The Lament of Farangis - Epic Iranian Music

Описание: Artwork by Hamid Rahmanian, lyrics by Ferdowsi, music by Farya Faraji, vocals by Kelareh Kabiri and Farya Faraji.

This is an original arrangement based on the passage of the death of Syavosh in the Shahnameh, the Iranian national epic poem whose stories are central to Iranian mythology. In Iranian mythology, Syavosh of Iran flees his land and finds refuge in the neighbouring, adversary land of Turan, where he is welcomed by King Afrasyiab, who marries him to his daughter, Farangis. However, after the passing of time, King Afrasyiab of Turan grows wary of Syavosh, and ends up murdering him. Grief-stricken, Farangis begins an uprising. She and all the women of her retinue cut their hair, and the people of the land walk behind Farangis, her hair now cut, demanding justice against the tyrant of the land. This scene from Iranian mythology is central to Iranian culture's collective memory, and a woman's cutting of her hair in defiance of tyranny remains a symbolic gesture to this day.

The lyrics are in Early Modern Persian and are directly extracted from the Shahnameh epic poem written by Ferdowsi. The instrumentation consists of a tanbour, santour, kamancheh, ney, and daf drums.

Lyrics in Early Modern Persian:

زسرماهرویان گسسته کمند
خراشیده روی و بمانده نژند

همه بندگان موی کردند باز
فرنگیس مشکین کمند دراز

برید و میان را به گیسو ببست
به فندق گل ارغوان را بخست

خروشش به گوش سپهبد رسید
چو آن ناله و زاری نفرین شنید

جهان آرمیده ز دست بدی
شده آشکارا ره ایزدی

سیاوش را دست بسته چو سنگ
فگندند در گردنش پالهنگ

تن پیل وارش برآن گرم خاک
فگندند و از کس نکردند باک

برید آن سر شاهوارش زتن
فگندش چو سرو سهی بر چمن

همی اشک بارید بر کوه سیم
دولاله زخوشاب شد به دو نیم

بکشتی سیاوش را بی گناه
به خاک اندر انداختی نام و جاه

همه شهر پر زاری و ناله گشت
به چشم اندرون آب چون ژاله گشت

Lyrics transliterated with the Latin alphabet:
Syāvosh rāh dast baste cho sang,
Fe gandand dar gardanash pāl hang,
Tane pilvārash berān garm-khāk,
Fe gandand o az kas nakardand bāk,

Borid ān sare shāh vārash ze tan,
Fe gandash cho sarve sahi bar chaman,

Ze sar māhrouyan gosaste kamand,
Kharāshide rooyo bemāndeh najand,
Hame bandegān mooy kardand bāz,
Farangis moshkin kamande derāz,

Borid o myian rā be gissou bebast,
Be fandogh gol e arghavān ra bekhast,
Hami ashk barid bar koohe sim,
Do lāle ze khooshāb shod be do nim,

Khorooshash be gooshe sepahbod resid,
Cho ān nāle o zār o nefrin shenid,
Jahān āramide ze daste badi,
Shode āshkārā rahe izadi,

Bekoshti Syāvosh rā bi gonāh,
Be khāk andar andākhti nām o jāh,
Hame shahr por zāri o nāle gasht,
Be chashm andaroon āb chon jāle gasht,

English translation of the lyrics:
They brought Syavosh, his hands tied, upon the stone,
They put a rope against his throat,
They dragged his strong body upon the ground,
And they not did care what evil they wrought,

They removed his kingly head from his body,
Like a tall cypress he fell upon the grass,

The moon-faced ones untied their hair,
They clawed at their faces, full of grief.
They women they did bring their hair open,
So did Farangis, tall and dark-haired,

She cut her hair and tied it around her waist,
Her face, reddened like a red flower,
So did tears rain upon the Mountain of Sim,
So did the tulips of the land all break in two,

Her vociferation reached the ear of the Spahbod (grand general of Iranian armies)
And he heard her cries and her curses,
The world lies upon evils,
But through the Creator shall the Right Way be found,

You murdered Syavosh the innocent,
You threw your reputation and dignity to dust and earth,
All the nation was filled with weeping and mourning,
And the eyes of all were filled with morning's dew.