Poems Of India - XXVII

Before

the grey reaches the cheek,

the wrinkle the rounded chin

and the body becomes a cage of bones:

before

with fallen teeth

and bent back

you are someone else's ward:

before.

you drop your hand to the knee

and clutch a staff:

before

age corrodes

your form:

before

death touches you:

worship

our lord

of the meeting rivers!

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

When a whore with a child

takes on a customer for money,

neither child. nor lecher

will get enough of her.

She'll go pat the child once,

then go lie with the man once,

neither here nor there.

Love of money is relentless,

my lord of the meeting rivers.

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

Translation - Dard Se Mere Hai Tujko (Ghalib)

dard se mere hai tujhko beqarari haaye haaye
kya hua zaalim teri ghafalatashi’aari haaye haaye

Line 1/2 - From my pain, restless you are, alas! what happened o! cruel one, to your previous attitude of casual indifference. How have things changed! Now, my state of misery and despair makes you restless and anxious. What happened to that previous state of indifference towards my condition. Alas! There is no respite anyways, earlier it your lack of concern to my pain, and now you are anxious and restless for my condition.  

tere dil mein gar na tha aashob-e-gham ka hausala

tu ne phir kyun ki thi meri gham-gusaari haaye haaye

Line 3/4 - If in your heart, there was not enough courage for the tumult of the grief. Then why again did you dissipate my grief, alas! The poet says if there no strength in your heart for the brutality or the commotion of grief, then why did you eat my grief. Why did you give me relief only to take it away again. Alas! I was better off earlier when you were indifferent to my state of pain. 

kyun meri gham-khwaragi ka thujhko aaya tha khayal

dushmani apni thi meri dostdaari haaye haaye

Line 5/6 - Why did it come to your mind to share my sorrow. Alas! my friendship is akin to enmity with yourself. The poet says why the thought of being my consoler crossed your mind. You have disgraced yourself in the public eye by exposing yourself as my friend. You were better off earlier when you were indifferent to my pain. 

umar bhar ka tune paiman-e-vafa badha to kya

umr bhar ko bhi to nahin hai paayadaari haaye haaye

Line 7/8 - You have made a lifelong vow of faithfulness, so what! a lifelong too is not a certainty - alas! The poet says, what good is your promise of faithfulness, if your life itself is faithful. Alas! what am I to do with your lifelong vow, when you are not alive anymore!

zahar lagti  hai mujhe aab-o-hawa-e-zindagi

yaani tujhse thi  ise nasaazgaari haaye haaye

Line 9/10 - It feels like poison to me, the weather and air of life. That is, because of you, it's in a state of affliction - alas! The poet says because of you (your faithfulness or maybe your death), I am in such a state of distress and affliction that even the climate and air and water around me feels like poison. You died living and breathing this air water of life and I also feel the same poison living every moment. 

gulafishaani haaye naaz-e-jalwa ko kya ho gaya

khaak par hoti hai teri laalaakaari haaye haaye

Line 11/12 - What has happened to the shower of flowers that graced on view of the beautiful one! On your dust, it is the tulips now doing their thing. alas! What became of the showering of flowers on sight of the beauty. Alas! now it's just the flowers on your grave.

sharm-e-rusavaa_i se ja chhupna naqaab-e-khaak mein

khatm hai ulfat ki tujh par pardadaari haaye haaye

Line 13/14 - To go from the shame of disgrace or dishonor and hide in the veil of dust! It is the end for you of keeping the veil (secrecy) of love - alas! The poet says, by getting exposed of our friendship and the dishonor that followed, you have hidden behind a veil of dust by dying. With it, the veil of secrecy on our love also finds its end! The wordplay on the 2 lines on paardah and naqaab-e-khaak makes for an interesting reading. 

khaak mein naamus-e-paimaan-e-muhabbat mil gayi

uth gayi duniya se rah-o-rasm-e-yari haaye haaye

Line 15/16 - With your death the honor or reputation of the proof of your love is all mixed up in dust. Departed from this world is the ways and the practice of friendship - alas! With your death, not only has our love turned to dust. Also, the ways of friendship have also left this world. Our friendship was turned into dishonor! what will become of the practice of friendship now!

haath hi tegaazama kaa kaam se jaata raha

dil pe ek lagne na paaya zakhmkaari haaye haaye

Line 17/18 - The hand of the sword bearer was itself slowly getting futile and ineffective. The heart managed to not get a single mortal wound - alas! The poet says before I was to be mortally wounded in the heart by the beloved, unfortunately the hand of the sword bearer lost its grip. I would have loved to have that mortal wound that would have stayed with me lifelong! but alas! it was not to be, for she is no more alive to slay us with those glances and gestures!

kis tarah kaate koi shab'ha-e-taar-e-barshigal

hai nazar khu-kardah-e-akhtar-shumari haaye haaye

Line 19/20 - How does anyone pass the dark nights of the rainy season? The eyes are customed to counting of the stars - alas! The poet says earlier during sleep-less nights of longing and separation, he would spend hours habituated to counting of the stars in the night sky. How to pass nights now, in this rainy season for the unrelenting tears (possible word play on rains) in the eyes makes the gaze unclear and unable to decipher the stars in the night!

gosh mahjuur-e-payaam-o-chashm-e-mahrum-e-jamal

ek dil, tis par ye na-ummid-vaari haaye haaye

Line 21/22 - The ear is separated from the message and the eyes are deprived of the beauty. One heart on which this hopelessness - alas! The pet says my ears do not get the exhilarating message of the beloved and my eyes are deprived of her glances. We have just one heart and so much hopelessness to bear indeed! 

ishq ne pakda na tha "Ghalib" abhi vahashat ka rang

rah gaya tha dil mein jo kuchh zauq-e-khwaari haye haye

Line 23/24 - Love and passion have not taken hold, Ghalib, the colors of terror yet. Whatever has remained in the heart that some taste of humiliation - alas! The poet says O Ghalib! my passion has still not reached a stage where the state of madness and terror consumes myself. There is some taste of contempt and disdain for myself in my heart, but alas! her death has nipped my chances of total madness.  

Meaning of difficult words

ghafalatashi’aari = attitude of carelessness

aashob = tumult / uproar

hausala = strength

gam-gusaari = sympathize, 'sorrow-eating'

gham-khwaaragi = to share in the sorrow

dostadaari = friendship

paimaan-e-vafaa = vow of faithfulness

paayadaari = certainty

naasaazagaari = fault / wrong / inadaptability

gulafishaani = shower of flowers

naaz-e-jalvaa = a view of beauty

laalaakaari = tulips growing, string of flowers

sharm-e-rusavaa_i = shame of getting a bad reputation

naqaab-e-khaak = a veil of mud/ashes

ulfat = love

pardaadaari = secrecy

naamus-e-paimaan-e-mohabbat = honor/reputation of proof of love

rah-o-rasm-e-yari = way and practice/ritual of friendship

tegaazama = sword-bearer, person holding sword

zakhmkaari = deep or mortal wound

shab'ha-e-taar-e-barshigal = black nights of rainy season 

khu-kardah-e-akhtar-shumari = habit/custom of counting of stars 

mahjuur-e-payaam = separated from message

chashm-e-mahrum-e-jamal = eyes deprived of beauty

vahashat = fear, terror 

zauq-e-khwaari = a taste for being humiliated

Read more posts on Ghalib.

Poems Of India - XXVI

I went to fornicate,

but all I got was counterfeit.

I went behind a ruined wall,

but scorpions stung me.

The watchman who heard my screams

just peeled off my clothes.

I went home in shame,

my husband raised weals on my back.

All the rest, O lord of the meeting rivers,

the king took for his fines.

to fate.

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

Looking for your light,

I went out:

it was like the sudden dawn

of a million million suns,

a ganglion of lightnings

for my wonder.

O Lord of Caves,

if you are light,

there can be no metaphor.

--ALLAMA PRABHU [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

Poems Of India - XXV

You went riding elephants.

You went riding horses.

You covered yourself

with vermilion and musk.

O brother,

but you went without the truth.

you went without sowing and reaping

the good.

Riding rutting elephants

of pride, you turned easy target

to fate.

You went without knowing

our lord of the meeting rivers.

You qualified for hell.

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

A fire

in every act and look and word.

Between man and wife

a fire.

In the plate of food

eaten after much waiting

a fire.

In the loss of gain

a fire.

And in the infatuation

of coupling

a fire.

You have given us

five fires

and poured dirt in our mouths

O Ramanatha.

--DĒVARA DĀSIMAYYA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

Translation - Iss Shahr-e-Sang-Dil Ko Jala Dena (Muneer Niyazi)

is shahr-e-sañg-dil ko jalā denā chāhiye
phir us kī khaak ko bhī udā denā chāhiye

Line 1/2 - This stone-hearted city needs to be burned to the ground! Then its ashes needs to be flung in the winds. The poet says this cold brutal place needs to be consigned to the flames and then its ashes needs to thrown away. Such is the state of despair that not only the place needs to go, but not even its vestiges can stay for it reminds of the hopelessness of their existence. No trace needs to be left of it. The context here is not necessarily the place or people as such, but more of the behaviour (maybe the indiffernce) or the systems (may the rulers) prevelant there.

miltī nahīñ panāh hameñ jis zamīn par
ik hashr us zamīñ pe uThā denā chāhiye

Line 3/4 - There is no shelter or respite for us in such a land. A terrible fate should befall on such a place. Again the dark despair of the situation. There is no solace or any comfort this place provides. Such is the brutality of the place. I wish a calamity falls on such a place. A hostile place like a desert would make a poet wish for an oasis or an occasional rain or shade, but for a savage place where all hope is lost the wish is for its utter destruction.

hadd se guzar ga.ī hai yahāñ rasm-e-qāherī
is dahr ko ab is kī sazā denā chāhiye

Line 5/6 - The oppressive practices have crossed all limits here. This world now needs to be punished for this. The poet says that oppression and burden has crossed the limits now. rasm-e-qāherī would translate into ritual of oppression or unjust attitude. This place needs to be punished for this cruelty.

ik tez ra.ad jaisī sadā har makān mein
logoñ ko un ke ghar mein darā denā chāhiye

Line 7/8 - One sharp and thunderous like call rises from among all houses. Should scare the people inside their own homes. The poet says let fiery voices rise from every house. Terrify the people in the safety of their home and then they will rise to throw the tyrants out. Let the moment of comfort also be taken away for then only they will care!

gum ho chale ho tum to bahut khud meñ ai 'munīr'
duniyā ko kuchh to apnā pata denā chāhiye

Line 9/10 - Lost you are in your own self O! 'munir', let the world atleast know of your whereabouts. The poet says you are so absorbed in your thoughts and your troubles o! munir. Open yourself to the world and let them be aware of you.

Meaning of difficult words
shahr-e-sañg-dil = stone-hearted city, indifferent
qaahira = oppressive
dahr = this world
ra.ad = thunder
sadā = cry

Read more posts on Urdu poetry.

Poems Of India - XXIV

Make of my body the beam of a lute

of my head the sounding gourd

of my nerves the strings

of my fingers the plucking rods.

Clutch me close

and play your thirty-two songs

O lord of the meeting rivers !

-- BASAVAŅŅA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

Whatever It was

that made this earth

the base,

the world its life,

the wind its pillar,

arranged the lotus and the moon,

and covered it all with folds

of sky

with Itself inside,

to that Mystery

indifferent to differences,

to It I pray,

O Ramanatha

--DĒVARA DĀSIMAYYA [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

Poems Of India - XXIII

People,

male and female,

blush when a cloth covering their shame

comes loose.

When the lord of lives

lives drowned without a face

in the world, how can you be modest?

When all the world is the eye of the lord,

onlooking everywhere, what can you

cover and conceal?

-- Akka Mahādēvi [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

Look here, dear fellow:

I wear these men's clothes

only for you.

Sometimes I am man.

sometimes I am woman.

O' lord of the meeting rivers

I'll make war for you

but I'll be your devotees' bride.

 

-- Basavanna [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

The Rubaiyat: Quatrain LVII

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Oh, Thou, who didst with Pitfall and with Gin
Beset the Road I was to wander in,

   Thou wilt not with Predestination round
Enmesh me, and impute my Fall to Sin?

 

This is the fifty-seventh quatrain of the FitzGerald's Rubaiyat. The poet says oh, the Creator, it is You who did create all the vice (gin) and the obstacles (pitfalls) in my way. The road that I travel on (life) is beset of just evil distraction and undue hardships. The One is responsible for all these are these designs and baits in his path. With such snares, They can not hold me responsible for getting entangled into such traps. With such a course per-decided, how can They lay blame on me for my Falling. It was always meant to be, I did not get to choose to avoid these or I did not choose these.

Poems Of India - XXII

You can confiscate
money in hand;
can you confiscate
the body's glory?

 
Or peel away every strip
you wear,
but can you peel
the Nothing, the Nakedness
that covers and veils?

 
To the shameless girl
wearing the White Jasmine Lord's
light of morning,
you fool,
where's the need for cover and jewel?

-- Akka Mahādēvi [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

 

The world tires itself thinking
it has buried all shadow.

Can shadows die
for limbed animals?

If you rage and curse here
at the thief out there
on the other shore,
will he just drop dead?

These men, they do not know
the secret,
the stitches of feeling;
would our Lord of Caves
come alive
just because they wish it?

 

-- Allama Prabhu [Translated by A. K. Ramanujan in the book - Speaking of Siva]

The Rubaiyat: Quatrain LVI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this I know:  whether the one True Light,
Kindle to Love, or Wrath consume me quite,
    One glimpse of It within the Tavern caught
Better than in the Temple lost outright.

This is the fifty-sixth quatrain of the FitzGerald's Rubaiyat. The poet says I know this, I am sure about this. The True Light, the one that drives such passion and emotion of Divine Love or Wrath. Those emotions consumes my entire self. It is better to get a glimpse of that Being in a casual encounter in a tavern where we meet and chance upon as friends or companions on a journey than to be lost utterly trying to find Him in a temple. As an equal companion in a informal tavern, a glimpse could turn into a conversation about the nature of things. But in a temple setting, where I am one of the countless seeker, chances are I will be lost than getting some answers from You.