Born in 1935 in Qumul, eastern Xinjiang, 脰mar-Qari is one of the most prominent folk singers of Qumul听苍补驳丑尘盲濒颈谤颈听(a repository of folk music). Visually impaired as a result of eye-disease experienced at a very young age, he learned to sing Qumul folk songs from his step-grandmother Rozi-qiz. Rozi-qiz was a celebrated female singer at the last Qumul King Shah Maqsud (1864 鈥 1930)鈥檚 court. 脰mar-Qari is also renowned for his mastery of playing various musical instruments, especially Qumul听ghijek, the two-stringed fiddle -听Listen to his Cappella solo here听with selected lyrics translated into English.
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Do not desert the destitute, 听
The minute you become a King,听
What makes a King does not diminish in you, 听
If you choose to take one look to your side.
貙鬲丕卮賱賶蹕蹠鬲賲蹠诃賱蹠乇鈥жз娰嗁壧
.倬丕丿賶卮丕鈥ㄙ堎胜呚з傌ㄙ壻勠曎喬
貙倬丕卮丕賱賶賯鈥冔曍呟曍斥赌壻胜壻冑壼壻嗏赌
.亘賶乇鈥傎壻娯р赌ㄘз傎傌з嗏赌ㄙ壻勠曎喬
Resting on top of the white mulberry trees, 听
My turtle dove coos happily,听
Sitting next to my darling lover,听
My heartbeats echo endlessly. 听
貙倬丕禺鬲賶诏賶賲鈥冐з冑冔囐冣赌傎壻勜ж囂
.卅丕賯鈥堌曎呝嗁壼赌ㄘж促壶
貙賷蹐乇蹐诏蹐賲鈥举堎冣赌举堎冣赌傎壻勜ж団赌з嗁壻呪赌з嗁壻呟曎
.賷丕乇睾賶賳丕诃賳賶诃鈥傐愗促壶р赌ωз娯ж臂曎娞
How my heart burns, oh my love,听
Worse than the fat on meat that sizzles over the fire;听
Bother me no more, oh my beloved,听
What I have suffered is more than I could endure. 听
貙賷蹐乇蹐诏蹐賲鈥壶测赌壶测赌傎壻勜ж団赌愘嗁壻呪赌愘嗁壻呟曎
.诏蹎卮丿賶賰賶鈥娯ж贺壻嗏赌ㄙ壶曍碧
貙爻蹠賳鈥呟愘嗁夆赌ωй嬝ж臂曗赌傎壻胜呚р赌愘嗁壻呪赌愘嗁壻呟曐愄
.賲賵卮蹏賳趩蹠鈥冔堎娳曎嗁壻呪赌娰壶曍扁赌ωз娯ж臂曎娾赌
Don鈥檛 abandon me,听
As I will be of use one day;听
Facing your enemy,听
I will be as brave hearted as a stone. 听
貙鬲丕卮賱賶蹕蹠鬲賲蹠诃賱蹠乇鈥呟愘嗁壧
.亘賶乇鈥冔堎嗏赌冔愗臂曎冑胜壻冣赌ㄙ堎胜壻呟曎喬
貙丿蹐卮賲賶賳賶诃賳賶诃鈥ωз勜壶
.鬲丕卮丿蹠賰鈥娵堌臂曎冑胜壻冣赌ㄙ堎胜壻呟曎喬
Lamenting at night, sleep escapes me oh my love,听
This sleepless night befell me because of your betrayal,听
You tormented me, and made me miserable my beloved.
貙诰蹛賱賶鈥ωз胜勜ж団赌壶驰曎呚屸赌冔曎呟曍斥赌冔嗀槽堎呝嗁壼赌囐娰傎壶迟壧
.卅蹏賷賯蹏賳賶鈥冔曎勜堌辟呝壼曎嗀屸赌ㄙ寿嬝з矩р赌娯ж扁赌池й嬝ж迟壧
.賷丕乇鈥ж必жㄢ赌曍壼赌呟愘嗁壶屫壼曍扁赌冐й嬝жㄢ赌曍壼赌呟愘嗁
I put a spell on my lover鈥檚 body,听
She twisted like a snake when I entered in her arms;听
How wretched you have made me my darling, 听
Turning me into the likes of a burnt liver kebab.听
貙卅蹠乇蹕賶卮賶賲賳賶鈥嗁壻胜寿嬞勜壻呪赌呟曎嗏赌ωжж促嗁壼赌ㄙ堎娰壶贺р赌愘嗁壻吿
貙卅賵賯鈥娰壻勜з嗀曎冣赌堎勜痕囐嗃囐锯赌冑壶必驰曎呪赌ωжж促嗁壼赌傎堎娰嗁壶贺р赌娵曎
貙賷丕乇鈥ж必жㄢ赌曍壼赌呟愘嗁壶屸赌壼曍扁赌冐й嬝жㄢ赌曍壼赌呟愘嗁夆赌
貙蹕丕賷鈥ωз胜勜р赌矩壶臂曏赌必ж操夆赌傎堎勨赌
乇蹠亘亘賶賲鈥ωз胜勜р赌壶臂曏赌ж夆赌傎堎勨赌ωз娰壶臂曎娞
I weave the love spell, 听
To use as your watchband,听
Imprinting a blemish on my heart,听
The flame of this love is difficult to stand;听
My darling, you made me miserable, 听
And a liver kebab I have become.听
貙卅蹠乇蹕賶卮賶賲賳賶鈥呟曎嗏赌堎傐囏扁赌呟曎嗀屸赌池ж曍壼曗赌ㄘж衡赌ㄙ堎勠囏扁赌愘嗁壻
.卅丕卮賶賯鈥堌嘱赌娯з呚з嗏赌嗁壻呟曍屸赌ωж壶扁赌娵堌臂曎冑冔曗赌ж衡赌ㄙ堎勠囏扁赌愘嗁壻
貙賷丕乇鈥ж必жㄢ赌曍壼赌呟愘嗁壶屸赌壼曍扁赌冐й嬝жㄢ赌曍壼赌呟愘嗁夆赌
貙蹕丕賷鈥ωз胜勜р赌矩壶臂曏赌必ж操夆赌傎堎勨赌
.乇蹠亘亘賶賲鈥ωз胜勜р赌矩壶臂曏赌ж夆赌傎堎勨赌ωз娰壶臂曎娞
This is a beautiful room, 听
Where Mamodixan rested once;i
Over her neck hangs Zakir-Ghojam,ii
Her waist wrapped in silk sash.听
貙亘蹏鈥з勜и赌壻娰壶夆赌з勜и屸赌呟曎呝堌壶з嗏赌娯ж傌з嗏赌з勜и赌
貙亘賵賷賳賶丿丕鈥藏з冑壶扁赌嘿堌з吿
貙亘賶賱賶丿蹠鈥操堏嗁堚赌举堌р赌ωз胜勜р赌娯ж臂曎娞
.賯賵賷賳賶丿丕鈥藏з冑壶扁赌嘿堌ж屸赌ωз胜勜р赌娯ж臂曎娞
You are called Nam盲n, 听
Wandering around day and night; 听
Squandering your time like this,听
No lady will turn her head;听
Oh Lord, nothing can be done when this suffering strikes. 听
貙爻蹛賳賶诃鈥愗壼赌嗀з呟曎嗏赌囏扁赌
貙卮蹏賳丿丕賯鈥娵堌必驰曏赌ㄙ堎勜з呚団赌
貙賰賶趩蹠鈥冔堎嗀堌测赌з勜жж屸赌嘱р赌池ир赌傌ж必з呚囂
貙卅丕賱賱丕鈥娯ж臂曎娾赌
賰蹠诏蹠賳鈥傌ж藏ж贺р赌嗀ж辟夆赌娰堎傗赌ωз胜勠曎娞
My lover鈥檚 name is B盲xnisa, 听
Long she combs her hair;听
If Nam盲n falls in love with you,听
You could marry him without hesitation. 听
貙賷丕乇賳賶诃鈥愗夆赌ㄛ曍嗁壶池р赌
貙趩丕卮賳賶鈥囏槽囐嗏赌ж辟壶池р赌
貙賷蹐诏蹐乇蹐倬鈥娵堏堌臂堎锯赌壼曍必驰曎嗏赌
.賳蹠賲蹠賳鈥池ир赌傌ж辟壶池р赌
When I reach the top of the high mountains,听
Let me plaster your mansion;听
If you have me in your heart, 听
Let me be your consolation. 听听
貙卅賶诏賶夭鈥з傎傌р赌呟曎嗏赌嗁壻傌池з呪赌
爻丕乇丕賷賶诃賳賶鈥呟曎嗏赌迟壻矩з娯浱
貙卅蹠诏蹠乇鈥冔嗂勠嗂曗赌呟曎嗏赌ㄙ堎勜池з呪赌
卅蹎夭诏蹐賳蹐诃賳賶鈥呟曎嗏赌迟壻矩з娞
There comes the dark gust,听
With the King marching into the narrow alleyway;听
My newly acquainted lover, 听
Turned out to be young and guileless.听
貙賯丕倬賯丕乇丕鈥ㄙ堌必з嗏赌冔曎勜壧
貙鬲丕乇鈥冑堏嗁壶р赌嬝и赌冔曎勜夆赌
貙賷蹛诃賶鈥勜ж壁嗃曗赌娯ж扁赌囏池з呪赌
.卅蹎夭賶鈥冑壼嗁壻冣赌嗀жз嗏赌冔曎勜夆赌
In the steamer I put some manta,iii
For us to enjoy together,听
What a time this is that we had to part our ways,听
When our love began to agree with one another. 听
貙賲丕鬲賶鈥池з勜壻呪赌傌ж迟傌з嗀贺р赌
貙亘賶賱賱蹠鈥娵曎娰胜夆赌ж迟傌з嗀
貙诰蹠噩蹠倬賲蹏鈥嗀ж贺р赌ωз娯辟壻勜囐傗赌
.卅丕卮賶賯賱賶賯鈥娯ж必ж促傌з嗀
Your home is warm, and courtyard cosy, 听
Throwing me in the firepit, 听
You choose to sit quietly. 听
Where have all the flowers gone?听
貙卅蹎賷賱賶乇賶鈥聚曍曎锯赌壶池迟壻傗赌
貙卅丕乇賱賶賯賱賶乇賶鈥胜壻呝呝壶曗赌
貙賲賷賳賶鈥堌傌р赌驰曎举傎堎娵囐锯赌
.卅賵賱鬲蹏乇賶蹕賱賱丕鈥壻呝呝壶曗赌
.诏蹐賱賱蹠鈥傌з娯р赌ㄘ
A ladle hasn鈥檛 been put,听
Inside a boiling pot;听
I haven鈥檛 had a chance to sleep under one quilt,听
With my love who took me long time to find. 听
貙賯丕賷賳丕倬鈥囏必贺з嗏赌傌ж藏з嗀贺р赌
趩蹎賲蹐卮鈥驰愘胜壻矩ㄘз傎傌з嗏赌娰堎傌涒赌
貙卅丕乇丕賳賱丕乇丿賶賳鈥娯ж扁赌囏囐锯赌
.亘賶乇鈥娰堌傌з嗀р赌娯ж傌з嗏赌娰堎傗赌
Two birds in the sky,听
One free, one contained, 听
I go to sleep merry-hearted,听
Awakening the next morning 鈥 arms empty. 听
貙诰丕蹕丕丿賶賰賶鈥壻冑冑夆赌傐囏粹赌
貙亘賶乇賶鈥ㄘж嘿勜з傗赌ㄙ壶辟夆赌ㄙ堌粹赌
貙卅丕禺卮賶賲賶鈥娯ж池з呪赌冔嗂勠堎呪赌堌粹赌
卅蹠鬲賶爻賶鈥傎堎矩池з呪赌傎堎娰嗃囐呪赌ㄙ堌刺
Here comes Axunum鈥檚 wife,iv听
Scarf adorning her chest,听
Come here, my lady, play with me, 听
Let me fondle your breasts. 听
貙卅丕禺蹏賳蹏賲賳賶诃鈥傐囏促嗀и嗁夆
爻蹛賱賶蹕蹠倬鬲蹏鈥勝壼嗃曎冑嗁壺涒
貙賰蹠爻賱蹠鈥з嗁壻呪堎娰嗀з娰勝夆
.鬲蹏鬲賶賯丕賱丕賷鈥曎呞嗃曎冑嗁夆
If you refuse my love, 听
I will live this world without a sweetheart,听
If you do not feel my love,听
I will open my heart so you can catch a sight. 听
貙爻蹠賳鈥呟愘嗁夆娯ж扁曍呝壺驰曏
丿蹏賳賷丕丿丕鈥呟曎嗏娯ж扁迟壺测嗀曎娯浱
貙賰蹎賷诏賶賳賶賲賳賶鈥ㄙ壻勝呝壺驰曏
.亘丕睾乇賶賲賳賶鈥娯ж辟壻锯冔嗀必迟壺曎娾
Thousands of nights do not equal to one, 听
In a life without my love,听
Hellfire is merely a single flame,听
Compared to my desire. 听
貙賷丕乇爻賶夭鈥嗁呚臂堎呪呟愘嗁壼
賲賶诃賶鈥娯ж池з呪ㄙ壺扁冔堎嗂嗁夆娰堎傌浱
貙卅賶卮賯賶鈥堌夆ωз娰勝壺
.丿賵夭丕賯鈥堌夆囏促傐囐嗂嗃曗娰堎偺
Is there any path connecting your neighbourhood to mine?听
The sickness I suffer from love is so hard to bear, 听
I wonder, is there a cure?听
They say canola oil is a good remedy, 听
Smarter would I have been, 听
Not to fall for another鈥檚 lover.听听
貙卅蹏鈥呟曎勠曏壻嗏ㄛ団呟曎勠曏曗娰堎勝勜рㄘз呝壻冑壻喬
貙賷丕乇鈥ωж辟壺嘿夆娯з呚з嗏壻冔曎嗀屸聚曎娯必з嗃囐呪
.丿賵乇丕鈥ㄘз呝壻冑壻嗏
貙丿賵乇丕鈥曎娯囏屸堌必р曍囏屸傎壼嗁壻勠曗娯ж嘿壻嗁壧
貙卅蹠賯賱賶賲鈥ㄙ堎勜池р驰堎娵曍辟呟曎嗁呟囏屸聚曎娯必з嗃囐呪
.禺蹠賯賳賶诃鈥娯ж辟壻嗁夆
A tree without branches makes no shade,听
Friends no more in love hesitate to accept an invitation.v
The shadow of a tree grown in the riverbank, falls in the riverbank,听
If blessed with good fortune, this lady will be mine;听
Will be mine, this fine lady.听
貙爻丕賷賶鈥ㄙ堎勝呚з娯団愗臂曎冣簇з傎壻嗁夆冔曍迟冔曎嗀壻嗏冑壻娰壻喬
.趩賶賱賱賶爻丕鈥冔曎勝呟曍斥ωжж促勜ж扁冔嗂勝夆傌з勜贺з嗀壻嗏冑壻娰壻喬
爻丕賷丿丕鈥堎嗂曎嗏池з娾曍臂曍嗁壼池з娰壺迟夆池з娯贺р嗃堌篡曍必浱
.亘蹠禺鬲賶鈥ㄙ堎勜池р篡団囒嬝з嗁壼ωж壺辟夆傎堎勜贺р嗃堌篡曍扁
Endnotes:i听Female name.
ii听Male name. With a suffix as 鈥楪hojam鈥, it could refer to someone in a position of status.听
iii听A traditional Uyghur cuisine, manta is steamed buns with fillings. It is also used as a euphemistic reference to female genitalia.听
iv听Axun, or Akhun, refers to a religious leader; here Axunum - 鈥榤y Axun鈥.听
v听Friends here indicates 鈥榣overs鈥.听
脰尘盲谤-蚕补谤颈's grandson listens to his grandfather sing at home, 2014