The Musical Composition Called "Bayati"
[Bayâtî âyîn-é Sharîf]1
[Mevlevi Composer: Kôchak MuSTafà Dede, d. 1688/9]
FIRST SALâM (Birinci Selâm)
a Persian rubâ`î ( in 14/8 time):
O King, out of Generosity, look at poor me!
Look at my condition, (which is) sore and wounded of heart.
Although I am not worthy of Your Forgiveness,
Don't look at me, (but) look at Your (own) Generosity!
shah-â, ze karam bar man-é darwêsh negar
bar Hâl-é man-é khasta'î del-rêsh negar
har chand ney-am lâ'iq-é bakhshâyesh-é tô
bar man ma-negar, bar karam-é khwêsh negar2
(meter: XXo oXXo oXXX X)
a Persian rubâ`î:
O Lord, make me without need of this world and the next!
And make me exalted, with the crown of (spiritual) poverty!3
Make me a confidant of secrets in Your (holy) Sanctuary!
(And) make me turn back from the road (which is) not
toward You!
yâ Rabb, ze dô kawn bê-neyâz-am gardân
w-az afsar-é faqr sar-farâz-am gardân
andar Haram-at maHram-é râz-am gardân
z-ân râh ke na sôy-é tô-st bâz-am gardân4
(meter: XXoo XXoo XXoo X)
from a Persian ghazal:
Come, come! For you are the soul of the soul of the soul of the
mystical concert.5
Come! For you are the flowing cypress in the rose garden of the
mystical concert.
Come! For the sun is underneath your shadow, (and) you have a
thousand (shining) Venuses in the sky of the mystical concert.
be-yâ be-yâ, ke tow-î jân-é jân-é jân-é samâ`
be-yâ, ke sarw-é rawân-î ba-bôstân-é samâ`
be-yâ, ke chashma-yé khworshêd zêr-é sâya-yé to-st
hazâr zohra tô dâr-î bar âsmân-é samâ`
(meter: oXoXooXX oXoXooX)
[by Jalâluddîn Rûmî: Dîwân-é Kabîr, Ghazal 1295, lines 13681,
13683]
SECOND SALâM (Ikinci Selâm) ( in 9/4 time)
from a Persian ghazal:
If you will be the servant of our sultan, all will weep, but you will
be laughing.
And if the world is full of sorrow from one end to the other, you
will be happy, cheerful, and glad.
Give your life to the love of Shams-i Tabriz,6 so that you will be
everlasting like love for him!
[music has: "Since you will be everlasting in the kingdom of God"]
gar în sulTân-é mâ-râ banda bâsh-î
hama gerya-nd-o tô dar khanda bâsh-î
wa-gar gham por shaw-ad aTrâf-é `âlam
tô shâd-o khorram-o farkhonda bâsh-î
ba `ishq-é Shams-é Tabrîzî be-deh jân
ke tâ chûn `ishq-é ô pâyanda bâsh-î7
[music has: ke dar mulk-é khodâ pâyanda bâsh-î]
(meter: oXXX oXXX oXX)
[by Jalâluddîn Rûmî, Dîwân-é Kabîr, Ghazal 2653, lines 28138-39,
28148]
THIRD SALâM (Üchuncü Selâm)
from a Persian ghazal ( in 28/4 time):
Suddenly, the morning breeze was spreading (the perfume of)
amber. The morning breeze came (with) the scent of musk and
saffron.
Roses (had) blossomed in the courtyard meadow, (and) the breeze
came (with) a hundred songs of nightingales.
Shams-i Tabriz, the Dawn of Love, said: "For lovers, the morning
breeze is the soul of the soul."
nâgahân `anbar-feshân âmad Sabâ
bôy-é moshk-o za`frân âmad Sabâ
gol shegofta andar-în SaHn-é chaman
Sad nawây-é bolbol-ân âmad Sabâ
shams-é tabrîzî SabâHu 'l-`ishq goft
`âshiq-ân-râ jân-é jân âmad Sabâ 8
(meter: XoXX XoXX XoX)
from a Turkish ghazal ( in 6/8 time):
Oh, a thousand praises for a sultan as this! (For) those who are his
slaves become kings and emperors.
Today, whoever trustingly humbles himself before Walad9 will,
if a poor man, become a prince (and) if a prince, will become a
sultan.
ey ki hezar âferin bu nice sultan olur
kulu olan kishiler hüsrevü hâkan olur
her ki bugün Velede inanuben yüz süre
yoksul ise bay olur bay ise sultan olur
(meter: XooX XoX XooX XoX)
[by Shamsuddîn AHmad Aflâkî, d. 1353]10
from a Persian ghazal:
The one with the red robe who appeared like a slice of the moon
has appeared this year within this rust-colored cloak.
Shams, the Truth of Tabriz, has arrived. So, say: "That luminous
Moon has appeared from the pure heavens!"
ân sorkh-qabâyê ke chô mah-pâr bar-âmad
emsâl dar-în khirqa-yé zangâr bar-âmad
Shamsu 'l-Haqq-é Tabrîz rasîd-ast be-gôy-îd
k-az charkh-é Safâ ân mah-é anwâr bar âmad
(meter: XXo oXXo oXXo oXX)
[by Jalâluddîn Rûmî, Dîwân-é Kabîr, Ghazal 650, lines 6778, 6784]
from a Persian ghazal:
Anyone who flees from (the company of) lovers, (that) gentleman
will become repentant once again!
(And) anyone who drinks from your jug will, in the end, be in the
sanctuary of the company of the King!
har ke ze `ushshâq gorêzân shaw-ad
bar-ê degâr khwâja pashêmân shaw-ad
har ke sabûy-é tô kash-ad `âqibat
dar Haram-é `ishrat-é SulTân shaw-ad
(meter: XooX XooX XoX)
[by Jalâluddîn Rûmî, Dîwân-é Kabîr, Ghazal 1005, lines 10611,
10613]
from an Arabic ghazal:
Truly, the splendor of the world is from the (reflected) light of our
wine,11 the full-moon of the early morning is our cupbearer, and (the
star cluster of) the Pleiades is our (wine) cup.
Youthful fervor is my faith and solitude is my garden. The wooded
grove is my companion and the roses are our cheeks.
qad ashraqati 'd-dunyâ min nûri Humayyâ-nâ
al-badru ghadâ sâqî wa 'l-kâ'su thurayyâ-nâ
aS-Sabwatu îmân-î wa 'l-khalwatu bustân-î
wa 'l-mashjaru nadmân-î wa 'l-wardu muHayyâ-nâ
(meter: XXo oXXX XXo oXXX)
[by Jalâluddîn Rûmî, Dîwân-é Kabîr, Ghazal 267, lines 3011-12]
from a Persian ghazal:
Unbelief put on black clothes12 (and) the light of Muhammad13
arrived. The Drum of Eternity was beaten (and) the eternal
Kingdom arrived.
The heart was like an astrolabe,14 (and became) the sign of the
seven heavens.15 (Then) the explanation of the heart of a
Muhammad arrived in seven volumes.
The drum of the Resurrection was beaten; (then) the Trumpet
(sound) of (the Day of) Gathering was blown. The time has come,
O dead ones; the Resurrection (Day) of renewal has arrived.
Because of strangers, I put a lock on (my) mouth.16 Get up and
shout, O musician: "Eternal delight has arrived!"
jâma seyah kard kufr, nûr-é MuHammad rasîd
Tabl-é baqâ kôft-and, mulk-é mukhallad rasîd
del chô saTralâb shod, âyat-é haft-âsmân
sharH-é del-é AHmadî haft-mujallad rasîd
Tabl-é qiyâmat zad-and, sûr-é Hashr mê-dam-ad
waqt shod ay morda-gân, Hashr-é mujaddad rasîd
az pay-é na-maHram-ân qofl zad-am bar dahân
khêz be-gû muTrib-â, `ishrat-é sarmad rasîd
(meter: XooX XoX XooX XoX)
[by Jalâluddîn Rûmî, Dîwân-é Kabîr, Ghazal 882, lines 9231, 9234,
9238, 9248]
FOURTH SALâM (D–rd¸nc¸ selâm)
from a Persian ghazal ( in 9/4 time):
You are my sultan,17 you are my sultan. And in my heart and
soul, you are my faith.
(When) you breathe into me, I become alive. What is (the worth of
just) one soul? --(since) you are a hundred times18 my soul.
sulTân-é man-î, sulTân-é man-î
w-andar del-o jân, îmân-é man-î
dar man be-dam-î, man zenda shaw-am
yak jân che bow-ad, sad jân-é man-î19
(meter: XXooX XXooX)
[by Jalâluddîn Rûmî, Dîwân-é Kabîr, Ghazal 3137, lines 33573-74]
--translated from Persian, Arabic, and Turkish by Ibrahim Gamard
©Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, & transliteration), 12/99
Translation words and transliterations are based on the best edition
of Rumi's Divan (by Foruzanfar) based on the earliest manuscripts,
so there may be minor differences in wording with what has been
published or musically recorded in Turkey.
NOTES
1. This is one of the earlier musical compositions for the Mevlevi
Whirling Prayer Ceremony. The word "Bayati" refers to a
particular musical mode. There are 66 such compositions in most
published collections, but more have been composed than that
number.
2. the complete composition has "filler" words and phrases added to
the original poem:
shah-â, ze karam bar man-é darwêsh negar
HAY HAY SULTAN-I MAN
WAY, HAY HAY KHWANKAR-I MAN VAY AH
bar Hâl-é man-é khasta'î del-rêsh negar
HAY HAY SULTAN-I MAN
WAY, HAY HAY KHWANKAR-I MAN VAY AH
har chand ney-am lâ'iq-é bakhshâyesh-é tô
HAY HAY SULTAN-I MAN, VAY VAY,
HAY HAY KHWANKAR-I MAN, WAY, HEY YAR
bar man ma-negar, bar karam-é khwêsh negar1
HAY HAY SULTAN-I MAN, VAY, HAY HAY KWANKAR-I
MAN, VAYAH, HEY, HEY IHSAN MADAD, VAY VAY, HEY
HEY HUNKAR-I MAN, VAY, HEY HEY, YAR YAR,
YUREGHIM, YAR, AH AH, GOR KE NELER VAR HEY YAR
3. spiritual poverty [faqr]: means being "poor" of concerns for
what is "other than God" (and therefore "rich" with thoughts and
yearning love for God alone).
4. the complete composition has "filler" words added to the original
poem:
yâ Rabb, ze dô kawn bê-neyâz-am gardân
HEY YAR, HEY DOST
w-az afsar-é faqr sar-farâz-am gardân
HEY YAR, HEY DOST
andar Haram-at maHram-é râz-am gardân
HEY YAR, HEY DOST
z-ân râh ke na sôy-é tô-st bâz-am gardân
HEY YAR, HEY DOST
5. mystical concert [samaa`, or sema]: literally, "audition," and
refers to a sufi gathering in which mystical poetry and music
induce ecstatic feelings and movements.
6. Shams-i Tabriz: In contrast to the expected tradition, Rumi did
not end his odes [ghazals] with his own name, but often inserted
the name of his beloved spiritual teacher and friend, Shams-i
Tabriz.
7. the complete composition has "filler" words and phrases added to
the original poem:
YAR gar în sulTân-é mâ-râ banda bâsh-î
YAR gar în sulTân-é mâ-râ banda bâsh-î
YAR hama gerya-nd-o tô dar khanda bâsh-î AMAN
YAR wa-gar gham por shaw-ad aTrâf-é `âlam
YAR wa-gar gham por shaw-ad aTrâf-é `âlam
YAR tô shâd-o khorram-o farkhonda bâsh-î AMAN
YAR ba `ishq-é Shams-é Tabrîzî be-deh jân
YAR ba `ishq-é Shams-é Tabrîzî be-deh jân
YAR ke dar mulk-é khodâ pâyanda bâsh-î
HEY HEY HEY HEY, IHSAN MADAD, HEY HEY GUFRAN
MADAD, HEY HEY IHSAN MADAD, VAY, HEY HEY
GUFRAN MADAD, VAY
8. the complete composition has "filler" words and phrases added to
the original poem:
nâgahân `anbar-feshân âmad Sabâ
BELI YAR-I MAN AMAN
bôy-é moshk-o za`frân âmad Sabâ
BELI YAR-I MAN DOST
gol shegofta andar-în SaHn-é chaman
BELI YAR-I MAN AMAN
Sad nawây-é bolbol-ân âmad Sabâ
BELI YAR-I MAN DOST
shams-é tabrîzî SabâHu 'l-`ishq goft
BELI YAR-I MAN AMAN
`âshiq-ân-râ jân-é jân âmad Sabâ
9. Walad: a word play on the name of Rumi's son and successor,
Sultan Walad, or Veled. The literal sense of this line is: "whoever
trustingly rubs his head (on the ground in surrendered obeisance)
to Walad." In classical poetry, the poet was expected to insert his
own name in the final line in a clever manner.
10. Aflaki: the first and last lines from a ghazal by Shamsuddîn
AHmad Aflâkî. The entire poem occurs at the end of Golpinarli's
book, "Mevlânâ'dan sonra Mevlevilik" in a section called "Samples
of Mevlevi (Turkish) Poetry," where he includes four poems by
Aflaki.
11. wine, wine cup, cup bearer: references to wine in sufi
poetry are metaphors for spiritual blessing and ecstatic states.
Although alcoholic beverages are strictly forbidden in Islam,
"wine" is mentioned in the Qur'an as one of the delights of
Paradise, and is itself symbolic of a lofty state of consciousness:
"rivers of wine delightful to those who drink it" (Qur'an 47.15),
"wherein is no headache, nor are they made drunk thereby"
(Qur'an :47).
12. black clothes: symbolizes here a state of mourning, meaning
that Unbelief [kufr] -- denial of the Existence, Oneness, and Will
of God-- will be defeated.
13. the Light of Muhammad: the spiritual light, according to sufi
teachings, by which all the prophets, from Adam to Muhammad,
and all the Muslim sufi saints in every succeeding generation have
been guided. In Islamic belief it is the Prophet Jesus (peace be
upon him) who is expected to return as a sign of the imminent Day
of Judgment, not the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
14. astrolabe: an astronomical instrument used for studying the
planets and stars.
15. the seven heavens: means the orbital areas of the sky
"governed" by the "wandering stars" in layers of distance from
earth, according to ancient Ptolemaic astronomy: Moon, Mercury,
Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
16. I put a lock on my mouth: Rumi often appeals to a sublime
silence in the last line of his odes [ghazals]-- a silence from which
may emerge true understanding of the spiritual realities that words
can never adequately describe.
17. Your are my sultan: means both Shams-i Tabriz, and on a
higher level, God alone, the Only Beloved. It is a characteristic of
Persian sufi poetry to be ambiguous in such a way as to refer both
to the human beloved and the Divine Beloved. "When you breathe
into me" is a reference to when God breathed into Adam of His
spirit (Qur'an 15:29).
18. a hundred times: an idiom meaning a great many.
19. the complete composition has "filler" words added to the original
poem:
AH sulTân-é man-î, AH sulTân-é man-î
w-andar del-o jân, îmân-é man-î
AH dar man be-dam-î, AH man zenda shaw-am
yak jân che bow-ad, sad jân-é man-î
