Manzil-e-Sufi

A friend of mine asked me to translate this Sindhi Sufi poem. It is a simultaneously flattering and very scaring responsibility, because now I know for sure there is one person who is looking for what I write, and so I must do well. The poem is by a Sufi mystic Sachal Sarmast. His name in Sindhi translates to Truthful Mystic. Interestingly, Sindhi and Urdu scripts are almost entirely similar!

This poem adheres to the Sufi philosophy. Selfless love, without any expectations of any return or result. The lover mentioned in Sufi poetry is most often God, or a teacher or another mystic, and not necessarily a romantic lover. 

Before I begin translating the poem, I recall a few lines from a Punjabi Sufi song about Heer and Raanjha, the couple in Indian folk stories who epitomize never ending love and devotion. 

Heer says:

Raanjha raanjha kardi ve main appe Raanjha hoi, 

Raanjha Ranjha saddo ni menu Heer na akkho koi.

Let us move now to Manzil-e-Sufi, The Sufi's Destination.

Mullaan maar na maikon jhirkoon,

Don't hit me, don't punish me for it,

Maikon apnaan yaar manaawan de
Let me charm my beloved, let me please him (she is willing to go to any lengths to maker her lover happy, even socially forbidden lengths)

Kanjri ban ke saadi izatt naan ghatdi
Becoming a kanjri (lowly, courtesan-esque) does not lower my honour.

Saakoon nach ke yaar manaawan de
Let me dance, and please my beloved.

Jogan theesaan yaar de picchhon
I'll become a jogan, a fakeer in pursuit of my beloved.

Saakoon gal wich maalhra paawanr de
Let me wear the jogan's braid in my neck. (The rosary that sadhus and sadhvis often wear)

Ghulaam fareeda ondi oah jaane
O Farid, he knows his own heart best. (Again, the Sufi love that expects no return, she just wants to love her beloved, regardless of his reciprocation, if any at all)

Saakoon apni tor nibhaawan de
Let me just fulfill my pledge.

Main taan koi khayaal haan
I am really just a thought

Hun milsaan naal
Now I can only be met with-

Milsaan naal khayaal de
I can only be met with through a thought.

Main taan koi khayaal
I am really just a thought

Main deedar deedar main wich
I am the vision and the vision is in me (I am not sure what 'vision' means here, perhaps God)

Pahriyam des wisaal de
I rove in the land of union

Hun milsaan naal
Now I can only be met with

Milsaan naal khayaal de
I can only be met with through a thought

Main taan koi khayaal
I am really just a thought

Sachal sach karenda zaahir
"Sachal" makes the Truth apparent
(Using the poet's name in the last lines of a poem is traditional in Urdu poetry, and is known as the takhallus, or pen-name of the poet. Like Mirza Asadullah Khan 'Ghalib').

Illah kaan qitaal de
Except it would result in battle-

Hun milsaan naal
Now I can only be met with-

Milsaan naal khayaal de
I can only be met with through a thought

Main taan koi khayaal haan
I am really just a thought

Main taan koi khayaal
I am really just a thought.

As an afterthought, I am tempted to believe the second half of the poem refers to God, and how he is an idea, and can only be met with through an idea. Sachal makes the truth apparent, but since it would amount to blasphemy, he fears it will lead to battle. I might be totally misplacing my interpretation, but I strongly suspect this is what it means. 

Aigiri Nandini.

I like Aigiri Nandini and I got to know of it only recently. This song in praise of Goddess Durga is much more popular in the southern states than here in the North. It puts Durga in an amazing light. She is this absolutely beautiful woman, sweet and charming, and at the same time, she is the mother of the universe, the feeder of the triloka or the Three Worlds, one who takes care of all that could go wrong. She kicks sad demon asses for breakfast and raises war cries worthy of only the daughter of the Mountains and the Oceans. Durga is someone everyone can look up to. Men and women alike. 

I am not an authority on Sanskrit, at all. I read a lot of translations, some missing in a few details, and some misinterpreted, and referring to literal meanings of many of these words, came up with the following three paragraphs (the original poem has around 21 paragraphs!). 

अयि गिरिनन्दिनि नन्दितमेदिनि विश्वविनोदिनि नन्दिनुते
गिरिवरविन्ध्यशिरोऽधिनिवासिनि विष्णुविलासिनि जिष्णुनुते ।
भगवति हे शितिकण्ठकुटुम्बिनि भूरिकुटुम्बिनि भूरिकृते
जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ १ ॥

Praise be to you, daughter of the Mountains, praised by the world, who fills the world with joy and happiness, whom Nandi himself praises,

Who resides on the peak of the king of the mountains, Vindhya, who lives with Vishnu (as his sister) and is praised by Lord Indra,

O Goddess, wife of the lord with blue neck, the mother of the Universe, the creator of prosperity. 

Glory to you, O vanquisher of Mahishasura, O beautiful daughter of the Mountains.

सुरवरवर्षिणि दुर्धरधर्षिणि दुर्मुखमर्षिणि हर्षरते
त्रिभुवनपोषिणि शङ्करतोषिणि किल्बिषमोषिणि घोषरते
दनुजनिरोषिणि दितिसुतरोषिणि दुर्मदशोषिणि सिन्धुसुते
जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ २ ॥

You who shower even the Gods with your blessings, the one who defeated Duradhara and Durmukha, the joyous one, 

The nourisher of the three worlds, the consort of Shankara, the destroyer of sin and the one with the furious war cries,

The killer of Danu's and Diti's demon children, destroyer of the demons' pride, daughter of the Ocean.

Glory to you, O vanquisher of Mahishasura, O beautiful daughter of the Mountains.

अयि जगदम्ब मदम्ब कदम्ब वनप्रियवासिनि हासरते

शिखरि शिरोमणि तुङ्गहिमलय शृङ्गनिजालय मध्यगते ।
मधुमधुरे मधुकैटभगञ्जिनि कैटभभञ्जिनि रासरते
जय जय हे महिषासुरमर्दिनि रम्यकपर्दिनि शैलसुते ॥ ३ ॥

Glory to the mother of the Universe, my own mother, the dweller of the forests of Kadamba trees, who delights in laughter, 

Who resides on the jeweled peaks of the Himalayas, who walks mildly, and makes herself beautiful*

As sweet as honey, who humbled the demons Madhu and Kaitabha, and killed them, indulging in battle cries,

Glory to you, O vanquisher of Mahishasura, O beautiful daughter of the Mountains. 

*I have been told that in Indian scriptures Madhyagati (medium pace) is a mark of an ideal woman, and is part of her shringaar.

The new song of revolt.

Shorish-e-barbat-o-nay, The new song of revolt, by Faiz. Barbat literally translates to Lute/Harp)  

Ye haath salaamat hain jab tak, 

Is khoon mein haraarat hai jab tak

Till the life in these hands of ours remains,

Till the warmth in this blood of ours remains, 

Is dil mein sadaaqat hai jab tak,
Is nutq mein taaqat hai jab tak. 

Till honesty in this this heart of ours remains, 

Till the power in this tongue of ours remains.

In tauq-o-salaasil ko hum tum,
Sikhlaaenge shorish-e-barbat-o-nay

To these shackles and chains, you and I,

Will teach the melody of the new song of revolt.

Wo shorish jiske aage zuboon,
Hungaama-e-tabl-e-qaisar-o-kay

The revolt before which are humbled,

The war cries of the mighty Caesars.

Azaad hain apne fikr-o-amal,
Bharpoor khazeena himmat ka

Free are our thoughts and expressions

Full of the treasures of courage.

Ik umr hai apni har saa'at
Imroz hai apna har farda

Our every hour is a life in itself,
Every tomorrow of ours, is today.

Ye shaam-o-sahar ye shams-o-qamar
Ye akhtar-o-kaukab apne hain

This night, this morning, this sun, this moon

The stars in the sky, these all are ours. 

Ye lauh-o-qalam ye tabl-o-alam
Ye maal-o-hasham sab apne hain

This tablet and pen, this drum and flag,

These treasures, are to serve us here.  

Speak

I am translating another nazm by Faiz. It is called Bol. Speak.

Bol, ke lab azaad hain tere,

Bol, zubaan ab tak teri hai.

Speak, for your lips are free,

Speak, your voice is still yours.

Tera sutwaan jism hai tera,
Bol ki jaan ab tak teri hai.

Your strong body is still yours,

Speak, for your life is still yours.

Dekh ke aahangar ki dukaan mein,
Tund hain sho'le, surkh hain aahan,

Look how in the blacksmith's shop,

Glowing ambers and crimsoned iron are.

Khulne-lage quflon ke dahaane,

Phaila har ek zanjeer ka daaman

Look how all padlocks have been undone,

Look how all chain links are broken.

Bol ye thoda waqt bahut hai,

Jism-o-zabaan ki maut se pehle,

Speak, for this little time is enough,

Before your body and voice betrays you.

Bol, ke sach zinda hai ab tak

Bol, jo kuchh kehna hai keh le.

Speak, for the truth is still alive

Speak, speak whatever you will.

Dasht-e-tanhaai

Dasht-e-tanhaai is a nazm by Faiz Ahmed Faiz. The title translates to Desert of loneliness. I decided to translate it because I think the poem is too beautiful to suffer at the hands of petty things like language barriers.

Dasht-e-tanhaai mein, ai jaan-e-jahaan, larzaan hain
Teri avaaz ke saanye, tere honthon ke saraab

In the desert of my loneliness, oh love of my life, quiver the shadows of your voice, the mirages of your lips.

Dasht-e-tanhaai mein, doori ke khas-o-khaak tale
Khil rahe hain tere pehlu ke saman aur gulaab.

In my desert of loneliness, buried within the ash and dust of distance, blossom the jasmines and roses of your proximity.

Uth rahi hai kaheen, qurbat se, teri saans ki aanch,
Apni khushbuu mein sulagti hui, maddham maddham

From somewhere close, rises the flame of your breaths, smoldering in its own fragrance, slowly.

Door ufuq paar, chamakti hui, qatra qatra

Gir rahi hai teri dil daar nazar ki shabnam

Far beyond the horizon, glittering, bit by bit falls the dew of your gracious gaze.

Is qadr pyaar se, ai jaan-e-jahaan rakkha hai,
Dil ke rukhsaar pe, is vaqt teri yaad ne haath

Love of my life, I feel your memories caressing the blushing cheeks of my heart, with such delicacy, such love, 

Yoon gumaan hota hai, garche hai abhi subah-e-firaaq
Dhal gaya hijr ka din, aa bhi gaye vasl ki raat

That although it's still the morning that marks our separation, the day of parting is gone and the night of our union already feels close.


Meesha Shafi has woven another magic of a very different kind in this very beautiful rendition of Dasht-e-tanhaai.
Dasht-e-Tanhaai, CokeStudio