dāman-e Haqq[Dardam az Yār, darmānam az Yār Kofram az khod, īmānam az Yār] [Gar tchon Mansūr vār marā keshand dār Dast barnadāram ze dāman-e Yār]1Dardam az Heydar, darmānam az Heydar Kofram az khod, īmānam az Heydar Gar tchon Tork-e sar borīā beborānam sar, Dast barnadāram ze dāman-e HeydarThe source of my ailment stems from the Beloved My cure lies with the Beloved The source of my disbelief stems from my own self The source of my faith is the Beloved If, like Nasīmī, they should skin me alive I shall not renounce the Beloved, no, I shall not renounceThe source of my ailment stems from the Truth My cure lies with the Truth The source of my disbelief stems from my own self The source of my faith is the Truth If, like Zachary, they should saw me in half I shall not renounce the Truth, no, I shall not renounce[The source of my ailment stems from the Friend My cure lies with the Friend The source of my disbelief stems from my own self The source of my faith is the Friend] [If, like Mansūr, they should hang me on the gallows I shall not renounce my Friend, no, I shall not renounce]The source of my ailment stems from Heydar2 My cure lies with Heydar The source of my disbelief stems from my own self The source of my faith is Heydar If, like Tork-e Sar Borīā, they should behead me, I shall not renounce Heydar, no, I shall not renounce</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>In this version, Ostad Elahi did not sing the two verses in brackets.</li><li value=2>One of the names of Ali, the great saint of the Shia tradition and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad. In this context, Heydar evokes the reflection of the divinity.</li></ol>

Bābā Faqīhī

Named after a saint who lived prior to Shāh Khoshīn, the major intervals of this piece give it a clear and gentle tone, resulting in a degree of calmness after the poignant expressions of the previous piece. It is interesting to note that in the middle of this piece, Ostad tunes his tanbur without interrupting his playing. His voice first invokes the presence of the Beloved, “Shādī kan ey shādī” (“Joy! O soul, rejoice [for He is here!])” before warning those who deny Him: “Fekr-e aw ruw kan, nīyan jāy hāshā. Tchāwy emrū nawīnū, key mawīnū fardā” (“Think of the day when you can no longer deny, for how can the eye that cannot see today, see tomorrow?”).

Bābā Sarhangī

This very short but majestic piece is dedicated to Bābā Nāūs, who lived a century after Shāh Khoshīn.

Bābā Nāūsī (Nāvūsī)

Though Ostad often played this suite, never did he play it the same way twice.1 Every rhythm, every melody, every progression evokes the rites, movements, and different stages of an exalted mystical ceremony, from the preliminary preparations to the actual arrival of the long awaited spiritual King. Several images inevitably form in the mind of the listener: the gathering and anticipation of the hosts, the cavaliers approaching on galloping horses, and the glorious spiritual feast itself, which ends with two chants addressed to the Divine:<blockquote>Āmān sad āmān / Ali wa āmāna kū Ya das[t]-e mena / Ali wa dāmān-e toI implore you, forever and always, O Ali Rescue the souls of your friends Wholeheartedly we grasp thy robe, O Ali.Wa fedāy manzelgāt Ali Pāy sheykhānet bām Nazr-e tchāwakey Ali Jām jahānet bām Dīnem dīna, shām Khoshīna Shād bāy [ke] shādem kardanī Wa pāy Shender Kū Ali feyzem dādanīMy all I will give when I find You, O Ali I found You at Sheykhān2 all I will give for those eyes, O Ali, which behold the universe My religion is The Religion, my King is Shāh Khoshīn Rejoice, O You who have filled me with joy At the foothill of Mount Shender,3 O Ali, You granted me grace.</blockquote><ol class="number"><li value=1>See CD, The Celestial Music of Ostad Elahi,” Le Chant du Monde/Harmonia Mundi, 1996.</li><li value=2>The shrine of Soltān Eshāq, where Ostad would often travel on pilgrimage.</li><li value=3>Mount Shender is located near the shrine of Soltān Eshāq.</li></ol>

Improvisations in the Jelo Shāhī Suite

Mystical Orison

Tanbur

Vocal

Fourths (Sheykh Amīrī)

Wa Āmāna Kū

Ali Āmān Yā Ali

Āmān Sad Āmān

Dam Dam-e Isā Ruhollāh Nāman

Donīa fānīyan

Dowre Yārāna

Dust Bejan Bejan Barza Meli

Ey Darvīsh Darvīsh

Haqq Haqq-e Hū Hū

Haqq Sefīd Pūshān

Har Va aw Soltān

Hey Dāwed (fast)

Hey Dāwed (faster)

Hey Dāwed (slow)

Jam Neyān

Papū Soleymāni

Sāheb Tūl-e Zar Dāwed

Shāh Nematollāh Valīan Haqq

Shām Āmā

Shīrīna Leylā

Shoq-e Shādīman

Soltān Sahākī

Soltān sar Jam

Soltān-e Mardān

Wa Fedāy Manzelgāt

Wa nokht-e kalām dīdadār-e shūn 

Wālā Wītāna

Yā Soltān Āmān Āgerem Dāy

Yār dīdagīānī Benyāmīn pīra

Yārān wa bāten ye dang-ī mayū

Zāt-e Yār Dāwed Hāzeran va Jam

In its basic form, this melody is attributed to Sheykh Amīr, an eighteenth-century Kurdish mystic. Following a sudden spiritual awakening, this illiterate shepherd composed numerous poems with deep spiritual meaning and rich symbolic imagery.Sheykh Amīr played the tanbur in a simple yet captivating manner. This melody became widely known and was often sung as an invitation to heartfelt communication with God. “Sheykh Amīrī” has since become a generic term describing a mode in which numerous melodies have been composed. Each of these melodies is called “Sheykh Amīrī,” followed by the name of the composer or arranger, or the name of the region where it is played. There are seventeen variations of this melody, from the simplest, that of Sheykh Amīr himself, to the most elaborate, that of Ostad Elahi.The melody revolves around a mysterious scale of alternating tones and semitones, creating a dissonant counterpoint with the lower strings. The ebb and flow of the melody produced by the instrument are similar to waves dying on the shore, one after another, converging toward the final note where all dissonance is resolved and all tensions fade away.This melody, one of the most moving in Ostad Elahi’s repertoire, reminds the soul of its origin, awakening it and uncovering memories deeply buried, inducing a sense of longing for its original abode. The melodic pattern is often accompanied by chanted verses from Sheykh Amīr in the form of an intimate dialogue, the last verse of which addresses the Creator:<blockquote>Delay gonāhkār, delay zabūnbakht, cha azal gonāhkār Ar cha rūy azal mowyāī borda-bār, pey chīsh makaftī, dūr tcha qāpī yār Sobh-o shām sajdat āw bashar maward, salwātet wa dīn hazerāt makard  Weyarday sālān ablay nāshenākht, majnūn-e kam fām nābīnāy kajbakht Awan sang-e sakht dāy wa dīdey weyt, yak yak namāyān gesht āmā nareyt Ozr-e mazurīt wa kī nakīshā, cha [wa] bordabārī pīshat na īshā To narāy khedmat darset kam wānā, tārīkī pāy sham wa to namānā  Marham cha qāpī yār-e māyadār, bebakhshū gonāh kalb-e gonāhkār</blockquote><blockquote>O sinner heart, how weak and destitute Sinner since the dawn of creation If only you had shown more patience in the beginning How you have lacked respect and patience What have you done to distance yourself from the divine abode? From morning till night, you prostrated yourself before men Adoring their idols So many years on, you who still fail to understand You who are drowning in ignorance O mindless creature, blind and miserable! All for this heavy stone to strike your eyes! One by one, you have suffered the consequences [of your faults] Is there anyone you have not humiliated yourself before? The suffering you have endured has reached the depths of your being You have not drawn enough lessons along the Path Instead you have become the shadow at the base of the candle The remedy to relieve my pain Must be sought from that supreme Sage Won’t you have mercy and absolve this humble servant of his sins?</blockquote>Ostad Elahi played exclusively in the presence of his family and close friends. As can be heard on this recording, at the conclusion of the piece he recounts the date as the night before Sunday, March 21, 1965, which marked the beginning of Nowruz, the Persian New Year. He expresses his hope that the piece has been helpful in drawing the attention of his listeners toward the realm of truth.

Ostad Elahi's Sheykh Amīrī

a. Ostad Elahi's Sheykh Amīrī (return) b. Hādj Nemat’s Sheykh AmīrīThe theme of this melody belongs to Hādj Nemat, Ostad’s father. Ostad has enriched it to such an extent that it is now considered one of the jewels of the tanbur repertoire.

Sheykh Amīrī Suite

a. "Wa Fedāy Manzelgāt"One summer as Ostad was completing the 40th day of his ascetic fasting in the mountains of Sheykhān, a dervish nearby, seized by a state of spiritual rapture, began supplicating his Lord. Overwhelmed by the dervish's sincerity, Ostad was inspired with this prayer and melody:<blockquote>Wa fedāy manzelgāt Ali Pāy sheykhānet bām Nazr-e tchāwakey Ali Jām jahānet bām Dīnem dīna, shām Khoshīna Shād bāy (ke) shādem kardanī Wa pāy Shender Kū Ali feyzem dādanīMy all I will give when I find You, O Ali I found You at Sheykhān1 My all I will give for those eyes, O Ali, which behold the universe My religion is The Religion, my King is Shāh Khoshīn Rejoice, O You who have filled me with joy At the foothill of Mount Shender,2 O Ali, You granted me grace.</blockquote>Ostad Elahi used to say: “True prayer consists in praising God: worshipping Him, supplicating Him, submitting to His will, regardless of the words used, the names given, or the manner in which He is invoked.”The melody begins with a typically Kurdish rhythm consisting of three notes, which can be interpreted as 2 x 5 beats (3 2 2 3). The musical architecture then becomes increasingly complex as other themes come into play, echoing one another, interacting, melting, and giving rise to an entirely new melody. The performer plays with the elements and constantly rearranges them, yet the overall impression is one of deep unity.b. Improvisation on Tchapī Tchapī ("alternating steps") is a Kurdish dance tune in which the steps alternate between forward and backward. Tchapī’s theme arises in a natural way from the developments of the preceding melody, alternating with other tunes on slower beats and other patterns reappearing throughout the whole improvisation. The transition from a slow rhythm to a faster one is revived and guided to its peak through passages of great virtuosity, consisting of a progression of chords in the high register. The piece concludes with a return to the original rhythm. This tune is suggestive of communicating with God, which for some may take the form of a dance. As Ostad has said, “Each individual enters into an intimate dialogue with his Creator according to his or her own particular mood. . . .”<ol class="number"><li value=1>The shrine of Soltān Eshāq, where Ostad would often travel on pilgrimage.</li><li value=2>Mount Shender is located near the shrine of Soltān Eshāq.</li></ol>

Mystical Hymns and Dances

a. Shāh Hoseynī (Tune of Shāh Hoseyn) The origin of this melody is unknown. The first notes sound a call, with a counterpoint in the low register. Sometimes Ostad lingers on one or two notes, or keeps the beat in a more persistent way, as if wishing to give weight to a request. Then a very strange harmony arises and the link is established: one wanders about in marvelous musical landscapes in a higher register. After returning to the initial theme, a more joyful polyphonic passage is rendered in a lower pitch.b. Bālā Dastān (Lower register of the tanbur’s neck) The name of this traditional tune suggests that it is played in a low pitch, but Ostad Elahi develops it by utilizing the full register of the tanbur.c. Zīr-e Dastān (Higher register of the tanbur’s neck) This piece suggests a free play of questions and answers between the high (zīr) register and the low (bālā) register, corresponding to the last seven frets and the first seven frets, respectively. The mode is joyful, resembling the major mode; certain passages give the impression that two tanburs are playing at the same time.d. Do Bālā Bālā refers to a particular segment of the scale. Some believe that this is also the melody of a dance where one stretches out the arms like two (do) wings (bāl).e. Karīm Khānī (Tune of Karīm Khān) The enthusiasm is sustained until a change in the rhythm generates a gradual appeasement.f. Chūpānī (Tune of the Shepherd) The atmosphere is more serene now, the melody recited on the instrument. There are only a few reminders of the previous agitation, like an inner murmur.g. Bārīya Bārīya (Royal Court) The title of this piece alludes to the Court of the Lord, the Divine Threshold. This melody was a song before being conveyed in its instrumental form. The title also refers to a chapter of the Kurdish sacred scriptures (15th century, Ahl-e Haqq) in which one of Soltān Sahāk's seven companions is said to have discovered his own divine essence and recalled all of his successive manifestations in the course of sacred history. The chromatic theme is at once strange and fascinating. The intervals formed with the lower voice, as well as the rhythm, produce an air of majesty.

Shāh Hoseynī Suite (Part One)

Dialogue With The Beloved

Ostad Elahi

Wa Āmāna Kū

Details

Renditions of Wa Āmāna Kū

More Hymns on same Album

Wa Āmāna KūVocal

Details

Renditions of Wa Āmāna Kū

More Hymns on same Album

Wa Āmāna Kū