Ay Qaowm e Ba Hajj Rafta performed by Tabla for Two

Tabla for Two performing:

“Ay Qaowm-e Ba Hajj Rafta”

Sung by Ahmad Zahir
Composed by Ahmad Zahir
Poetry by Rumi

Lyrics:
Oh community of pilgrims (Hajis)!
Where are you? Where are you?
The Beloved one is here.
Come over. Come over.
Listen up. Listen up.

Like a wall to wall neighbor
Your Beloved is close by
What is it that you’re wishing for
By wandering the deserts?

If you intend to clearly see that
Cherished house (the Ka’aba)
Then first, polish away the haze
From your heart’s mirror

Mixed and edited by Conrad Osipowicz of Blue Room Productions

Recorded at Stone Hill Theatrical Productions
Flint Hill, VA

Playing for Peace

Ahmad Zahir (Persian: احمد ظاهر‎, 14 June 1946 – 14 June 1979) was a singer, songwriter, and composer from Afghanistan. His songs are mostly in the Dari (Persian) language and are based on Persian poetry, although a few are also in Pashto.[1] Zahir was the first and only true mega superstar in Afghanistan as his appeal crossed all boundaries of age, class, language, and regions. Besides being a pioneer of rock and pop music in Afghanistan, in a similar style to Elvis Presley, he experimented and performed almost all styles of music, including Indian classical music, Iranian, Qarsak, Qataghani and Logari.
Among the people of Afghanistan, he is considered an icon of Afghanistan music and is widely regarded as the "King of Afghan music" or the "Elvis of Afghanistan", and reclaims immortal fame due to his contributions and influence on music in Afghanistan. Zahir was born on 14 June 1946 (Jauza 24, 1325 of the Jalali calendar) in Kabul, Afghanistan. His father, Abdul Zahir, was a royal court doctor who served as minister of health and Prime Minister of Afghanistan between 1971 and 1972.[3] He was a speaker of the parliament and an influential figure in King Zahir Shah's era who helped write the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan.[4] He was a Pashtun from Laghman Province.
Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (Persian: جلال‌الدین محمد رومی‎), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī (جلال‌الدین محمد بلخى), Mevlânâ/Mawlānā (مولانا, "our master"), Mevlevî/Mawlawī (مولوی, "my master"), and more popularly simply as Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273), was a 13th-century Persian[1][7] Sunni[8] Muslim poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic originally from Greater Khorasan.[7][9] Rumi's influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions: Iranians, Tajiks, Turks, Greeks, Pashtuns, other Central Asian Muslims, and the Muslims of South Asia have greatly appreciated his spiritual legacy for the past seven centuries.[10] His poems have been widely translated into many of the world's languages and transposed into various formats. Rumi has been described as the "most popular poet"[11] and the "best selling poet" in the United States.[12][13]
Rumi's works are written mostly in Persian, but occasionally he also used Turkish, Arabic, and Greek,[14][15][16] in his verse.[17][18] His Masnavi (Mathnawi), composed in Konya, is considered one of the greatest poems of the Persian language.[19][20] His works are widely read today in their original language across Greater Iran and the Persian-speaking world.[21][22] Translations of his works are very popular, most notably in Turkey, Azerbaijan, the United States, and South Asia.[23] His poetry has influenced not only Persian literature, but also Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Azerbaijani, as well as the literature of some other Turkic, Iranian, and Indo-Aryan languages including Chagatai, Urdu and Pashto.

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About Tabla For Two
Tabla for Two was formed in 2012 when Abigail Adams Greenway and Masood Omari met in the Zamani House of Heritage, an Afghan textile showroom in Washington, DC. They formed a musical partnership after Abigail studied tabla with Masood. She totally immersed herself in her tabla studies to the extent that she left aside her career as a visual artist. Later she learned to play the harmonium as a natural development of her classical Indian music studies. Inspired by someone who could keep the beat to accompany his musical travels, Masood began composing new music for two tabla players, particularly including one (Abigail) playing the three daya. Utilizing the classical structure, Masood has written modern tabla compositions that are mesmerizing. Tabla For Two represents the best in East-West cooperation. Visit their website at http://tablafortwo.com/