Ашу́г (ашык) (азерб.: Aşıq, арм.: Աշուղ, перс.: عاشیق)[1] — народны спявак-паэт у азербайджанцаў[1][2][3][4] і армян[3][4][5], а таксама іншых народаў Закаўказзя[6]. З’яўляецца эквівалентам менестрэля ў англійскай і трубадура ў французскай сярэднявечнай традыцыі[7]. У азербайджанскай музычнай традыцыі ашуг акампануе сабе на сазе(руск.) бел.[3], граючы таксама пад музыку балабана і дафа(руск.) бел.[8]; у армянскай — на тары(руск.) бел., кеманчы(руск.) бел.[3], сантуры, кануне(руск.) бел., сазе[9] і кемані(руск.) бел.[10].
In the popular domain, the ʿāšeq bards have never stopped singing in cafes and at family celebrations, accompanying themselves on the sāz (čoḡūr in Azerbaijani Persian) and also accompanied by the reed flute (bālamān) and the tambourine (qawan[w]āl).
Typically, an ashugh treated his profession -and his instrument - with deep respect. He would often create songs dedicated to his own role or to the instrument he was using. The instruments, primarily strings, varied; they included the k’amanch’a, k’eman, k’anon, s’az, far, and violin. As a rule, the last stanzas of a song would give the author’s name or pseudonym. Many Armenian ashughner compiled manuscripts of their lyrics, although the melodies were transmitted as an oral tradition. The most prominent representatives of the tagher and ashugh art of this period are Naghash Hovnat’an (1661 – 1722) and Paghtasar Dpir (1683 - 1768); their lyrics have been published, and their melodies are still sung today.