"Bad-e Saba"
Farsi
Lyric: Hafiz
Music: Dr. Nadir Majd
Nafas-e Bad-e Sa-Ba Moshk Feshan Khahad Shod
Alam-e Pir Degar Bareh Javan Khahad Shod
Arghavan Jam-e Aghighi B-e Saman Khahad Dad
Chashm-e Narges B-e Shaghayegh Negaran Khahad Shod
In Tatavol Ke Keshid Az Gham-e Hejran Bolbol
Ta Sara Pardehe-ye Gol Naareh Zanan Khahad Shod
Gar Z-e Masjed B-e Khrabat Shodam Khordeh Magir
Majles-e Vaaz Deraz Ast-o Zaman Khahad Shod
Hafez Az Bahr-e To Amad Sooy-e Eghlim Vojood
Ghadami Neh B-e Veda Ash Keh Ravan Khahad Shod
Literal Translation into English
The Breath of Saba wind will be scented
The old cosmos will become young, once again
Arghavan (1) will give a ruby glass to Jasmin
Daffodil's eyes will wait for the poppy( to bloom)
Such a suffering the nightingale has endured in separation
To the tent of flower will run, uttering loudly (singing)
Do not blame me if I go from the Mosque to the Kharabat (2) (wine-house)
It's because of you that Hafiz has come the realm of existence
Put a step forward for him cause he'll pass away
Preaching is too long and time will pass
1. an early spring ruby type flower
2. Kharabat is derived from the word Kharab, meaning destroyed. The metaphor states the situation in which a person goes to the wine-house to get destroyed from soberness (rationality).
Produced by BNC & Dr. Nader Majd
Vocals: BNC, Dr. Nader Majd
Tar: Dr. Nader Majd
Tombak: Dr. Ali Analouie
Additional finger cymbals and guitar: BNC
I was in Washington staying with a friend of mine and mentioned that I really wanted to find a song from the Persian tradition for the Prism collection. It was one of those defining moments in the process of making this record where I felt like all the people I needed to meet along the way would just present themselves at the right time and there was nothing I needed to worry about! My friend then replied, "oh. My daughter is taking lessons on the "tar" from a master of Persian music. Would you like to talk to him? From there I met Dr. Nader Majd who wrote this amazing melody for me set to an ancient poem by Hafiz.
This was by far the most difficult language for me to pronounce. There are literally parts of the throat as a Westerner that I never knew I would need until I tried to sing in Farsi. It is very guttural, but I think a beautiful language and rich culture.
Here's a picture of Dr. Majd and Dr. Analouei performing together in Washington, DC.
Tar, played by Dr. Majd, is a plucked stringed instrument (a long-necked lute) that originated in ancient Persia. It is carved from a block of mulberry wood and has a deep, curved body with two bulges shaped like a figure 8. The upper surface is shaped like two hearts of different sizes, joined at the points. The sound box consists of two parts. The small part is called Naghaareh and the large part is called Kaasseh (that means bowl (sound box)). The sound box is covered with lambskin. On the lower skin, a horn bridge supports six metal strings in three courses. The long fingerboard has twenty-two to twenty-eight movable gut frets. The strings are plucked with a brass plectrum coated on one side in wax. Its range is about two and a half octaves.
The Tonbak, played by Dr. Ali Analouei, is the chief percussion instrument of Persia and one of the most interesting drums in the world. When playing it you use all ten fingers.
Here is some information about Dr. Ali Analouei.
Master Tombak and Daf Ali Reza Analouei was born in Esfahan, Iran. Dr. Analouei has undertaken the lifetime quest to amplify and apply the concepts of Sufism, Erfaan, and music within his playing, his teaching, and his personal development. He began playing Tombak at the age of ten, and as a young member of the Kakh-e Javanaan Ensemble, was priveleged to interact personally and even sometimes perform with many of the greatest Persian musicians. His command earned him first prize among all of the high school students in Iran, adjuticated by Ostad Amir Nasser Eftetah, among others. The work and style of Iran's late Master of Tombak, Ostad Jahangeer Malek deeply informs Ali's playing. His teaching is firmly rooted in the work of Ostad Hosain Tehrani, enriched by some of the contributions of Ostad Malek, Ostad Mohammad Esmaili, and Bahman Rajabi.
After taking his Doctorate Degree at Manchester University in England, Ali migrated to the United States in 1986 and has been playing and teaching Tombak based in Washington, DC. Currently a member of several important music groups based in the Mid-Atlantic U.S., Dr. Analouei has played internationally in many concerts and ensembles over the past two decades, including various radio and television shows. He is the founder of the Sama Ensemble, a large group featuring tombak, daf and vocals (whose name references the best known of the ritual dances of the Sufis, characterized by whirling) offers performances and recitals in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. These include concerts under the auspices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the National Geographic Society, Universities, and venues such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
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