Iraqi Folklore - Dagga Khaza’aliyah
We often hear about “the beloved’s hand is an Al-Khaza’aliyah’s hand,” especially in old classic folklore songs. Why this proverb or song, and what was a specific story behind it or reason for naming it? Why did poets and artists sing it and why did they do so?
Many stories exist in Iraqi folklore to explain the history of Dagga. A popular story is connected to the time of Prince Hamad Al Hamoud, Sheikh Al-Khaza’al clan in Southern Iraq, who was an opponent of the Ottoman occupation and fought many wars with the Turkish army during his time. The disputes went forth and back but in a decisive battle with the Ottomans, Prince Hamad achieved a brilliant victory.
Every great battle or tribal fight is called in the Iraqi dialect “Al-Dagga;” poets celebrate victories, singers chant the heroics, and travelers claim that the songs celebrating the Battle of Bin Hamoud were a great defeat of the Ottoman army.
Another story is that the British High Commissioner in Iraq considered Sheikh Khaza’al a troublemaker rather than an ally. A historic catastrophe occurred when a conspiracy was hatched between the British and Persians on a night in 1925.
That night, the Persian military commander-in-chief, who had a personal friendship with Sheikh Khaza’al, conspired to host him on board a Persian boat (Khuzestan) decorated with flags and illuminated by lights. He charmed the Shiekh with sweet words that concealed betrayal and treachery, just as the boat concealed its departure from Shat Al-Arab port. The conspirators quickly led him into exile in Tehran.
The British deception of Sheikh Khaza’al and the historic catastrophe became a popular example and a sad symbol of treachery and betrayal. Consequently, in the thirties, a tragic song was composed and sung by the singer Badriya Anwar.
The poets said at first “Ya-Daggat bin Hamoud Dagga Khaza’aliya,” but it was later changed to “Ya -Daggat al-Mahboob Dagga Khaza’aliya.”
Several famous artists have sung this beautiful song, such as Nazim Al-Ghazali, Salima Murad, Youssef Omar, Fouad Salem, Hamza Al-Saadawi, and many others, because of the beauty of the words and the sincerity of feelings.
The pleading words of the song continue to echo to this day in Iraqi folklore to signal betrayal: “Khaia, Sister, the passer-by will not accept carrying my message” and “I do not want them, nor do I want to see them come to me, the beloved bench hurts too much” and thus it is “Dagga Khaza’aliya.”