Farya Faraji | Safiddin's Cry - Epic Arabic Music @faryafaraji | Uploaded January 2024 | Updated October 2024, 3 days ago.
Vocals by Ibrahim Charaf, arrangement by Farya Faraji. The main melody sung by Ibrahim is not my own composition, and is instead a simple recitation of the poem commonly found in the Arab world based on the first ajna (tetrachord) of Maqam Bayati, one of the main modes of Arabic music.
This is another composition I based on the principles of music from the Arab world, namely mixing elements of Arabic Classical Music and folk music from the region of Iraq. The instruments used are local folk drums, the oud, the ney, qanun, and a modern orchestral ensemble played in the distinctive oriental style.
The poem sung here is by Saffidin al-Hilli, a 14th century warrior poet of the Abbasid Caliphate. This specific poem, often known by its incipit "Ask the Long Spears," was written by him following the Muslim victory in Zawraa, Iraq, against the Mongol armies.
Lyrics in Classical Arabic:
سَلي الرِماحَ العَوالي عَن مَعالينا
وَاِستَشهِدي البيضَ هَل خابَ الرَجا فينا
وَسائِلي العُربَ وَالأَتراكَ ما فَعَلَت
في أَرضِ قَبرِ عُبَيدِ اللَهِ أَيدينا
لَمّا سَعَينا فَما رَقَّت عَزائِمُنا
عَمّا نَرومُ وَلا خابَت مَساعينا
يا يَومَ وَقعَةِ زَوراءِ العِراقِ وَقَد
دِنّا الأَعادي كَما كانوا يَدينونا
بِضُمَّرٍ ما رَبَطناها مُسَوَّمَةً
إِلّا لِنَغزو بِها مَن باتَ يَغزونا
وَفِتيَةٍ إِن نَقُل أَصغَوا مَسامِعَهُم
لِقَولِنا أَو دَعَوناهُم أَجابونا
قَومٌ إِذا اِستُخصِموا كانوا فَراعِنَةً
يَوماً وَإِن حُكِّموا كانوا مَوازينا
تَدَرَّعوا العَقلَ جِلباباً فَإِن حَمِيَت
نارُ الوَغى خِلتَهُم فيها مَجانينا
English translation:
Ask the long spears about our highness,
And let the shiny swords reveal our worth,
Ask Arabs and Turks what we accomplished,
In the land of Obaid-Ullah,
When we walk, we never lose determination,
Nor face failure,
Remember Zawraa, when we conquered the enemy,
As they once used to conquer us,
We conquered them with the horses of war,
And young boys heard our instructions, and heeded the call of duty,
They were brutes like Pharaoh with his opponents,
Sanity runs in their blood,
But in battle, they were mad.
Vocals by Ibrahim Charaf, arrangement by Farya Faraji. The main melody sung by Ibrahim is not my own composition, and is instead a simple recitation of the poem commonly found in the Arab world based on the first ajna (tetrachord) of Maqam Bayati, one of the main modes of Arabic music.
This is another composition I based on the principles of music from the Arab world, namely mixing elements of Arabic Classical Music and folk music from the region of Iraq. The instruments used are local folk drums, the oud, the ney, qanun, and a modern orchestral ensemble played in the distinctive oriental style.
The poem sung here is by Saffidin al-Hilli, a 14th century warrior poet of the Abbasid Caliphate. This specific poem, often known by its incipit "Ask the Long Spears," was written by him following the Muslim victory in Zawraa, Iraq, against the Mongol armies.
Lyrics in Classical Arabic:
سَلي الرِماحَ العَوالي عَن مَعالينا
وَاِستَشهِدي البيضَ هَل خابَ الرَجا فينا
وَسائِلي العُربَ وَالأَتراكَ ما فَعَلَت
في أَرضِ قَبرِ عُبَيدِ اللَهِ أَيدينا
لَمّا سَعَينا فَما رَقَّت عَزائِمُنا
عَمّا نَرومُ وَلا خابَت مَساعينا
يا يَومَ وَقعَةِ زَوراءِ العِراقِ وَقَد
دِنّا الأَعادي كَما كانوا يَدينونا
بِضُمَّرٍ ما رَبَطناها مُسَوَّمَةً
إِلّا لِنَغزو بِها مَن باتَ يَغزونا
وَفِتيَةٍ إِن نَقُل أَصغَوا مَسامِعَهُم
لِقَولِنا أَو دَعَوناهُم أَجابونا
قَومٌ إِذا اِستُخصِموا كانوا فَراعِنَةً
يَوماً وَإِن حُكِّموا كانوا مَوازينا
تَدَرَّعوا العَقلَ جِلباباً فَإِن حَمِيَت
نارُ الوَغى خِلتَهُم فيها مَجانينا
English translation:
Ask the long spears about our highness,
And let the shiny swords reveal our worth,
Ask Arabs and Turks what we accomplished,
In the land of Obaid-Ullah,
When we walk, we never lose determination,
Nor face failure,
Remember Zawraa, when we conquered the enemy,
As they once used to conquer us,
We conquered them with the horses of war,
And young boys heard our instructions, and heeded the call of duty,
They were brutes like Pharaoh with his opponents,
Sanity runs in their blood,
But in battle, they were mad.
