In Praise of Ali (2)
My back - by the grace of God and in devotion of Him -
is strong enough perhaps that I might attain
tot he Messenger and his intercession; I ask for no other
to plead for me with God but His Prophet, and to plead
for me with the Prophet none but his blessed Family,
with whom I shall go to him; no fear of taint
or contagion from hypocrites. The Religion of Allah
is the Prophet s kingdom and today all creatures
are his subjects, his Community. Your slave
does not owe you even half the obedience
that the Prophet s Community owes him.
He has ordered you not to kill your slave for disobedience
nor will he slay you for your rebellion;
do not sever yourself from his all-encompassing protection,
for he is the Guide of all creation, his message
has reached from one end of the world to the other.
After him, his Family are the Guides - reverence him
and turn not from his Family. If you know him not
then you must know his children - how else
in your bewilderment can you hope for his mercy?
Have you not heard to whom the Prophet entrusted
his dominion on the day of his Sermon by the ditch?
the one to whom allusion is made in the Book?
the one before whose courage the boldness of the unbelievers
faded like a lantern his up to the sun?
Who gave his ring to a beggar? to whom
all the descendants of the Prophet trace their family tree?
who slept in the Prophet s bed, while the Messenger
fled from his enemies in the Migration? to whom
the Prophet gave the banner in the battle of Badr
when all others quailed? the lion, the warrior
whom God has made all heroes to love?
On the field of battle our Prophet had no miracle
more potent than that man s might. It is he
who will distribute paradise and hell to the faithful
and unfaithful. He is the Gate of the City of Knowledge
which is the Prophet; no one but him
is worthy of that trust. If you seek the City
go to its gate, that felicity s light may brighten your heart.
Yes, he was the Prophet s miracle in battle
and Zulfiqar, his two-tongued sword, was his own miracle.
The Prophet was God s treasure, but he -
his mind and heart - were the Prophet s treasure.
The enemies of God s lion are beset with the disease of ill omen
and cannot be accused of anything but stupidity,
or the horror of an ass when it sees a lion.
Turn away, flee those infected with such prestige,
but if they show you honour, do not (for the sake
of dignity of Islam) refuse their reverence.
In disputation with them do not expect more
than dullness, for they have no other tool to use
but the gelid intellects, nothing to talk
but nonesense. When the chain of stupidity rusts shut
there s no escape. All their proof is simply abuse -
but who will listen to it on Resurrection Day?
Satan is powerful, yes, but his power lies
only in falsehood and cunning. God values
one above another for his faith - if you expect
succour from Him, give succour to His True Religion.
Put no stock in the moment s good luck
for fortune always hides destruction within it.
I find the world a faithless bawd -
do not mourn her loss. The only positive thing
one can say about her is that she s living proof
of the ephemerality of material good.
Her boon is bane - for no one shall escape death
who has drunk fro her cup - and therefore
do not cover her flawed and sickly benediction.
I ought not strive to gain her company
while she strives for nothing but y discomfort.
She gave me robe after rich robe of honour
then stole them all back, one by one.
Now that I lean for support on God and Islam
I grow weary o the world and of men
and by God s Grace I am freed of need
of anyone who does not need me. The blessed Quran
reposes in my heart, which is filled with peace.
Praise the Lord, that nothing burdens my back
but His favour and Grace, that thanks to the generosity
of the true Imam I have come to know his truth,
his certainty and the justice of his cause -
that matchless king whose domain, of all the earth,
is free of deviltry; who has robed Jupiter
in its constellation of Fortune of all auspiciousness
and joy. Lord, help me to spend my days and nights
in devotion to him, to string together from time to time
a few pious verses based on his knowledge and wisdom.
Reference
Forty Poems from the `Diwan' of Nasir Khusraw. Transl. by P. L. Wilson and Gholam R. Aavani. Tehran: Imperial Iranian Academy of Philosophy, 1977
"ISMAILI-SUFI-DARWISH-MYSTIC"ESOTERIC" POETRY
-
From_Alamut
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From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "THE ISMAILI SUFISM POETRY AND POEMS"
In Praise of the Prophet
I choose
the Quran
and the Faith of Muhammad
for those
where the choices
of Muhammad himself;
I know
if I practise the two
my Certainty
will become
as the Certitude
of the Prophet.
My key
to Paradise - my guide
to Felicity
the fortified Citadel:
what are they but
the Religion of Muhammad:
For us
he is the Messenger
of God - such
was the carving
on the seal-ring
of the Prophet.
Rooted in my heart:
the Faith
and the Book
as firmly
as in the heart
of Muhammad.
By God s Grace
my hope, my prayer
is to be
the least
of servants in the Community
of Muhammad.
My brother,
in the sea-depths
of religion
the Quran
is the pearl beyond price
of the Prophet;
every king
owns a treasure
of Mohammad.
Now look
to these riches,
this pearl:
who now
is custodian
of Muhammad s legacy?
You yourself
would bequeath your wealth
to your children;
just so are his children
the guardians
the heirs of the Prophet.
Ponder well:
you Muslims
will not fine
the jewels
but in keeping
of Muhammad s progeny.
Surely he handed
all down to him
who was
worthiest
of all Companions
of the Prophet.
Who was he,
the Companion?
his Wife
was the delight
of the eye
of Muhammad
and from this delight
and this Companion
were born
Hasan
and Husayn, the darlings
of Muhammad.
I have seen
in both worlds
the reality
of Husayn
and Hasan: the rose
and jasmine of the Prophet;
where
in heavcn and earth
could such blossoms spring
but in the garden
from the soil
of Muhammad?
I dare not
I tremble
lest I prefer
any creature
above these beloved ones
of God s Prophet.
The Book,
and the Sword
of the Lion of God:
these are bulwarks
beneath the firm Faith
of Muhammad.
Who stood
sword drawn
in every battle
who stood
at the right hand
of the Prophet?
The Sword of Ali
lent its aid
to the Quran
and Ali no doubt
was the Help
of Muhammad.
Ali:
in Islam
as Aaron to Mosses:
partner
companion
of the Prophet;
on the Last Day
Aaron and Moses
shall kiss
the Mantle of Ali,
the sleeve
of Muhammad.
Seek knowledge
he bid us
even in China :
Ah! What praise are mine
in the China
of Muhammad.
I heard
from the heir
of the Prophet
the honeysweet
words, the Sayings
of Muhammad;
my heart beheld
a mystery revealed
from the Origin
to Ali s heart
through the Prophecy
of Muhammad
and learned
from the babes of Fatimah
and her husband
the true
nature
of the Prophet.
Surely
I could have gained
no more than I gained
from that
illustrious child
of the Rank of Muhammad
surely
I could have gained
no more
had I lived
myself in the time
of Muhammad.
The Creator
of the Universe Himself
praise me
for my love
of Ali, my blessings
on the Prophet
and with the Blessing
of the Lord
of the Worlds
I dwell
in the Stronghold
of Muhammad.
Reference
Forty Poems from the `Diwan' of Nasir Khusraw. Transl. by P. L. Wilson and Gholam R. Aavani. Tehran: Imperial Iranian Academy of Philosophy, 1977 THE LAST POEM FROM THE END OF THE BOOK. May Allah Bless Pir Nasir Khusraw (as).....
Reference:
http://www.ismaili.net/Source/Fourty_Poems/fourty.htm
I choose
the Quran
and the Faith of Muhammad
for those
where the choices
of Muhammad himself;
I know
if I practise the two
my Certainty
will become
as the Certitude
of the Prophet.
My key
to Paradise - my guide
to Felicity
the fortified Citadel:
what are they but
the Religion of Muhammad:
For us
he is the Messenger
of God - such
was the carving
on the seal-ring
of the Prophet.
Rooted in my heart:
the Faith
and the Book
as firmly
as in the heart
of Muhammad.
By God s Grace
my hope, my prayer
is to be
the least
of servants in the Community
of Muhammad.
My brother,
in the sea-depths
of religion
the Quran
is the pearl beyond price
of the Prophet;
every king
owns a treasure
of Mohammad.
Now look
to these riches,
this pearl:
who now
is custodian
of Muhammad s legacy?
You yourself
would bequeath your wealth
to your children;
just so are his children
the guardians
the heirs of the Prophet.
Ponder well:
you Muslims
will not fine
the jewels
but in keeping
of Muhammad s progeny.
Surely he handed
all down to him
who was
worthiest
of all Companions
of the Prophet.
Who was he,
the Companion?
his Wife
was the delight
of the eye
of Muhammad
and from this delight
and this Companion
were born
Hasan
and Husayn, the darlings
of Muhammad.
I have seen
in both worlds
the reality
of Husayn
and Hasan: the rose
and jasmine of the Prophet;
where
in heavcn and earth
could such blossoms spring
but in the garden
from the soil
of Muhammad?
I dare not
I tremble
lest I prefer
any creature
above these beloved ones
of God s Prophet.
The Book,
and the Sword
of the Lion of God:
these are bulwarks
beneath the firm Faith
of Muhammad.
Who stood
sword drawn
in every battle
who stood
at the right hand
of the Prophet?
The Sword of Ali
lent its aid
to the Quran
and Ali no doubt
was the Help
of Muhammad.
Ali:
in Islam
as Aaron to Mosses:
partner
companion
of the Prophet;
on the Last Day
Aaron and Moses
shall kiss
the Mantle of Ali,
the sleeve
of Muhammad.
Seek knowledge
he bid us
even in China :
Ah! What praise are mine
in the China
of Muhammad.
I heard
from the heir
of the Prophet
the honeysweet
words, the Sayings
of Muhammad;
my heart beheld
a mystery revealed
from the Origin
to Ali s heart
through the Prophecy
of Muhammad
and learned
from the babes of Fatimah
and her husband
the true
nature
of the Prophet.
Surely
I could have gained
no more than I gained
from that
illustrious child
of the Rank of Muhammad
surely
I could have gained
no more
had I lived
myself in the time
of Muhammad.
The Creator
of the Universe Himself
praise me
for my love
of Ali, my blessings
on the Prophet
and with the Blessing
of the Lord
of the Worlds
I dwell
in the Stronghold
of Muhammad.
Reference
Forty Poems from the `Diwan' of Nasir Khusraw. Transl. by P. L. Wilson and Gholam R. Aavani. Tehran: Imperial Iranian Academy of Philosophy, 1977 THE LAST POEM FROM THE END OF THE BOOK. May Allah Bless Pir Nasir Khusraw (as).....
Reference:
http://www.ismaili.net/Source/Fourty_Poems/fourty.htm
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "THE ISMAILI SUFISM POETRY AND POEMS"
Shimmering Light: An Anthology of Ismaili Poetry
Dr Faquir M Hunzai
London: I. B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 1996.
ISBN (Hardback): 1 85043 907 9
ISBN (Softback): 1 86064 151 2
The literatures of the Islamic peoples are rarely known to Western readers, except for a few classics such as the poetry of Hafiz, the mystical verses of Mawlana Rumi and Omar Khayyam’s Ruba’iyyat. The paucity of reliable translations and of introductions into the complicated web of rhetorical devices, of allusions to the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition, the rich colours of hyperbolic speech and the measureless feelings expressed by the poets make it difficult for a non-tutored reader to appreciate this poetry in all its dazzling beauty. And even less known than Islamic poetry in general is that of its Ismaili community.
Among those who are connected with Ismaili literature one name, however, was known for a long time: that of Nasir Khusraw (d. after 1072 in northern Badakhshan). His travelogue, Safarnama, was formerly often used in European universities as the first reading book in Persian for its deceptively easy style. The Safarnama was edited and translated into French first by Ch. Schefer of Paris in 1881; during the same decade the German scholar H. Ethe as well as the French orientalist E. Fagnan edited and analysed some other works of the great philosopher-poet. E.G. Browne, well-known for his pioneering work on Persian literature, considered Nasir Khusraw one of the very rare Persian poets whose work would appeal to Western readers as he does not indulge in panegyric poetry but speaks honestly out of his heart, defending the true faith. However, despite E.G. Browne’s enthusiastic praise of Nasir Khusraw’s poetry, which was published in 1905, very few attempts were made to offer his verse, at least in part, to an English-speaking audience. For the mainstream orientalist, Nasir Khusraw’s poetry remained outside the normal course of Islamic studies, and only recently deeper research into his fascinating thought has begun.
One may compare his verse to the work of Ibn Hani, who lived a century before him in the farthest west of the Islamic world, in Andalusia, where he used his highly hyperbolical language to emphasize the Ismaili da‘wa, the call to the “true religion” - so much so that he had to leave his native country to become the panegyrist of al-Mu'izz, the Fatimid caliph who after the conquest of Egypt in 969 AD founded Cairo, al-Qahira al-Mu’izziyya, the capital of the Fatimid empire in which, under the inspiring rule of the Imam of the time, happiness and wealth seemed to reign and people prospered, as Nasir Khusraw shows in both his Safarnama and in some of his autobiographical poems.
Arabic and Persian poetry in honour of the true Imam and of the Ismaili Tariqah were by no means restricted to the classical time when the “Fatimid Sun”, as Nasir Khusraw sometimes calls it, was shining over parts of the East. Pious poets have poured out their hearts wherever small pockets of Ismailis were found, be it in Syria, be it in Eastern Iran, in Badakhshan, where Nasir Khusraw is still venerated as a miraculous saint and wise philosopher, and somewhat later in the vast areas of the western subcontinent, from Gujarat to the Panjab. There, the devotional songs of the community, the ginans, were composed, again, in a large variety of languages - songs, in which the Indian traditional imagery is used side by side with the philosophical vocabulary of the Ismaili tradition. These ginans again deserve an in-depth study owing to their linguistic problems and the complicated Khojki alphabet in which they were noted down till recently. And if the different yet familiar idioms of India and Pakistan were not enough to make our access to Ismaili devotional literature difficult, what can be said of hymns in Burushaski, a language absolutely unrelated to any other known language, and spoken to this day in the high valleys of Hunza?
The different languages used by the Ismaili community during the past millennium have meant that this literature has been a closed book for most people, even within the community - for a Syrian or Iranian Ismaili was or is not able to read and enjoy religious poetry in Sindhi, Burushaski or Shina, while the pious in the lowlands of Sind or Cutch might not be conversant with Arabic or Persian.
For this reason, a collection of Ismaili religious poetry in translation is most welcome to both the insider and the outsider. In this volume we follow the translators through their fine English renderings of a number of selected pieces from many of the linguistic areas in which Ismaili communities lived and still live, and we read with joy and deep admiration the poets’ various statements about the true faith, about the radiance of the Imam whose didar is the hoped-for goal of the believer. The strong faith which has inspired the original pieces is certainly reflected in the translators’ work, and every reader, from whatever religious background he or she may come, will enjoy this anthology and experience the intensity of religious feeling that touches his or her own heart.
The poems show a beautiful way to the “shimmering light” the poets have seen in their visions, a way that will inspire their readers. We hope, therefore, that the anthology may serve as a fine introduction into a hitherto inaccessible world, a world filled with ardent spiritual love and inexhaustible beauty.
(Adapted from the Foreward by Annemarie Schimmel of Shimmering Light: An Anthology of Ismaili Poetry. London: I. B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 1996.)
Reference:
http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=100721
Dr Faquir M Hunzai
London: I. B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 1996.
ISBN (Hardback): 1 85043 907 9
ISBN (Softback): 1 86064 151 2
The literatures of the Islamic peoples are rarely known to Western readers, except for a few classics such as the poetry of Hafiz, the mystical verses of Mawlana Rumi and Omar Khayyam’s Ruba’iyyat. The paucity of reliable translations and of introductions into the complicated web of rhetorical devices, of allusions to the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition, the rich colours of hyperbolic speech and the measureless feelings expressed by the poets make it difficult for a non-tutored reader to appreciate this poetry in all its dazzling beauty. And even less known than Islamic poetry in general is that of its Ismaili community.
Among those who are connected with Ismaili literature one name, however, was known for a long time: that of Nasir Khusraw (d. after 1072 in northern Badakhshan). His travelogue, Safarnama, was formerly often used in European universities as the first reading book in Persian for its deceptively easy style. The Safarnama was edited and translated into French first by Ch. Schefer of Paris in 1881; during the same decade the German scholar H. Ethe as well as the French orientalist E. Fagnan edited and analysed some other works of the great philosopher-poet. E.G. Browne, well-known for his pioneering work on Persian literature, considered Nasir Khusraw one of the very rare Persian poets whose work would appeal to Western readers as he does not indulge in panegyric poetry but speaks honestly out of his heart, defending the true faith. However, despite E.G. Browne’s enthusiastic praise of Nasir Khusraw’s poetry, which was published in 1905, very few attempts were made to offer his verse, at least in part, to an English-speaking audience. For the mainstream orientalist, Nasir Khusraw’s poetry remained outside the normal course of Islamic studies, and only recently deeper research into his fascinating thought has begun.
One may compare his verse to the work of Ibn Hani, who lived a century before him in the farthest west of the Islamic world, in Andalusia, where he used his highly hyperbolical language to emphasize the Ismaili da‘wa, the call to the “true religion” - so much so that he had to leave his native country to become the panegyrist of al-Mu'izz, the Fatimid caliph who after the conquest of Egypt in 969 AD founded Cairo, al-Qahira al-Mu’izziyya, the capital of the Fatimid empire in which, under the inspiring rule of the Imam of the time, happiness and wealth seemed to reign and people prospered, as Nasir Khusraw shows in both his Safarnama and in some of his autobiographical poems.
Arabic and Persian poetry in honour of the true Imam and of the Ismaili Tariqah were by no means restricted to the classical time when the “Fatimid Sun”, as Nasir Khusraw sometimes calls it, was shining over parts of the East. Pious poets have poured out their hearts wherever small pockets of Ismailis were found, be it in Syria, be it in Eastern Iran, in Badakhshan, where Nasir Khusraw is still venerated as a miraculous saint and wise philosopher, and somewhat later in the vast areas of the western subcontinent, from Gujarat to the Panjab. There, the devotional songs of the community, the ginans, were composed, again, in a large variety of languages - songs, in which the Indian traditional imagery is used side by side with the philosophical vocabulary of the Ismaili tradition. These ginans again deserve an in-depth study owing to their linguistic problems and the complicated Khojki alphabet in which they were noted down till recently. And if the different yet familiar idioms of India and Pakistan were not enough to make our access to Ismaili devotional literature difficult, what can be said of hymns in Burushaski, a language absolutely unrelated to any other known language, and spoken to this day in the high valleys of Hunza?
The different languages used by the Ismaili community during the past millennium have meant that this literature has been a closed book for most people, even within the community - for a Syrian or Iranian Ismaili was or is not able to read and enjoy religious poetry in Sindhi, Burushaski or Shina, while the pious in the lowlands of Sind or Cutch might not be conversant with Arabic or Persian.
For this reason, a collection of Ismaili religious poetry in translation is most welcome to both the insider and the outsider. In this volume we follow the translators through their fine English renderings of a number of selected pieces from many of the linguistic areas in which Ismaili communities lived and still live, and we read with joy and deep admiration the poets’ various statements about the true faith, about the radiance of the Imam whose didar is the hoped-for goal of the believer. The strong faith which has inspired the original pieces is certainly reflected in the translators’ work, and every reader, from whatever religious background he or she may come, will enjoy this anthology and experience the intensity of religious feeling that touches his or her own heart.
The poems show a beautiful way to the “shimmering light” the poets have seen in their visions, a way that will inspire their readers. We hope, therefore, that the anthology may serve as a fine introduction into a hitherto inaccessible world, a world filled with ardent spiritual love and inexhaustible beauty.
(Adapted from the Foreward by Annemarie Schimmel of Shimmering Light: An Anthology of Ismaili Poetry. London: I. B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 1996.)
Reference:
http://iis.ac.uk/view_article.asp?ContentID=100721
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "THE ISMAILI SUFISM POETRY AND POEMS"
The Season of Ogrisons
Brothers, by God, it’s the season of orisons,
Seek your desires, for it’s the time of needs.
It’s the resurrection that manifests every six thousand years,
Now, as it’s the seventh, there’s the lord of the resurrections.
If you don’t recognize the Imam of the Time in truth,
You will head for hellfire, despite your hundred thousand devotions.
All who recognized not their lord
Are certainly plunged in infidelity and darkness.
How can the secret remain hidden between God and his servant?
For God is the knower of mysteries and master of hidden things.
Abandon your caprice and fleshly thoughts, keep your eye steady on the goals,
For naught but nonsense is all in your heart, save him.
All I said from my own imaginings and analogies
Was but a fable and delusion in his presence.
Say the name of Mawlana with the innermost heart sincerity,
For he has become manifest, and his summons is the talk of the town.
From east and west the comrades have manifested,
But all of this is bound by a single indication.
In your grace, cast a glance upon your humble slaves,
For among the people there is much discourse.
Give the wine of yearning from the brimful goblet of Mawlana
For all of this is due to the mercy of the congregations.
Forgive Ibn Husam, your humble slave,
For he is imprisoned in the well of darkness.
Ismaili-Sufi Poet and Mystic Ibn Husam Khusafi (PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
Brothers, by God, it’s the season of orisons,
Seek your desires, for it’s the time of needs.
It’s the resurrection that manifests every six thousand years,
Now, as it’s the seventh, there’s the lord of the resurrections.
If you don’t recognize the Imam of the Time in truth,
You will head for hellfire, despite your hundred thousand devotions.
All who recognized not their lord
Are certainly plunged in infidelity and darkness.
How can the secret remain hidden between God and his servant?
For God is the knower of mysteries and master of hidden things.
Abandon your caprice and fleshly thoughts, keep your eye steady on the goals,
For naught but nonsense is all in your heart, save him.
All I said from my own imaginings and analogies
Was but a fable and delusion in his presence.
Say the name of Mawlana with the innermost heart sincerity,
For he has become manifest, and his summons is the talk of the town.
From east and west the comrades have manifested,
But all of this is bound by a single indication.
In your grace, cast a glance upon your humble slaves,
For among the people there is much discourse.
Give the wine of yearning from the brimful goblet of Mawlana
For all of this is due to the mercy of the congregations.
Forgive Ibn Husam, your humble slave,
For he is imprisoned in the well of darkness.
Ismaili-Sufi Poet and Mystic Ibn Husam Khusafi (PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
Last edited by From_Alamut on Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "THE ISMAILI SUFISM POETRY AND POEMS"
WE CUT OFF OUR HEARTS
We cut off our hearts from attachment to the world,
Regaling our souls by the light of God’s mercy.
Having liberated ourselves from the clutches of the demon of ego,
We serve the Imam of the Time with sincerity.
We from our hearts from the fraud of the internal devil,
Sacrificing our lives in the name of the lord of jinn and men.
We make the exalted name of the sovereign of faith,
Gharib Mirza, the litany of our tongues.
Sometimes he’s a child, sometimes a youth, sometimes an aged man.
‘Tis incumbent we make the prophetic tradition our sign.
May my life be sacrificed for ‘Azizi who has uttered what follows
I present to you a single couplet from his noble discourse:
Without doubt he is ‘Ali himself. In serving him
‘Tis not comely to lean an atom towards ‘why’ or ‘wherefore’.
While the folk of the law turn their faces towards the Ka’ba,
We make Anjudan our Ka’ba of reality.
For in the annihilation of the life of this world
Is everlasting life in that one – so hasten to long for life eternal!
By sinning and disobedience all of us have aged,
We become youths once again by the light of obedience to him.
When our spirit is liberated from the insinuation of the body,
We will make our nests in the neighbourhood of divine mercy.
If we remember our origin with probity,
In the manner of lovers, we will turn our faces towards the place of return...
Ismaili-Sufi Poet and Mystic Husayn (PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
We cut off our hearts from attachment to the world,
Regaling our souls by the light of God’s mercy.
Having liberated ourselves from the clutches of the demon of ego,
We serve the Imam of the Time with sincerity.
We from our hearts from the fraud of the internal devil,
Sacrificing our lives in the name of the lord of jinn and men.
We make the exalted name of the sovereign of faith,
Gharib Mirza, the litany of our tongues.
Sometimes he’s a child, sometimes a youth, sometimes an aged man.
‘Tis incumbent we make the prophetic tradition our sign.
May my life be sacrificed for ‘Azizi who has uttered what follows
I present to you a single couplet from his noble discourse:
Without doubt he is ‘Ali himself. In serving him
‘Tis not comely to lean an atom towards ‘why’ or ‘wherefore’.
While the folk of the law turn their faces towards the Ka’ba,
We make Anjudan our Ka’ba of reality.
For in the annihilation of the life of this world
Is everlasting life in that one – so hasten to long for life eternal!
By sinning and disobedience all of us have aged,
We become youths once again by the light of obedience to him.
When our spirit is liberated from the insinuation of the body,
We will make our nests in the neighbourhood of divine mercy.
If we remember our origin with probity,
In the manner of lovers, we will turn our faces towards the place of return...
Ismaili-Sufi Poet and Mystic Husayn (PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "THE ISMAILI SUFISM POETRY AND POEMS"
The Trusted Spirit
‘Ali of the age, lord of the time, master of the epoch,
From whose pleasure all your desires you find.
Commander of the epoch, the lord at whose court
A hundred kings like Alexander and Caesar you find.
Seated on the throne of ‘Whose is the Kingdom,’ by God!
Whatever you seek from the light of his friendship you find.
Shah Mustansir billah, the bearer of truth of both the worlds,
In the felicity of whose glance the garden of Ridwan you find.
Treasurer of knowledge divine, king of the throne, by whom
With ease the key to the mysteries of both this world and that you find.
The one signified by the parables of the verses of God’s word,
From him the interpretation of the hidden meaning of the Quran you find....
Day and night, by the nobility of his mighty name,
Weeping and composing his glories, the holy spirit you find.
Doubtless, the trusted spirit inspires such that
My heart hastening on the path to the inspirer you find.
Doubtless, the trusted spirit inspires such that
My heart hastening on the path to the inspirer you find.
From a single hallowed lineage, from ‘Ali till present times,
All, over both worlds, the lords of the command you find.
So long as existed the world, ‘twas never bereft of one of them,
So long as it shall exist, till the end of time, the very same you find.
Traversing the path of naming the Imams of truth,
Da’i The jewel of your speech is verity that from the mine you find.
Ismaili-Sufi Poet Dia Anjudani (PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
‘Ali of the age, lord of the time, master of the epoch,
From whose pleasure all your desires you find.
Commander of the epoch, the lord at whose court
A hundred kings like Alexander and Caesar you find.
Seated on the throne of ‘Whose is the Kingdom,’ by God!
Whatever you seek from the light of his friendship you find.
Shah Mustansir billah, the bearer of truth of both the worlds,
In the felicity of whose glance the garden of Ridwan you find.
Treasurer of knowledge divine, king of the throne, by whom
With ease the key to the mysteries of both this world and that you find.
The one signified by the parables of the verses of God’s word,
From him the interpretation of the hidden meaning of the Quran you find....
Day and night, by the nobility of his mighty name,
Weeping and composing his glories, the holy spirit you find.
Doubtless, the trusted spirit inspires such that
My heart hastening on the path to the inspirer you find.
Doubtless, the trusted spirit inspires such that
My heart hastening on the path to the inspirer you find.
From a single hallowed lineage, from ‘Ali till present times,
All, over both worlds, the lords of the command you find.
So long as existed the world, ‘twas never bereft of one of them,
So long as it shall exist, till the end of time, the very same you find.
Traversing the path of naming the Imams of truth,
Da’i The jewel of your speech is verity that from the mine you find.
Ismaili-Sufi Poet Dia Anjudani (PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "THE ISMAILI SUFISM POETRY AND POEMS"
Arise!
O heart, from your home in this shadowy container of dust, arise!
From caring for head, wealth, property and life, life the lovers, arise!
You’re trapped in the snare of the world’s bailt;
Cut away greed, from thoughts of this and that, arise!
Be not seduced by devislish colours
In the cause of servitude to the lord of the age, arise!
Leave to infidels the deceits and blandishments of the world;
In this age of trial, like a chivalrous knight, arise!
Do you desire salvation, O brother of mine?
Then with affection for the king of Anjudan, arise!
Iman of the age, Ali of the time, Shah Gharib;
Gird your loins in his service and from your soul, arise!
It’s time to decamp from this world, time to depart;
Why do you tarry while your companions have left? O Darwish, arise!
Ismaili-Darwish(PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
O heart, from your home in this shadowy container of dust, arise!
From caring for head, wealth, property and life, life the lovers, arise!
You’re trapped in the snare of the world’s bailt;
Cut away greed, from thoughts of this and that, arise!
Be not seduced by devislish colours
In the cause of servitude to the lord of the age, arise!
Leave to infidels the deceits and blandishments of the world;
In this age of trial, like a chivalrous knight, arise!
Do you desire salvation, O brother of mine?
Then with affection for the king of Anjudan, arise!
Iman of the age, Ali of the time, Shah Gharib;
Gird your loins in his service and from your soul, arise!
It’s time to decamp from this world, time to depart;
Why do you tarry while your companions have left? O Darwish, arise!
Ismaili-Darwish(PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "THE ISMAILI SUFISM POETRY AND POEMS"
WISDOM DIVINE
Those who caught the scent
Of wisdom divine,
Became slaves of Mustansir Bi’llah.
In love, those who become
Dust at this threshold
Surpass even the portico of the throne
On the basis of their eminence.
I became the slave of a sovereign,
So magnificent and glorious
That all who become his slaves
Become kings of both worlds.
I became a slave so fortunate
That all who beheld me declared:
‘What a lucky slave
Is he whose name is ‘Abd Allah, ‘the slave of God,’
The longing of this forlorn one
Was but to behold the face of the friend.
Praise be to God,
The heart gained what it desired!
Save for your essence,
In the universe you have no like;
Indeed, those who recognize you
Are peerless.
How wonderful! In every age
He appeared in a different form;
Sometimes he’s Mustansir,
Sometimes Salam Allah.
Sometimes an aged man,
A child or a fair youth he becomes;
Sometimes he ascends to the heavens for the ascension,
Or descends into a dark well.
If he appears in a hundred different forms,
Why should those of spiritual insight be anxious?
Those who see with the eye of the heart
Are guided to him aright.
Those who trod not this path
Following your command,
Indeed, though they be familiars of your court,
Are wayward and astray.
By God Almighty!
He who disobeys your order,
Though he may appear an elder of your court,
Is naught but a babe on the path.
O Lord!
In this lowly world, you know,
Years and months passed by;
I lived my life in heedlessness.
O Lord!
In this world for the sake of that one,
I sowed not a seed;
Now the season’s passed.
Then suddenly from the invisible world
An oracle whispered in the inner recesses of my heart:
‘Grieve not! For an unexpected felicity
Has been conferred upon you!’
Though I be bereft of worship,
I take joy in the certainty
That all who became beggars at this court
Become lords of majesty.
O Lord!
Though I’ve been mighty impudent,
I shall not grieve,
For your mercy is my companion.
I also ended with your name,
Since in the realms of faith and world,
The beginning of all tasks,
Commences with ‘In the Name of God.’
Ismaili-Sufi Khwaja Abd Allah-i Ansari (PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
Those who caught the scent
Of wisdom divine,
Became slaves of Mustansir Bi’llah.
In love, those who become
Dust at this threshold
Surpass even the portico of the throne
On the basis of their eminence.
I became the slave of a sovereign,
So magnificent and glorious
That all who become his slaves
Become kings of both worlds.
I became a slave so fortunate
That all who beheld me declared:
‘What a lucky slave
Is he whose name is ‘Abd Allah, ‘the slave of God,’
The longing of this forlorn one
Was but to behold the face of the friend.
Praise be to God,
The heart gained what it desired!
Save for your essence,
In the universe you have no like;
Indeed, those who recognize you
Are peerless.
How wonderful! In every age
He appeared in a different form;
Sometimes he’s Mustansir,
Sometimes Salam Allah.
Sometimes an aged man,
A child or a fair youth he becomes;
Sometimes he ascends to the heavens for the ascension,
Or descends into a dark well.
If he appears in a hundred different forms,
Why should those of spiritual insight be anxious?
Those who see with the eye of the heart
Are guided to him aright.
Those who trod not this path
Following your command,
Indeed, though they be familiars of your court,
Are wayward and astray.
By God Almighty!
He who disobeys your order,
Though he may appear an elder of your court,
Is naught but a babe on the path.
O Lord!
In this lowly world, you know,
Years and months passed by;
I lived my life in heedlessness.
O Lord!
In this world for the sake of that one,
I sowed not a seed;
Now the season’s passed.
Then suddenly from the invisible world
An oracle whispered in the inner recesses of my heart:
‘Grieve not! For an unexpected felicity
Has been conferred upon you!’
Though I be bereft of worship,
I take joy in the certainty
That all who became beggars at this court
Become lords of majesty.
O Lord!
Though I’ve been mighty impudent,
I shall not grieve,
For your mercy is my companion.
I also ended with your name,
Since in the realms of faith and world,
The beginning of all tasks,
Commences with ‘In the Name of God.’
Ismaili-Sufi Khwaja Abd Allah-i Ansari (PBUH)
Reference
Shafique N. Virani, "Post-Alamut Persian Poetry," in Hermann Landolt, Samira
Sheikh, Kutub Kassam, eds., An Anthology of Ismaili Literature: A Shi'i Vision of
Islam, London: I.B. Tauris, 2008, 291-296. (Reprint)
http://www1.utm.utoronto.ca/shafiquevirani/
Source:
http://anakin.utm.utoronto.ca/~shafique ... Poetry.pdf
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "ISMAILI SUFI POETRY AND POEMS"
On Praise of Hazar-i Imam
You’ve held my hand all through out my life
You will never let me go, I know you won’t
Your Deedar has filled me with happiness
Making my heart dance everyday
As I remember this occasion all day, everyday
As I celebrate and dance with my family
I feel you right beside me, smiling at me, dancing along
You’re my friend that I always talk to
You’re my mom and dad that I always cry by
You’re the most important person in my life
The person who guides through good and bad times
I know you love me more than I can ever love you
You can sacrifice your life for your murids
Oh Imam! Your Nur is everlasting
You’ve carried me
Holding my hand
Sitting right by me
laughing with me, crying with me
Oh Imam! I love you for what you have done for your murids
By: ~Safia Lakhani~
You’ve held my hand all through out my life
You will never let me go, I know you won’t
Your Deedar has filled me with happiness
Making my heart dance everyday
As I remember this occasion all day, everyday
As I celebrate and dance with my family
I feel you right beside me, smiling at me, dancing along
You’re my friend that I always talk to
You’re my mom and dad that I always cry by
You’re the most important person in my life
The person who guides through good and bad times
I know you love me more than I can ever love you
You can sacrifice your life for your murids
Oh Imam! Your Nur is everlasting
You’ve carried me
Holding my hand
Sitting right by me
laughing with me, crying with me
Oh Imam! I love you for what you have done for your murids
By: ~Safia Lakhani~
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "ISMAILI SUFI POETRY AND POEMS"
The people of the house of Prophethood
are the manifestations of light;
They are that which exists forever
and in what has already elapsed;
They are the ships of salvation for those
who come running to them with hope;
They are the rain abundant in moisture
and their grace is the best of springs;
The essence of their souls is knowledge
from a world beyond the intellects;
Indeed, it is their invitation which
rescues souls from the pit of destruction.
By:Shaykh Khudr (as)
Poem from: Shimmering Light: An Anthology of Ismaili Poems, ed. Faquir and Kutub Kassam, pub. I. B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 1997.
http://simerg.com/literary-readings/lit ... salvation/
are the manifestations of light;
They are that which exists forever
and in what has already elapsed;
They are the ships of salvation for those
who come running to them with hope;
They are the rain abundant in moisture
and their grace is the best of springs;
The essence of their souls is knowledge
from a world beyond the intellects;
Indeed, it is their invitation which
rescues souls from the pit of destruction.
By:Shaykh Khudr (as)
Poem from: Shimmering Light: An Anthology of Ismaili Poems, ed. Faquir and Kutub Kassam, pub. I. B. Tauris in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies, 1997.
http://simerg.com/literary-readings/lit ... salvation/
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "ISMAILI SUFI POETRY AND POEMS"
~Holy Wise Ginan ~
“All the feelings “I” melt from heart,
When one falls in love with the Beloved,
The eyes turn into ceaseless streams of tears;
And everyday for the lover becomes a sleepless vigilance
If he were a bird, he would fly and receive the Deedar of the Beloved’s Face
Indeed, I am lost in ecstasy in company of my Beloved,
And embrace my Beloved warmly,
If I had the powers of a bird, I shall at once fly to my Beloved,
For the spiritual joys of Life Beyond,
My over-self has sacrificed all the Joys –
The Millions of Ecstasies of this world.
“My beloved’s arrows of love have pierced my heart and have coloured it with love;
In the sorrows of my Beloved’s separation, I wander madly.
Renouncing the company of the society and
The family I have drifted away from the world,
and yet (in my loneliness) my Beloved has
Not come to inquire my state.
“The heart which feels the bitterness
(Of separation)
Can never have the sleep of calm tranquillity,
And all the worldly love and worries are gone
(From the heart)
And day and night his eyes shed the tears of blood.
If I were to be ‘wedded’ to my Beloved, now,
Then, in my heart I shall lay the mat.
There shall I meet Him in the bonds
of Nur (Light)
Then I shall cling to Him forever,
and shall never hold any one’s hands.”
By: The Great Ismaili Hujjat Hazrat Pir Saddardin (Pbuh)
“All the feelings “I” melt from heart,
When one falls in love with the Beloved,
The eyes turn into ceaseless streams of tears;
And everyday for the lover becomes a sleepless vigilance
If he were a bird, he would fly and receive the Deedar of the Beloved’s Face
Indeed, I am lost in ecstasy in company of my Beloved,
And embrace my Beloved warmly,
If I had the powers of a bird, I shall at once fly to my Beloved,
For the spiritual joys of Life Beyond,
My over-self has sacrificed all the Joys –
The Millions of Ecstasies of this world.
“My beloved’s arrows of love have pierced my heart and have coloured it with love;
In the sorrows of my Beloved’s separation, I wander madly.
Renouncing the company of the society and
The family I have drifted away from the world,
and yet (in my loneliness) my Beloved has
Not come to inquire my state.
“The heart which feels the bitterness
(Of separation)
Can never have the sleep of calm tranquillity,
And all the worldly love and worries are gone
(From the heart)
And day and night his eyes shed the tears of blood.
If I were to be ‘wedded’ to my Beloved, now,
Then, in my heart I shall lay the mat.
There shall I meet Him in the bonds
of Nur (Light)
Then I shall cling to Him forever,
and shall never hold any one’s hands.”
By: The Great Ismaili Hujjat Hazrat Pir Saddardin (Pbuh)
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "ISMAILI-SUFI-DARWISH-MYSTIC"ESOTERIC" PO
"It is in remembrance
of Allah that
the heart finds rest."
~Quran 13:28
of Allah that
the heart finds rest."
~Quran 13:28
-
From_Alamut
- Posts: 666
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:22 am
Re: "ISMAILI-SUFI-DARWISH-MYSTIC"ESOTERIC" PO
All that is on earth
will perish;
But will abide (forever)
The Face of your Lord,
full of Majesty, Bounty
and Honour."
Holy Qur'ran, 55:26,27
will perish;
But will abide (forever)
The Face of your Lord,
full of Majesty, Bounty
and Honour."
Holy Qur'ran, 55:26,27
Bhajan Rang De Chunariya by Anup Jalota |
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ7yhBX9DJg
Lyrics and translation.
Rang De Chunariya English Translation
Rang De Chunariya is a Hindi Bhajan song with deep meaning for Krishna devotees. The best rendition is by Anup Jalota when he sang it live at the ISKCON temple. The songs were available in a double LP album known as Bhajan Sandhya. The meaning of chunariya requires some explanation because it is usually an outer garment covering that a female wears, however the song uses this as a powerful symbol to mean something very different. One of the central concepts of Krishna Consciousness is that our bodies are coverings like clothes, and after we die, the soul simply discards the body and comes back in a new one, as one would change clothes. Therefore, the beauty of this is that chunariya symbolises the body.
In Bhakti movement, one of the aims is to be like God, who is composed of infinite colours (wisdom). Therefore, asking god to paint your body (chunariya) in his colours is extremely desirable for Krishna devotees, because it also includes mind, heart, and soul. Therefore, chunariya represents all of those things as well. Mira understands the importance of this because without it she knows that she would never be able to go home to Lord Krishna. She expresses that she does not want any old colours and it has to be the same as HIS colours. Furthermore, she specifies that the colours should be such that they never come off, thus never forgetting the wisdom of god. Additionally, she specifies that even if the laundry-men wash it for their entire lives, then it should still not come off. Therefore, she wants this wisdom of God to be permanent in her.
This is a difficult song to understand if you did not read the classical back-stories of Mira and Krishna. However if you were fortunate to read them in the original Sanskrit then it is simple. In this song, Shyaam is another name for Lord Krishna, and since this is from the point of view of Mira, she refers to him as piya, which approximates to beloved (husband). The back-story of Mira was that she did not remarry after her earthly husband dies, and thereafter always considers Krishna to be her husband.
There are also other names for the Lord such as Giridhar Nagar, and Prabhu. Giridhar is simply another name given to Krishna because he lifted the mountain Giri with his hand (dhar). During this time, the mountain gave refuge (underneath it) to living things for protection. Mira refers to Krishna as Giridhar Nagar when she wishes to call upon his "all powerful" nature and kindness for giving refuge. The meaning in the song is that if he can lift mountains, then surely it is a trivial matter for him to paint her in his colours. Mira knows that Shyaam, Hari, and Prabhu are all names of Krishna, therefore she bows at their feet successively and asks Giridhar Nagar to colour her.
Lyrics and English Translation
Rang de chunariya...
Paint my body...
Shyaam piya, mori rang de chunariya.
Oh Lord, (please) paint my body.
Aisi rang de, ke rang nahi choote,
Paint it such, that the colours never come off,
dhobiya dhoye chahey, ye sari umariya.
even if the laundry-men wash it all of their lives.
lal na rangavu mei,
I do not want red,
hari na rangavu,
I do not want green,
Apne hi rang me, rang de chunariya.
Paint my body in YOUR colours.
Bina rangaye mai to, ghaar nahi jaoongi,
Without (god’s wisdom) colours, I will not go home,
biti he jaaye chaahe, yeh sari umariya.
even if it takes my whole life.
Mira ke prabhu, Giridhar Nagar,
Mira’s says, "Lord Giridhar Nagar",
(Questions)
Jal se patla kaun hai?
What is thinner than water?
Kaun bhumi se bhari?
What is heavier than earth?
Kaun agan se tej hai?
What is hotter than fire?
Kaun kajal se kali?
What is blacker than kajal (eyeliner)?
(Answers)
Jal se patla gynan hai,
Thinner than water is knowledge (of God),
aur paap bhumi se bhari.
(and) sin is heavier than earth.
Krodh agan se tej hai,
Anger is hotter than fire,
aur kalank kajal se kali.
(and) shame is darker than kajal.
Mira ke prabhu, giridhar nagar,
Mira’s says, "Lord Giridhar Nagar",
Prabhu charanan me,
At Prabhu’s feet,
Hari charanan me,
At Hari’s feet,
Shyaam charanan me,
At Shyaam’s feet,
Lagi najariya,
With a fixed gaze,
Shyaam piya, mori rang de chunariya...
Oh Lord, (please) paint my body (in your colours)...
Lyrics and translation.
Rang De Chunariya English Translation
Rang De Chunariya is a Hindi Bhajan song with deep meaning for Krishna devotees. The best rendition is by Anup Jalota when he sang it live at the ISKCON temple. The songs were available in a double LP album known as Bhajan Sandhya. The meaning of chunariya requires some explanation because it is usually an outer garment covering that a female wears, however the song uses this as a powerful symbol to mean something very different. One of the central concepts of Krishna Consciousness is that our bodies are coverings like clothes, and after we die, the soul simply discards the body and comes back in a new one, as one would change clothes. Therefore, the beauty of this is that chunariya symbolises the body.
In Bhakti movement, one of the aims is to be like God, who is composed of infinite colours (wisdom). Therefore, asking god to paint your body (chunariya) in his colours is extremely desirable for Krishna devotees, because it also includes mind, heart, and soul. Therefore, chunariya represents all of those things as well. Mira understands the importance of this because without it she knows that she would never be able to go home to Lord Krishna. She expresses that she does not want any old colours and it has to be the same as HIS colours. Furthermore, she specifies that the colours should be such that they never come off, thus never forgetting the wisdom of god. Additionally, she specifies that even if the laundry-men wash it for their entire lives, then it should still not come off. Therefore, she wants this wisdom of God to be permanent in her.
This is a difficult song to understand if you did not read the classical back-stories of Mira and Krishna. However if you were fortunate to read them in the original Sanskrit then it is simple. In this song, Shyaam is another name for Lord Krishna, and since this is from the point of view of Mira, she refers to him as piya, which approximates to beloved (husband). The back-story of Mira was that she did not remarry after her earthly husband dies, and thereafter always considers Krishna to be her husband.
There are also other names for the Lord such as Giridhar Nagar, and Prabhu. Giridhar is simply another name given to Krishna because he lifted the mountain Giri with his hand (dhar). During this time, the mountain gave refuge (underneath it) to living things for protection. Mira refers to Krishna as Giridhar Nagar when she wishes to call upon his "all powerful" nature and kindness for giving refuge. The meaning in the song is that if he can lift mountains, then surely it is a trivial matter for him to paint her in his colours. Mira knows that Shyaam, Hari, and Prabhu are all names of Krishna, therefore she bows at their feet successively and asks Giridhar Nagar to colour her.
Lyrics and English Translation
Rang de chunariya...
Paint my body...
Shyaam piya, mori rang de chunariya.
Oh Lord, (please) paint my body.
Aisi rang de, ke rang nahi choote,
Paint it such, that the colours never come off,
dhobiya dhoye chahey, ye sari umariya.
even if the laundry-men wash it all of their lives.
lal na rangavu mei,
I do not want red,
hari na rangavu,
I do not want green,
Apne hi rang me, rang de chunariya.
Paint my body in YOUR colours.
Bina rangaye mai to, ghaar nahi jaoongi,
Without (god’s wisdom) colours, I will not go home,
biti he jaaye chaahe, yeh sari umariya.
even if it takes my whole life.
Mira ke prabhu, Giridhar Nagar,
Mira’s says, "Lord Giridhar Nagar",
(Questions)
Jal se patla kaun hai?
What is thinner than water?
Kaun bhumi se bhari?
What is heavier than earth?
Kaun agan se tej hai?
What is hotter than fire?
Kaun kajal se kali?
What is blacker than kajal (eyeliner)?
(Answers)
Jal se patla gynan hai,
Thinner than water is knowledge (of God),
aur paap bhumi se bhari.
(and) sin is heavier than earth.
Krodh agan se tej hai,
Anger is hotter than fire,
aur kalank kajal se kali.
(and) shame is darker than kajal.
Mira ke prabhu, giridhar nagar,
Mira’s says, "Lord Giridhar Nagar",
Prabhu charanan me,
At Prabhu’s feet,
Hari charanan me,
At Hari’s feet,
Shyaam charanan me,
At Shyaam’s feet,
Lagi najariya,
With a fixed gaze,
Shyaam piya, mori rang de chunariya...
Oh Lord, (please) paint my body (in your colours)...
Bhajan: Aisi Lagi Lagan English Translation
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drszYwxBvpE
Aisi lagi lagan loosely translates to English as; "such an attachment occurred". It is a Hindi Bhajan song about a lady known as Mira (also written as Meera, and Mirabai, and Mira Bai) who had such a strong connection with God, after seeing the light, that she gives up all material desires in search for him and eventually attains him. Anup Jalota sings the best version of this song when he gave a special live performance at ISKCON temple. A double LP set known as Bhajan Sandhya immortalises his amazing voice and singing talent at this event.
This song with full lyrics is set in classical chords, to convey an 18th centaury setting during which time the bhakti movement was spreading. The lyrics also convey some of the main principles and teachings of God Lord Krishna. In chapter 18, text 65, the Lord says the following.
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo 'si me
In this passage, God says that to become his devotee, you must always think of him, and offer homage. He never forgets such people because they are dear to him. Therefore the lyrics of Aisi lagi lagan begins with the idea that if your eyes always see the Lord, your head always bows to the feet of the Lord, your mouth always utters the name of the Lord, your hands always pray to the Lord, then such a person who sacrifices their whole life in love of the Lord is never forgotten in this world.
The lyrics also mention some of the main events in Mira’s life. It mentions the time when her in-laws were trying to kill her, but every attempt failed because the Lord intervenes just in time. One such time was when her bother-in-law (Rana) gave her poison to drink, but the Lord turns it into ambrosia (amruth) that instead gives everlasting life.
If you are new to this genre of music, then you might find all the different names of Krishna confusing because Mira refers to him as "premi preetham" which approximates to beloved husband. The lyrics also refer to Lord Krishna as Govind Gopal, Shyam, Prabhu, Bhagavan, Hari, and Mohan, which all approximates as the Lord God.
An accurate English translation is difficult for this song as some of the words are unique. Jogan is usually a woman who gives up all material needs and desires in favour of a simple life like that of a nun, and therefore the closest translation could be holy-woman.
Range mohan ke rang, is a difficult concept to translate. The idea to paint oneself in the colours of the Lord by talking and speaking about him all the time is parallel to becoming like god by trying to understand him.
Here are translations of some of the other words.
Lagan is a type of attachment to do with affection.
Magan describes someone who is immersed, absorbed or engrossed.
Toke approximates to interrupt.
Lyrics English Translation
Hain ankh woh, jo shyam ka, darshan kiya kare
If the eyes are that, which always sees the Lord
Hain shish, jo prabhu charan me, vandan kiya kare
If the head is that which bows to the feet of the Lord in prayer
Bekaar woh mukh hai, jo rahe vyarth baathon me
Useless mouth is that, which wastes time in worthless talk
Mukh woh hai jo, hari naam ka, sumiran kiya kare
(but) If the mouth is that, which always prays the Lord’s name
Heera moti se nahi shobha hai hath ki,
Hands are not for adorning with diamonds and pearls,
hai hath, jo bhagavan ka poojan kiya kare,
(but) If hands are always praying to the Lord,
(Then...)
Mar kar bhi, amar naam hai, us jeev ka jag me
Even after death, the name of that soul lives forever in this world
prabhu prem me, balidaan jo, jeevan kiya kare
if they sacrifice their whole life loving the Lord
Aisi lagi lagan...
Such an attachment occurred...
Aisi lagi lagan, Mira ho gaye magan,
Such was the attachment, (that) Mira became engrossed,
woh toh gali-gali hari-gun gane lagi.
she sang from street-to-street praising the Lord.
Mahaalo mei pali, banake jogan chali,
Grew up in a palace, (but) left to become a holy-woman,
Mira-rani diwani kahane lagi.
(everyone) said that Queen Mira has (become) quite mad.
Koi roke nahin, koi toke nahin,
No one could stop her, no one could interrupt her,
Mira govind gopaal gane lagi.
Mira kept singing to the Lord.
Baithe santon ke sang, range mohan ke rang,
She sat in the group of sages, painting (herself) in the Lord’s image,
Mira premi preetham ko manane lagi.
Mira continued persuading (her) beloved husband (Lord Krishna).
Rana ne vish diya, mano amruth piya
Rana gave her poison, (but) (she) considered it ambrosia
Mira sagar ma saritha samane lagi
Mira joined into the Lord’s Ocean like a river
Dukh lakho sahe, mukh se govind kahe,
(She) endures millions of sufferings, (but only ever) utters the name of the Lord
Mira govind gopaal gane lagi
Mira continued singing to the Lord
https://www.petervis.com/gallery/web/bo ... ation.html
Aisi lagi lagan loosely translates to English as; "such an attachment occurred". It is a Hindi Bhajan song about a lady known as Mira (also written as Meera, and Mirabai, and Mira Bai) who had such a strong connection with God, after seeing the light, that she gives up all material desires in search for him and eventually attains him. Anup Jalota sings the best version of this song when he gave a special live performance at ISKCON temple. A double LP set known as Bhajan Sandhya immortalises his amazing voice and singing talent at this event.
This song with full lyrics is set in classical chords, to convey an 18th centaury setting during which time the bhakti movement was spreading. The lyrics also convey some of the main principles and teachings of God Lord Krishna. In chapter 18, text 65, the Lord says the following.
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo 'si me
In this passage, God says that to become his devotee, you must always think of him, and offer homage. He never forgets such people because they are dear to him. Therefore the lyrics of Aisi lagi lagan begins with the idea that if your eyes always see the Lord, your head always bows to the feet of the Lord, your mouth always utters the name of the Lord, your hands always pray to the Lord, then such a person who sacrifices their whole life in love of the Lord is never forgotten in this world.
The lyrics also mention some of the main events in Mira’s life. It mentions the time when her in-laws were trying to kill her, but every attempt failed because the Lord intervenes just in time. One such time was when her bother-in-law (Rana) gave her poison to drink, but the Lord turns it into ambrosia (amruth) that instead gives everlasting life.
If you are new to this genre of music, then you might find all the different names of Krishna confusing because Mira refers to him as "premi preetham" which approximates to beloved husband. The lyrics also refer to Lord Krishna as Govind Gopal, Shyam, Prabhu, Bhagavan, Hari, and Mohan, which all approximates as the Lord God.
An accurate English translation is difficult for this song as some of the words are unique. Jogan is usually a woman who gives up all material needs and desires in favour of a simple life like that of a nun, and therefore the closest translation could be holy-woman.
Range mohan ke rang, is a difficult concept to translate. The idea to paint oneself in the colours of the Lord by talking and speaking about him all the time is parallel to becoming like god by trying to understand him.
Here are translations of some of the other words.
Lagan is a type of attachment to do with affection.
Magan describes someone who is immersed, absorbed or engrossed.
Toke approximates to interrupt.
Lyrics English Translation
Hain ankh woh, jo shyam ka, darshan kiya kare
If the eyes are that, which always sees the Lord
Hain shish, jo prabhu charan me, vandan kiya kare
If the head is that which bows to the feet of the Lord in prayer
Bekaar woh mukh hai, jo rahe vyarth baathon me
Useless mouth is that, which wastes time in worthless talk
Mukh woh hai jo, hari naam ka, sumiran kiya kare
(but) If the mouth is that, which always prays the Lord’s name
Heera moti se nahi shobha hai hath ki,
Hands are not for adorning with diamonds and pearls,
hai hath, jo bhagavan ka poojan kiya kare,
(but) If hands are always praying to the Lord,
(Then...)
Mar kar bhi, amar naam hai, us jeev ka jag me
Even after death, the name of that soul lives forever in this world
prabhu prem me, balidaan jo, jeevan kiya kare
if they sacrifice their whole life loving the Lord
Aisi lagi lagan...
Such an attachment occurred...
Aisi lagi lagan, Mira ho gaye magan,
Such was the attachment, (that) Mira became engrossed,
woh toh gali-gali hari-gun gane lagi.
she sang from street-to-street praising the Lord.
Mahaalo mei pali, banake jogan chali,
Grew up in a palace, (but) left to become a holy-woman,
Mira-rani diwani kahane lagi.
(everyone) said that Queen Mira has (become) quite mad.
Koi roke nahin, koi toke nahin,
No one could stop her, no one could interrupt her,
Mira govind gopaal gane lagi.
Mira kept singing to the Lord.
Baithe santon ke sang, range mohan ke rang,
She sat in the group of sages, painting (herself) in the Lord’s image,
Mira premi preetham ko manane lagi.
Mira continued persuading (her) beloved husband (Lord Krishna).
Rana ne vish diya, mano amruth piya
Rana gave her poison, (but) (she) considered it ambrosia
Mira sagar ma saritha samane lagi
Mira joined into the Lord’s Ocean like a river
Dukh lakho sahe, mukh se govind kahe,
(She) endures millions of sufferings, (but only ever) utters the name of the Lord
Mira govind gopaal gane lagi
Mira continued singing to the Lord
https://www.petervis.com/gallery/web/bo ... ation.html