The song was first performed in Tehran in by Ali Salimi's wife, Fatma Gannadi . It eventually reached global fame through the legendary performance of Rashid Behbudov , becoming a national anthem of longing and national revival for Azerbaijanis.

"Fikrimden geceler yatabilmirem" (I cannot sleep because of my thoughts).

The lyrics describe long, dark nights of insomnia and heartache, where the speaker cannot cast thoughts of the beloved from their mind.

In Turkey, the song gained immense popularity during the 1970s and 80s through covers by iconic artists like and Zeki Müren . It has since been adapted into numerous genres, including folk, pop, and jazz, by artists such as: Googoosh

"Ayrılık, ayrılık, aman ayrılık / Her bir dertten ala yaman ayrılık" (Separation, separation, oh separation / Harder than any other pain is separation).