The dutar (Persian: دوتار, Tajik: дутор, Uyghur: دۇتتار, ULY: Duttar, Uzbek: dutor, Chinese: 都塔尔) (also dotar or doutar) is a traditional long-necked two-stringed lute found in Iran and Central Asia. Its name comes from the Persian word for "two strings", دو تار dotār (< دو do "two", تار tār "string"), although the Herati dutar of Afghanistan has fourteen strings. When played, the strings are usually plucked by the Uyghurs of Western China and strummed and plucked by the Tajiks, Turkmen, Uzbeks. Related instruments include the Kazakh dombra. The Dutar is also an important instrument among the Kurds of Khorasan amongst whom Haj Ghorban Soleimani of Quchan was a noted virtuoso. In Kormanji one who plays the dutar is known as a bakci (bakhshi), while in Azeri the term is ashiq.
At the time of the Dutar's humble origins in the 15th century as a shepherd's instrument its strings were made from gut. However, with the opening up of the Silk Road, catgut gave way to strings made from twisted silk imported from China. To this day some instruments still feature silk strings, although nylon strings are also commonly used.
Doesn't come down when she calls, "It's time for breakfast"
Momma can't get down those halls fast enough to see
Glass is sprayed across the floor from the broken window
She can't breathe anymore, can't deny what we know
They're gonna find you, just believe
You're not a person, you're a disease
All these lives that you've been taking
Deep inside, my heart is breaking
Broken homes from separation
Don't you know it's violation?
It's so wrong, but you'll see
Never gonna let you take my world from me
The world outside these walls may know you're breathing
But you ain't coming in, but you ain't coming in
Posters hung on building walls
Of missing faces
Months go by without the cause
The clues or traces
They're gonna find you, just believe
You're not a person, you're a disease
All these lives that you've been taking
Deep inside, my heart is breaking
Broken homes from separation
Don't you know it's violation?
It's so wrong, but you'll see
Never gonna let you take my world from me
The world outside these walls may know you're breathing
But you ain't coming in
Shed the light on all the ones
Who never thought they would become
A father, mother asking
Why this world can be so cold?
Doesn't come down when she calls
"It's time for breakfast"
The memories begin to fall
She asks, "When will I be free?"
All these lives that you've been taking
Deep inside, my heart is breaking
Broken homes from separation
Don't you know it's violation?
It's so wrong, but you'll see
Never gonna let you take my world from me
The world outside these walls may know you're breathing
But you ain't coming in
All these lives that you've been taking
Deep inside, my heart is breaking
All these lives that you've been taking
Deep inside, my heart is breaking
All these lives that you've been taking
Deep inside, my heart is breaking
The world outside these walls may know you're breathing
The world outside these walls may know you're breathing