49 – Soltan-e Dine 2 (“The Sultan of Our Faith”)

Range: D, E, F, G.

Time signatures in the metric sections: 5/4, 7/4.

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 has a fixed rhythmic cycle, with 12 beats (7+5) in each cycle. This maqam differs from its earlier counterpart in performance and in its melodic and rhythmic progression. The refrain (sarband) of this maqam, too, is the first couplet itself:

Soltan ina ya Ali, ya Ali

Pir Benyamina sha Ali, sha Ali

Our sultan, our master and our spiritual guide is Pir Benyamin.

The four principles of the Yari (Yarsan) faith referred to in the text of the maqam are as follows: purity, truthfulness, self-effacement and chivalry. These principles were set down by Soltan Sahak and are rooted in the three ethical principles of ancient Iran: good speech, good deeds and good thought.