54 – Davud Na Kura (“Davud in the Furnace of the Sun”)

Range: C, D (and D♭), E, F, G, A (and A♭).

Variable notes: D, A.

Tuning: Haft Dastan or Barz (C, C, G)

It is one of the kalam maqams, the sacred melodic-modal pieces of the Yarsan (Ahl-e Haqq) tanbur repertoire; according to Heydar Kaki, because of the complexity of its melody it is performed by skilled kalam singers, and it evokes a mood reminiscent of Chahargah in Persian traditional music. The refrain (sarband) of this maqam is its first couplet:

Davu na kura-y kavsar vardan tav

Khwajay Benyamin har vishan aftav

Holy Davud has been tempered in the furnace of the sun,

and our master Benyamin is himself the sun.

The kalam of this maqam praises Pir Davud and Pir Benyamin and is transmitted from the daftar (verse collection) of Darvish Nowruz Sourani, which was mentioned earlier.