| Rushan Rahmonov translated by
copyright 1995 |
|
| Rushan Rahmonov translated by
copyright 1995 |
Introductory Remarks
In 1990, during the celebration of the 1400th anniversary of the birth of Borbad, scholars from a number of fields including archaeology, anthropology, and fine arts presented their views regarding the life and time of the Sassanian musician. The significant contribution of the symposium, however, was twofold; it pointed to the wealth of knowledge that is locked in the ancient manuscripts and, conversely, to the paucity of our knowledge about the subject.
The same reality applies to the suruds and their collection in the whole expanse of the Iranian lands. Some sixty years ago, E. Berteles pointed out the need for collecting the text and the music of these people on a large scale. He also emphasized that those collecting must be fully familiar with the language and the specific dialects involved.1 Unfortunately, neither in Iran nor in Afghanistan has the value of folklore been appreciated the way Berteles understood it. As a result, many compositions never saw the light.
Talented but illiterate poets are of particular importance here. They compose their poetry in a simple style, using simple, everyday themes. Their poems, too, must be collected.2 Furthermore, these poets are in Iran as well as in Afghanistan. Gulsurkhi's research might shed some light on this issue. In Tajikistan, the advent of newspapers, radio, and television threatens the oral culture of the entire Ma wara' al-Nahr. Let us form collaborative groups, travel to these regions, and record what remains of these precious oral traditions.
* * *
Even though the various genres of oral literature are distinct from each other, within each category certain relationships can be outlined. It is these relations that impart a special sense of cohesion to the form. One such relationship relates surud (song) and afsanah (legend) to each other. There are certain epical, historical, or cultural songs that are based on one legend or another. Similarly, there are legends in which surud plays a prominent role.
As an example we present the Mughul Dukhtar legend, one that is well-known to the Tajiks on both sides of the Tajik/ Afghan border. Of course, we have no data on the history of the legend or whether it has ever been reduced to writing, but we know that there are a number of versions of it in the Tajik Institute for Language and Literature in the Name of Rudaki. Afghan folklorists, too, have recorded this legend. A study of these various versions, no doubt, would result in a fuller form of the legend.
In Afghanistan, we recorded two Hazara versions of the Mughul Dukhtar legend.3 The Hazara version, entitled, Naql-i Mughul Dukhtar, is published in the Afsanaha-i Dari (Dari Legends) collection. In this article, too, we shall use this same version.4 We shall do so by discussing the essence of the surud while narrating the legend.
"There was a king who had a beautiful daughter called Mughul Dukhtar. The girl had a servant called Arab Bachcha. Arab Bachcha loved Mughul Dukhtar. The king of a different land asked for the hand of Mughul Dukhtar for his son. Arab Bachcha, too, learning about this, asked for Mughul Dukhtar's hand. Mughul Dukhtar's father asked Arab Bachcha to bring forty camel-loads of gold for the bride price. While Arab Bachcha was visiting his poor father, the king gave his daughter to the prince. Riding his horse, Arab Bachcha followed the prince and Mughul Dukhtar. On the meadow, one day, the wolves killed and ate his horse. Feeling depressed for the loss of his horse and reflecting on his own situation, Arab Bachcha sang the following song:
| Oh, oh, oh, oh, ey, ey, ey, ey, ey
From one hillock to another A wolf has killed my mare No, she is not killed by a wolf It is "Arab's" luck that has turned." | 
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Surud or, as the poets refer to it, Shi'r, is related to our sense of wonder. It flows out of our creative spring and expresses our feelings towards events that give form and meaning to life. Folklore especially, using its simple form, has been the remedy to many of our pains and sufferings. To express their feelings, therefore, people create a reservoir of these feelings and verbalize them according to the needs of the moment. Each time that the rawi of Mughul Dukhtar narrates this legend, he moves from the narrative mode to singing. He sings with heartfelt feelings.
"Arab Bachcha then came to the house of an old woman. From the old woman he learned that that night the king's daughter was being married in the city. He gave some gold to the old woman and, wearing female clothing, accompanied her to the wedding. The host treated the old woman and her daughter (Arab Bachcha) well. The girls then invited each other to sing songs-surudkhani. The old woman's daughter (Arab Bachcha) sang the following:
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Hey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey
My dear Mughul has settled down She has put henna on her hands and feet Come to me my delicate Mughul Come to me my bouquet of flowers. | 
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"Mughul Dukhtar recognized the voice of Arab Bachcha and threw the henna at the wall. Thereafter, whenever she tried to put her dress, or shoes, or whatever on, Arab Bachcha sang a song and Mughul Dukhtar, upon hearing his song, despised all that belonged to the wedding."
The basic ingredient of this legend, of course, is the love of the two lovers for each other. This love is expressed in songs. In the course of their adventure, the heroes face some difficult obstacles but, using their charm, wisdom, and wit overcome them. The theme and the simple form of the work indicate that it has theatrical value as well. Indeed, in Ishkashim, in Badakhshan, it is brought to the stage by local artists. Nizam Nurjanov says the following about the production:
The prose sections are held together by the verse dialogs delivered by the characters. The rawi narrates the events at a good pace. Whenever the rawi moves from prose to song, rubab and daira accompany him. 5
Over the years, Nizam Nurjanov has collected many plays written by the Tajiks and published them in his Deram-i Khalq-i Tajik (Tajik Peoples' Drama). He pays special attention to the Mughul Dukhtar legend, four variants of which he has recorded. This work also includes the suruds that he had collected during his interviews with people other than the rawis.6
"Each time that Arab Bachcha, dressed as a female, sang, Mughul Dukhtar reacted negatively towards her attendants. The attendants finally traced the source of her discontent to the old woman and her daughter. When they tried to throw the two out, Arab Bachcha sang the following:
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Hey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey
My dear Mughul doesn't speak to me She has kicked me out of the town Come to me my dear Mughul Come to me my bouquet of flowers. | 
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After the singing of the band ended, the girls kicked the old woman and her "daughter " out. Arab Bachcha went with the old woman. When he woke up in the morning, the caravan had taken Mughul Dukhtar away. Walking, Arab Bachcha came to a crossroads. Again, he was filled with emotion. His pain gave rise to the following song:
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Hey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey
I came to a crossroads Which road did you take, my dear Mughul My delicate Mughul, come to me My bouquet of flowers, come to me. | 
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Upon hearing Arab Bachcha's voice, Mughul Dukhtar touched the camel's neck. The sound of the bells on the camel's neck reached Arab Bachcha's ears. Arab Bachcha walked in that direction and followed Mughul Dukhtar's caravan from afar.
The prince took Mughul Dukhtar through the plains and over the mountains in the direction of the city of Shiraz. Arab Bachcha, too, singing, followed them to that land. At some point she offered the prince a poisoned apple and killed him. Then she asked the king's permission to accompany Arab Bachcha to his house. On the way, viewing the cattle, camels, and horses, Arab Bachcha sang as he finally ushered Mughul Dukhtar into his house."
As Often the surud in this legend serves as a hidden guide or as a sign of acquaintance:
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Hey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey
You go from tent to tent Dear Mughul, which is your tent? My delicate Mughul, come to me My bouquet of flowers, come to me | 
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It is through the suruds, for instance, that Arab Bachcha conveys to Mughul Dukhtar the idea of killing her husband so that they could reach each other sooner:
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Hey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey ey
I am at the end of my wits By the very essence of the Prophet Dear Mughul, take the knife Dear Mughul, kill your husband. | 
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All the states that Arab Bachcha experiences-his inner and apparent feelings, personality, love, joy, and pleasure-are conveyed to the audience in songs. The suruds are an integral part of the legend; they double its aesthetics and impact. This impact is perceived, of course, only if the legend is heard rather than read. The rawi adds his own special talent and skill to that of the author as he conveys the love of the characters for each other. The rawi, for instance, keeps the interest of the audience by asking intermittently famidi bachcham (do you understand, son?) and baradar tora daram (brother, are you with me?).
Partly because of its fame and partly because it was staged, many copies of the Mughul Dukhtar legend have appeared in print. One has more than 150 misra's. This version, recorded by the Afghan folklorist, Dadajan Abidov, is published in Gulbargha (Flower Petals).
The theme of the Mughul Dukhtar legend is incorporated into the many independent suruds on which the legend draws. These suruds emphasize the simple and understandable virtues of the beloved, the essentials of a nomadic life-the flock, the cattle-and of the everyday witticisms.
The rhetorical components of the surud, too, are simple and easy to grasp. Using simile, Mughul Dukhtar is compared to gul-i archa, gul-i quza, and the like.
The forms of the surud also vary. Except for the first band, the others begin with hey ey ey ... accompanied by the melody. And each band is composed of four misra's, two misra's of which are:
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My delicate Mughul, come to me
My bouquet of flowers, come to me |  |
There is a refrain in each band. At times, the number of misra's (basic text and refrain) reach six. The rhyme scheme is as follows:
If the band is composed of four misra's, misra's 1 and 2 share the same rhyme and 3 & 4 the same.
If the band is composed of five misra's, misra's 1, 2, and 3 share the same rhyme and 4 & 5 the same.
If the band is composed of six misra's, misra's 1, 2, 3, and 4 share the same rhyme and 5 & 6 the same.
At the end, let us emphasize that we have presented only one version of one legend. Different versions of this legend must be compared with each other for theme, diction, language, and style. The same holds true for the stage version and the independent songs.