مقام العجم - يوسف عمر Maqam Ajam ~ Yusuf Omar
Channel: Iraqi Maqam
Date: 08/12/2008

لقد نصلَ الدجى فمتى تنامُ  *   أَهمٌّ ذادَ نومكَ أَم هـيامُ
غفا المحزونُ وَالشاكي وَأَغفى *   أَخو البلوى وَنـامَ المستهامُ
وَأَنـتَ تقلبُ الكقينِ آناً  *   وَآوِنةً يقلـبـكَ السـقامُ
تحدرت المدامع منك حتى * تعلم من محاجرك الغمامُ  
بربك هل رجعت الى رسيس * من الذكرى و هل عاد الغرامُ

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Iraqi Maqam المقام العراقي
Yusuf Omar and al-Chalghi al-Baghdadi

Maqam 'Ajam مقام عجم 
This basic maqam uses the 'ajam mode, transposition of the chahargah on B flat, which is sometimes called 'ajam 'ushayran in reference to its lower tonic B flat. Indeed, its peculiarity is to begin on the tonic and to end on the tonic an octave lower. It is performed without any rhythmic accompaniment, the measured introduction not being considered an integral part of the maqam. *

First part:
- Measured instrumental introduction.
- Improvised introduction on the santur, presenting the maqam. (0:38)
- Tahrir in 'ajam mode on the words "faryade men jenejanem". (1:08)
- Instrumental part on the joza picking up the tahrir melody. (1:37)
- Three verses representing the melody of the tahrir interspersed with improvised pieces on the santur and joza. (1:57)
- Cadenza jalsa proceeding by movements from B flat towards D then from G towards the lower B flat. (7:29)

Second part:
- Meyana in bayat mode composed of three parts sung to the words "nazenine men", "jahane men", "ouh", and followed by a descent towards the tonic B flat on the words "umide man". (7:58)
- Piece "Saba" including two sung verses in saba mode announcing the return of 'ajam. (8:48)
- Final teslim, a descent from B flat to the one an octave lower. 
- Peste, "Kul lahdha ammur 'aliek" to the 10/16 jurjina rhythm. (next video)

The qasida is by the Egyptian poet Hafidh Ibrahim (1871-1932):

The night is hiding from view, when will you sleep?
Is it anxiety or passion?
All are dozing, the sad, the suffering, the oppressed and the lover,
And you, sometimes you move your hands, sometimes the ill moves you.
So great has been your weeping that the clouds draw lessons from your lids.
For pity's sake, have you returned to memories roots,
and is love alive again?

* Commentary by Scheherazade Qassim Hassan

Vocals: Yusuf Omar (d. 1987)
Santur: Abdallah Ali
Joza: Shaoubi Ibrahim al-A'dhami (d. 1991)
Joza: Hassan Ali al-Naqib (d. 1986)
Tabla: Abdul Razzaq Majid
Raqq: Kan'an Mohammed Salih
Daff zinjari: Dhia' Mahmoud Ahmed
Choir: Ali al-Dabbou, Abdul Wahid Zaidan, Falih Jawhar, Abdul Qadir