….na junoon raha na pari rahi – when neither you exist nor I exist
Junaid has sent this classic ghazal by one of the earlier, eclectic poets of Urdu language, Siraj Aurangabadi. The best part of his email is the translation by his relative – a Toronto based poet – Anis Zuberi. The translation is amazing as it delves into the deeper meanings of this great ghazal.
Anis Zuberi writes:
It is hard to translate classical poets. This ghazal of Siraj is like a flower, full of beauty and fragrance that one should smell and enjoy and not dissect. …Siraj Aurangabadi was one of the earlier poets of Urdu who came after Wali Dukkani. According to his biography for years, he was in a state of trance and used to remain naked. Khabar e-tahayyur-e-ishq is one of the his most famous Ghazals.
Khabar-e-tahayyur-e-ishq sunn, na junoon raha na pari rahi
Na toh tu raha na toh mein raha, jo rahi so be-khabari rahi
Learn oh absorbing love that neither the obsession (for the beloved) is left nor and the object (pari) of love survived. The only thing that is left is a state of self-unconsciousness: where neither you exist nor I exist.
Shah-e-bekhudi ne ataa kia, mujhay ab libas-e-barahanagi
Na khirad ki bakhiyagari rahi, na junoon ki pardadari rahi
My beloved (shah-e-bekhudi is a reference to the beloved. Knowing what little I know about Siraj I am leaning towards God as his object of love rather then a worldly being) has bestowed me with a dress of nakedness (libas-e-barahanagi). Neither the intellect (khirad) can repair it nor does the insanity (junoon) rip it. Meaning what a dress (nakedness) my beloved has conferred upon me! I am now free from the trouble of ripping it or mending it (depending on the mental state I am in). My focus is my beloved not my own appearance or even existence.
Chali simt-e-ghaib se aik hava, ke chaman zahoor ka jal gaya
Magar aik shakh-e-nihal-e-gham, jise dil kahe so hari rahi
A breeze came from the outer space (simt-e-ghaib) and burned the entire garden of existence (zahoor) but a branch of the tree of sorrow (nihal-e-gham) that is called heart remained green. Since in the first line poet is referring to a wind coming from the direction of God (ghaib) that has burned the whole existence (chaman) it can be assumed that tree of sorrow is a symbol of the poets own being. In the burned garden of existence he stood like a sad tree. Nothing grows on that tree except sadness, caused by the separation from his beloved. Now that entire existence is gone, only the abode of the beloved (heart) is survived.
Nazar-e-taghaful-e-yaar ka, gila kis zuban se bayan karoon
Ke sharab-e-sad-qadaah aarzu, khum-e-dil mein thi so bhari rahi
I am speechless (kis zuban). How can I complain the indifferent and uncaring glances (nazar-e-taghaful-e-yaar) of my beloved? After reading, the second line it is clear that he trying to say that I cannot complain about those cold looks or eyes that have granted me so much. I am indebted to those eyes. Why? My heart is brimming with his desire (aarzu) as if a vessel (khum) is filled with hundred goblets of wine (sharaab-e-sad-qadaah).
Woh ajab ghari thi mein jis ghari, liya dars nuskha-e-ishq ka
Ke kitab aql ki taaq main, jyun dhari thi tyun hi dhari rahi
In Urdu poetry, reason (aql-o-khirad) the product of mind is considered a source of selfishness and as it causes a person to make calculated move; as against altruistic emotions that come out of heart. A thoughtful person thinks about the consequences before taking any action. That is why it is assumed that a selfless love is motivated by heart and not mind. For that reason love and brain are just incompatible. Mind is deceitful, untrustworthy, selfish and devious whereas heart is pure, untainted and selfless. As Iqbal said:
bekhatar kuud para aatishe-namrood mein ishq
aql thi mehvi-tamasha-e-lab-baam abhi
That is what Siraj is saying that at that strange moment when I started taking lesson in love (dars-e-nuskha-e-ishq) I left my intellect or brain (kitaab-e-aql- book is synonymous with intellect as one needs brain to read or write) in an alcove, where it is lying ever since.
Tere josh-e-hairat-e-husn ka, asar iss qadar so yahan hua
Ke na aayine main jila rahi, na pari kuun jalva gari rahi
Bewildered by your beauty (Josh-e-hairat-e-husn), I had such a mark on my heart (yahan is a pointer towards the heart) that the heart (aayina means heart) has lost all its shine (the basic quality of a mirror) and angel (pari is used as simile to refer profound beauty) had no beauty left to reveal. (“so†means se and “kuun†means ko).
Kiya khak-e-aatish-e-ishq ne dil-e-benava-e-Siraj ko
Na khatar raha na hazar raha, magar aik be-khatari rahi
The fire of love (aatish-e-ishq) has burned the voiceless heart (dil-e-benava) of Siraj to the ashes. There is no feeling of vulnerability or threat left. Only freedom from fear (be-khatari) is left. (As Iqbal has used the word bekhatar: bekhatar kood para aatish-e-namrood mein ishq.)
Great translation!
Yes I also thought that this was rather splendid
Brings out the essence – as the original is nearly impossible to be translated in verse
Waah!
I wish some one could poetically translate it and other urdu poetry. I have not seen many good translations. Some are really funny and rediculous. Wants to read some good one? Here are few:
“”Go hatho mein jumbish nahin ——————-Rahne do abhi saghar -o- meena mere aage”” Ghalib.
“”No life my fluttering hands retain
Say not my love for wine a vain
Before me let the cups remain
Hands can not but eyes can drain.””
“” Rzzaq-e-do-jahan ke khazane ko kiya hua
Milta hai ghum woh bhi kisi ka diya hua”” Hafeez Jalundheri.
“”What has become to the teasure of GOD
who gives sustenance to both the worlds
I am given only grief
That too by some one else””.
superb
Muqarar-muqarar! Dil se shuqriya is intehayi khubsoorat tarjume ke liye! Kya zauq-e-nazar payi hain! Wah! Wah! Jeete rahen!
For newbeginners hindi-reading Zaug-e-sukandon ke liye, do check out ISBN 81-900253-0-9 :Intekhat-o-Lughat. Besides thematic anthology of 500 verses, it also contains a helpful dictionary of 10.000 Urdu words both in Hindi and English.
Wah… Jazak Allah!
beautiful and meaningful translation
Sorry to be a spoilsport but there are some glaring typos in transliteration.
“Woh ajab ghari thi mein jis ghari” should be “Woh ajab ghari thi keh jis ghari” but that is not a big deal. This one is:
“Tere josh-e-hairat-e-husn ka, asar iss qadar so yahan hua”, should be “Tere josh-e-hairat-e-husn ka, asar iss qadar so ‘AyaN’ hua”. YahaN and AyaN change the whole meaning of the verse. Look to the translation where Yahan is meant as ones heart, whereas AyaN means to come into view, to emerge. If I may offer an alternative:
Bewildered by your beauty (Josh-e-hairat-e-husn), the effect of it (the force of your beauty) emerged with such passionate energy that the mirror (heart) lost its shine and conventional good looks lost their efficaciousness.
All the best. Continue this great work.
SIR AAMIR, AYAN AND YAHAN DO FIT IN THE RHYME BUT i HAVE SEEN YAHAN IN ALL THE PLACES i FOUND THIS GHAZAL AND NEVR AYAN
yes there are some variations else where though. Like in some the last sher ends ….jo rahi so bekhatari rahi instead of …..magar ek bekhatari rahi.
In my opinion yahan seems to be more probable as the correct one. But then in 300 years who knows better.
Like I read that Ghalib wrote actually, aah ko chahiye ek umr asar hote tak.. and the whole world sings…. hone tak.
i think readers of this discussion will enjoy my podcast featuring the same ghazal
http://urdusher.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-podcast.html
awsom i loved it..
thanks zahoor
wah thnk u vry much it was vry nice specially explaination
This is amazing.Just amazing.Amir nice comments and corrections
So beatiful, can not even express. Opened a totally new world
COMMENDABLE
umda translation
Graet
beautiful..long wanted to know a lit more about this amazing ghazal..finally had it known to quite an extent.. Just great and so much moving with crisp translations come in handy 🙂
Z
MAGAR AIK SHAKH-E-NIHAL-E-GHAM, JISE DIL KAHE SO HARI RAHI
“Jise dil kahe so hari rahi” which means that when a person in love he even enjoys being in “gham”. So the poet really want to say is his sorrows are alive because his heart enjoys being in pain. That is what I understood.
What a treasure. Thanks for this post.
Soooooooooooo beautiful never listen or never see like this ghazal
My mother toung is Bengali.I read this exquisite piece and did not understand it really.Thanks for the explanation.What a treasure indeed.
Superb. Many thanks. In the makta, I think the last line is, Jo rahi so bekhabari rahi.
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