Sawt Safir al-Bulbul (; translated as ''the sound of the nightingale's whistle'') is an

8th century The 8th century is the period from 701 (represented by the Roman numerals DCCI) through 800 (DCCC) in accordance with the Julian Calendar. In the historiography of Europe the phrase the long 8th century is sometimes used to refer to the peri ...

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

poem Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

attributed to

al-Asmaʿi Al-Asmaʿi (, ''ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Qurayb al-Aṣmaʿī ''; –828/833), or Asmai was an Arab philologist and one of three leading Arabic grammarians of the Basra school. At the court of the Abbasid caliph, Hārūn al-Rashīd, as polymath a ...

History

Al-Asma'i challenged the

Abbasid The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 C ...

caliph A caliphate ( ) is an institution or public office under the leadership of an Islamic steward with Khalifa, the title of caliph (; , ), a person considered a political–religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad and a leader of ...

Abu Ja'far al-Mansur, after he had put pressure on

poets A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

. He used to memorize the poem the first time he heard it, so he would claim that he had heard it before. After the poet finished reciting the poem, the caliph would recite the poem to him. He had a

slave Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

boy A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is usually described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy ...

who memorized the poem after hearing it twice, so he would bring him to recite it after the poet recited it, and then the caliph. He also had a slave

girl A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. While the term ''girl'' has other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionary.com, "Girl"'' Retrieved January 2, 2008. '' daughter'' or '' girlfriend'' regardless of age ...

who memorized the poem the third time, so he would bring her to recite it after the slave boy to confirm to the poet that the poem had been recited before and was in fact his own composition. He did this with all poets, so the poets turned out disappointed and frustrated, especially since the caliph had set a reward equal to the weight of the poem written on in gold for anyone who could not recite a poem. When al-Asma'i heard of this, he said that the caliph was "tricking and deceiving people", after which he prepared a poem himself, with varied words and strange meanings. He dressed as a

bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu ( ; , singular ) are pastorally nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia (Iraq). The Bedouin originated in the Sy ...

and disguised himself, as he was well-known to the

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Attribution to al-Asma'i

Some critics doubt the authenticity of the poem's attribution to al-Asma'i due to linguistic errors and other problems. Historians have also reported that al-Asma'i was in contact with Caliph Harun al-Rashid and was one of his companions, but that it has never been reported that he was a companion of al-Mansur and that if it were true, historians would have mentioned it. Al-Asma'i was born in 121 AH, and Al-Mansur ruled from 136 AH to 158 AH. Thus, Al-Asma'i would have been in his early youth during this era. Based on his biography, at this time he was acquiring knowledge, gathering news, and meeting with bedouins, but had not yet been in contact with any of the prince or caliph. It has also been mentioned that the poem's authenticity is weak and that no one has narrated it except in the book "''Alam ul-Nasi bima waqae lil baramikati ma bani al-Abbasi''" () by Muhammad ibn Diab al-Itlidi.

Online popularity

In early 2025, the poem gained wide popularity on social media, being the background music for the so-called "''Tab-Tabi cat''", a

cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

with "a

beard A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, beards are most commonly seen on pubescent or adult males, though women have been observed with beards ...

and green taqiyah", especially before

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

.{{Cite web , date=2025-03-18 , title=Viral 'Tab Tabi Tab' meme has a 1,200-year-old history! , url=https://www.samaa.tv/2087330020-viral-tab-tabi-tab-meme-has-a-1-200-year-old-history , access-date=2025-03-18 , website=www.samaa.tv , language=en The original cat is called "Mario", whose Malaysian owner makes videos of him dressing up in different costumes on Instagram.

References

Poems in Arabic