45 – Khayala Masa (“The Intoxicated Seyed Khayal”)

Range: C, D, E, F, G, A (and A♭), B♭.

Variable notes: A.

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

This is one of the kalam maqams (sacred melodic-modal pieces of the tanbur repertoire, set to Yarsan religious verse), which according to Heydar Kaki is also counted among the “Hey Gyan” maqams. It has a slow, unhurried tempo and is usually sung with this refrain (sarband): “Gyan khayala masa / hey gyan hey gyan”. Note that this refrain, as transmitted by Heydar Kaki, differs slightly from the refrain given by Ali Akbar Moradi:

Khayala masa, kavat mavanu

Ta belva belva av kut makyanu

Takht sarana panat masparu

O intoxicated Seyed Khayal, the Beloved summons you, to become your guide

and to entrust to you the royal throne of Sarana.

This maqam is played on the notes “D, E, F, G, A♭ and B♭”.

Khayal is the person who became the successor of Baba Yadegar. Baba Yadegar had himself become the successor of Soltan Sahak. The “Throne of Sarana” was Baba Yadegar’s royal throne, which passed to Khayal. Note that, according to earlier writings, Baba Yadegar handed the succession to Khayal after his disputes with Shah Ebrahim; otherwise he would still have wanted to remain king. According to Ali Akbar Moradi, however, the reason for Khayal’s succession was that Baba Yadegar was childless, so that Seyed Khayal and Seyed Vesal were chosen to continue his path; and this kalam was in fact a testament that Baba Yadegar left to Seyed Khayal concerning the affairs of the Yarsan (Ahl-e Haqq).