"Kajaki"

"Kajaki" marks Zahir's foray into a musical genre specific to the Panjshir province of Afghanistan. Qarsak, the musical genre, is similar to other genres indigenous to rural Afghanistan in its reliance on catchy rhythms more so than complex, poetic lyrics. "Kajaki" made Qarsak more accessible to people in urban areas of Afghanistan because of its introduction by an artist loved by all.

This song, like Zahir's others, is simple instrumentally as well; only using a few instruments to carry the catchy rhythm. The chorus "Kajaki abroyet neshe gazhodam ast/ Che koonam afsose malem mardom ast." means "Your eyebrows are like a scorpion's tail/ What can I do if they don't belong to me." (This is meant as praise for her beautiful face, and regret for her not "being his" metaphorically.  He's not suggesting he wants to own her eyebrows.) Scorpions are common everywhere in Afghanistan so making such a comparison resonates with most people.

The rest of the song details her other features he admires; the final verses "Senan mezghan senanet ra bebosam/ Kebab az gham begiram gesoyaat ra" translate to "I want to kiss your eyelashes/If only I could hold on to your hair." These are standard lyrics for an Afghan song, unlike what you would expect from someone as politically-opinionated as Zahir.

Maybe because Qarsak was a new genre for him, he decided to keep "Kajaki" palatable for everyone no matter their political beliefs. Islam is not alluded to, possibly because Qarsak music is intended for dancing and talking about religion slightly dulls that. Another possibility for this lack could be the people of Panjshir province's (who are the primary creators and listeners of Qarsak music) varying religious beliefs. Panjshir is home to Sunni and Shia Muslims, maybe Zahir recognized a potential divide if this song referenced Islam and wanted to keep it acceptable for everyone thus did not even mention it.