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.
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.
