TEHRAN – The Badr Ali Khan & Brothers Qawwali group from Pakistan captivated the audience during a concert at Tehran’s Milad Tower on Monday night.
The musical extravaganza was organized jointly by the Embassy of Pakistan and the Tehran Municipality.
Several Pakistani nationals residing in Tehran, including Khalida Kanji, Zahid Qureshi, Muhammad Mushtaq Qureshi, Ali Reza Bardai and Reza Pirbhai sponsored the concert.
Pakistani Ambassador Noor Muhammad Jadmani, former Iranian foreign minister Manuchehr Mottaki, the ambassadors of Germany, Austria, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and several other countries attended the concert.
Jadmani and Mottaki addressed the audience before the concert began and stressed the need for increased cultural exchange between Iran and Pakistan.
Qawwali is a form of Sufi Muslim devotional music characterized by simple melodies, forceful rhythms, and wild improvisations that encourage a state of euphoria in the listener.
Qawwali musicians usually sing praises of Almighty Allah, Prophet Muhammad (S), Imam Ali (AS), Imam Hassan (AS) and Imam Hussein (AS).
On Monday, Pakistani Qawwali singers enchanted the audience with their sterling performance. They recited poetry in Punjabi, Sindhi, Urdu, Arabic and Persian languages. The audience particularly enjoyed their performance of traditional Sufi chant (Dhikr) “Allahu Allahu Allahu” and Sufi poet Amir Khusrow’s following poem:
Nami danam chi manzil bood shab jaay ki man boodam;
(I wonder what was the place where I was last night,)
Baharsu raqs-e bismil bood shab jaay ki man boodam.
(All around me were half-slaughtered victims of love,
tossing about in agony.)
Pari paikar nigaar-e sarw qadde laala rukhsare;
(There was a nymph-like beloved with cypress-like form
and tulip-like face,)
Sarapa aafat-e dil bood shab jaay ki man boodam.
(Ruthlessly playing havoc with the hearts of the lovers.)
Khuda khud meer-e majlis bood andar laamakan Khusrow;
(God himself was the master of ceremonies in that heavenly court,)
Muhammad shamm-e mehfil bood shab jaay ki man boodam.
(oh Khusrow, where [the face of] Prophet Muhammad too was shedding light like a candle.)
MT/YAW