One of the greatest scholars of Eastern music history, Abdulghadir Maraghai (1353-1435) was a talented musician, poet, and composer of his period. He gained great fame among his contemporaries as a singer with a soothing voice and pleasant tone, a skilled ud (or oud, stringed musical instrument) performer, and a talented painter and calligrapher.

In addition to calligraphy, painting, and composition, Abdulghadir also wrote poetry. His poems and songs written in three languages – Persian, Arabic, and Turkish, are considered some of the richest treasures of Eastern classical music literature. To date, apart from a few scientific articles and commentaries, the style, literary value, and significance of Maraghai’s works related to music theory have not been thoroughly and comprehensively studied.

Seven hundred years later, seven composers from around the world have reinterpreted some of Abdulghadir’s musical notations and melodies based on tasnifs (a type of song or vocal composition that is structured with a fixed rhythm and usually includes lyrics) derived from two other treatises. One of these composers is Farhad Fakhraddin, who is of Azerbaijani Turkic origin, and who is the conductor of the Iran National Music Orchestra and has composed music for the “Imam Ali” TV series based on this tasnif.

Contemporary Iranian musicologist Mohammadreza Darvishi also is one of the composers reviving Abdulghadir’s works in modern times. A group he formed, recorded some of Abdulgadir Maraghai’s songs and tasnifs performed by Humayun Shajarian, under the title “Saghinama”.

This article explores how music and poetry are united in the creativity of Abdulghadir Maraghai, one of the powerful representatives of Eastern poetry and art history, and how the synthesis of music with poetry creates harmony in his works.

At the same time, by examining Maraghai’s skills as an ud performer and singer, the historical significance of his in Eastern music culture is analyzed, as well as the impact of the his works and theories on the creativity of contemporary and later artists.