The Viral ‘Tab Tabi’ Ramadan Song & Its 1,200-Year-Old History
- Fahad Bin Khalid
- March 10, 2025
- 6:01 pm
- 170
- Trending
A Ramadan Meme with a Hidden Past
The Tab Tabi Ramadan song has taken over social media this Ramadan. People use it in funny reels and memes. However, few know that this catchy tune comes from an ancient 1,200-year-old story.
The Origin of the ‘Tab Tabi’ Song
The story dates back to the 8th century Abbasid era. The ruler at that time, Caliph Al-Mansur, had an extraordinary memory. He could memorize an entire poem after hearing it once.
He challenged poets by making them recite their work in his court. After listening, he claimed he had heard the poem before. He would repeat it word for word and take credit for it. The poets lost their rewards because they could not prove their originality.
A Poet Outsmarts the Caliph
One poet, Al-Asma’i, realized the Caliph’s trick. He devised a plan to protect his poetry. He wrote a complex and unusual poem with a strange rhyme pattern and repetitive words.
The poem went like this:
“Fi wasat bustan halī, bazhar wal-surur lī
Wa laudu dandan danālī, at-tabl tabtab tabālī
Tab tabi tab tab tabālī, tab tabi tab tab tabālī”
The Caliph could not memorize or repeat the poem. For the first time, he failed. Al-Asma’i had won, and his poem remained his own.
From Folklore to a Viral Trend
This ancient tale has resurfaced in modern meme culture. The Tab Tabi Ramadan song is now a viral internet trend, blending history with humor.
Though this story remains a piece of folklore, it continues to entertain people, just as the song keeps us laughing today. Even after 1,200 years, its legacy lives on.
