Ashik
[5]: 15–36 [6]: 47 [7][3] In Azerbaijan, the modern ashik is a professional musician who usually serves an apprenticeship, masters playing the bağlama, and builds up a varied but individual repertoire of Turkic folk songs.
In Armenian, the term gusan, which referred to creative and performing artists in public theaters of Parthia and ancient as well as medieval Armenia, is often used as a synonym.
Thus, ashik, in traditional sense, may be defined as travelling bards who sang and played saz, an eight or ten string plucking instrument in the form of a long-necked lute.
Judging based on the Turkic epic Dede Korkut,[13] the roots of ashiks can be traced back to at least the 7th century, during the heroic age of the Oghuz Turks.
This nomadic tribe journeyed westwards through Central Asia from the 9th century onward and settled in present Turkey, Azerbaijan Republic and North-west areas of Iran.
[14] The single most important event in the history of ashik music was the ascent to the throne of Shah Isma'il (1487–1524), the founder of the Safavid dynasty.
He was a prominent ruler-poet and has, apart from his diwan compiled a mathnawi called Deh-name, consisting of some eulogies of Ali, the fourth Caliph of early Islam.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union the governments of new republics in Caucasus region and Central Asia sought their identity in traditional cultures of their societies.
{fact} Ten years later, ashik Rasool Ghorbani, who had been forced to make a living as a travelling salesman, aspired to return to the glorious days of fame and leisure.
Ashiks themselves describe the art as the unified duo of saz and söz (word).This duo is conspicuously featured in a popular composition by Səməd Vurğun:[21] Binələri çadır çadır --- (The peaks rise up all around like tents) Çox gəzmişəm özüm dağlar --- (I have wandered often in these mountains) İlhamını səndən alıb --- (My saz and söz take inspiration) Mənim sazım, sözüm dağlar.
[24][25] The defining characteristic of ashik profession is the ethical code of behaviour and attitude, which has been summarized by Aşiq Ələsgər in the following verses;[26][27] Aşıq olub diyar-diyar gəzənin ----(To be a bard and wander far from home) Əzəl başdan pürkəmalı gərəkdi --- (You knowledge and thinking head must have.)
Xalqa həqiqətdən mətləb qandıra --- (He should be able to teach people the truth,) Şeytanı öldürə, nəfsin yandıra --- (To kill evil within himself, refrain from ill emotions,) El içinde pak otura pak dura --- (He should socialize virtuously) Dalısınca xoş sedalı gərəkdi --- (Then people will think highly of him) Danışdığı sözün qiymətin bilə --- (He should know the weight of his words,) Kəlməsindən ləl'i-gövhər tokülə --- (He should be brilliant in speech,) Məcazi danışa, məcazi gülə --- (He should speak figuratively,) Tamam sözü müəmmalı gərəkdi --- (And be a politician in discourse.)
Arif ola, eyham ilə söz qana --- (Be quick to understand a hint, howe'er,) Naməhrəmdən şərm eyleyə, utana --- (Of strangers you should, as a rule, beware,) Saat kimi meyli Haqq'a dolana --- (And like a clock advance to what is fair.)
In the following we present a brief list of the most famous hikayes:[30] In order to stay in the profession and defend their reputation ashiks used to challenge each other by indulging in verbal duelings, which were held in public places.
--- (In the world which stole my life in vain") İşte gidiyorum çeşm-i siyahım --- (That's it, I go my black eyed) Önümüze dağlar sıralansa da --- (Despite mountains ranked before us) Sermayem derdimdir servetim ahım --- (My capital is my sorrow, my wealth is my trouble) Karardıkça bahtım karalansa da --- (Withal my blacken fortune darkened") Dost dost diye nicesine sarıldım --- (I expected for many people to be real friends) Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır --- (My faithful beloved is black soil) Beyhude dolandım boşa yoruldum --- (I wandered around with no end, I got tired for nothing) Benim sâdık yârim kara topraktır --- (My faithful beloved is black soil") Durum dolanım başına, --- (Let me encircle you with love,) Qaşı, gözü qara, Ceyran!
Earth is dressed in furry, downy green, --- Whispers press the silence once serene, ....... Dostun en güzeli bahçesine bir hoyrat girmiş, --- (The rough man entered the lover's garden) Korudur hey benli dilber korudur --- (It is woods now, my beautiful one, it is woods,) Gülünü dererken dalını kırmış --- (Gathering roses, he has broken their stems) Kurudur hey benli dilber kurudur --- (They are dry now, my beautiful one, they are dry) Başina mən dönüm ala göz Pəri, --- (O my dearest, my love, my beautiful green-eyed Pari) Adətdir dərələr yaz bənəvşəni.
--- (Custom bids us pluck violets when spring days begin) Ağ nazik əlinən dər dəstə bağla, --- (With your tender white hand gather a nosegay,) Tər buxaq altinə düz bənəvşəni... --- (Pin it under your dainty chin.....) kaplu kaplu bağalar kanatlanmiş uçmağa.. ---- The turturturtles have taken wings to fly ... İsmi sübhan virdin mi var?
