Foug Elna Khel ; Oriental Oud

Foug Elna Khel ; Oriental Oud

The oud or, in Arabic, al-ʿūd, is probably best known in the West for being the predecessor of the European lute and guitar. But it does have an independent life of its own in the history of early music, rooted in medieval cultural exchange between East and West. Beyond the West, there is a traditional story that Lamak, sixth grandson of Adam (the very first one), hung the remains of his son in a tree and used the desiccated skeleton to form the world’s first oud. The first evidence of instruments we can really say are ouds are in the art of the Assyrian and Babylonian era dating back to 2000 BC.
Despite how many civilizations, languages, empires, and cultures have ceased to exist; al-ʿūd remains as one of the very few symbols that represent the history of the region and its people. Each civilization admiring its distinct tune, each civilization adding their own touch to it making it what it is today; one of the oldest & most encompassing instruments in the world.

Foug Elna Khel is an Iraqi song, which captures and matches the melodic intentions of the instrument. A translation of the lyrics follow:
There above I have an intimate friend.
Is it his cheek that shone? Or is it the moon up above?
By God, I do not want him; his love troubles me.

Your cheek shone, my love, and lit over Baghdad.
God took his time creating you, and was indeed generous.
By God, I am taken with him; I don’t know what to do with myself.

By God, O water course, give my regards to them.
It’s so hard being apart; I do long for my loved ones.
By God, I do not want him; his love troubles me.

Hashim Salman

The Oud's face is made from spruce. The tuning pegs and fingerboard are constructed from ebony. Maple, walnut, palisander and mahogany are used for the bowl.
The Oud is 72.5 centimeters long, with a 19.5 centimeter neck. The soundbox is 53 centimeters in length, with a 33.5-centimetre maximum width and 18.5-centimetre depth.

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