Ṭālamā Ashkū Gharāmī (طالما أشكو غرامي), “How Long I Have Suffered This Heartache”, is a popular Arabic devotional song from the Levant. Written by the Ottoman–era Syrian poet, composer and playwright Shaykh ‘Abd al-Hādī al-Wafā’ī, it is a deeply moving expression of infatuation, longing and yearning for the Prophet ﷺ. It is sung in the maqām of Nahāwand, to the tune of the Turkish folk song “Üskudar’a gider iken”—a tune shared by local folk songs throughout the former Ottoman Empire. Some variation is found in the lyrics and exact order of lines; the last two lines (verse 7) are a later addition. The epithet “Tihāmī” in the second line of the poem refers to the area of Tihāmah, a name for the westernmost region of the Arabian peninsula, along the Red Sea. (Note: This hymn contains istighātha.)
Lyrics
– verse 1 / refrain –
طَالَمَا أَشْكُو غَرَامِي يَا نُورَ الْوُجُودْ
وَأُنَادِي يَا تِهَامِي يَا مَعْدِنَ الْجُودْ
Ṭaalamaa askhoo gharaamee yaa nooral–wujood
Wa unaadee yaa tihaamee yaa ma‘dinal–jood
How long I have suffered this heartache – O light of the universe! –
Calling out, “O Tihāmī, O wellspring of goodness!”
Audio Samples
(Unidentified) 🎙️
Al Kawthar Ensemble 🪘
Mesut Kurtis 🎶
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