In the praise of the Lord:

-
Mere banay ki baat na poocho:

Note: This Qawwali sung for the first time in the twelfth century, written by Amir Khusro, is a song in the praise of Prophet Muhammad. The poet imagines the prophet as a bridegroom and himself as the lover and bride. The gist of Sufi with the oneness of the man and the lord, is evident and the perhaps the key of this poem.

Like any other sufi or baul music, this qawwali can be best enjoyed when singing along and clapping to the tune of the harmonium.

Album: Rung
Genre: Qawwali
Poet/Lyrics: Amir Khusrau
Performer: Manzoor Niazi & Troupe

Mere banay ki baat na poocho mera bana haryala hai
Mere banay ki baat na poocho mera bana haryala hai
(haryala: Fresh/Green)

Mere banay ki baat na poocho mera bana haryala hai
Khusrave khooban sarwari aalam taj e shafaa'at wala hai

(sarwari : Leadership; aalam: world/universe/beauty; Taj: Crown/Tiara; Shafaaat: Mediation, )

Manmohan bohot tere he daikhe, aisa to dekha na bhala banna
Donon jagat ko loot ke baitha phir bhi bhola bhala hai

Us pe nazar jab jam jaati hai, phir nahi jajta koi nazar mein
Jis ne nazar paayi hai oonchi, bus japta usiki mala hai

Husn ke charchay uske dam se, ronaq e aalam uske qadam se
Noor ke saanchay mein qudrat ne usko kuch aisa dhala hai

(husn:beauty; Noor: Bright/Light; Saancha: Mould; dhala:Mould)

Nabi waali sub uske barati, kis mein uski baat hai aati
Kaamil mera raj dulhara, sub se Alfaaz o aala hai

(Nabi: A Prophet; Waali: Chief/Governor; Kaamil: Absolute/Complete/Learned; Aala: Best/greatest; Alfaaz: Words;)

A Qawwali for the heart

-
Khabar-e-tahiiyyur-e-ishq sun


Khabar-e-tahiiyyur-e-ishq sun, na junoon raha na pari rahi
na to tuu rahaa, na to main rahaa, jo rahi so be-khabari rahi
(Khabar: report; tahiiyyur-e-ishq: wonders of love; junoon : frenzy/furor; pari : fairy/fantasy, be-khabari: unawareness)

Listen to the wonders of love, neither the furor nor the fancy remain
Neither you nor I exist, but a deadly unawareness is all that remain


sha’h-e-be-khudi ne ata kiya mujhe ab libas-e-barahnagi
na Khirad ki bakhyaagiri rahi, na junoon ki parda-dari rahi

(sha’h : grace; be-Khudii : ecstasy; Ata: Benefaction/Concession; libaas : dress; barahnagi: nakedness; Khirad: intellect; bakhyaagiri: stitching; parda-dari: veil)

The grace of ecstasy has adorned me with the cloths of nakedness
Neither intellect nor a stitch on me, only the veil of hysteria remain

chali simt-e-ghaib se ek hawa ke chaman surur ka jal gaya
magar ek shakh-e-nihal-e-Gham jise dil kahen so hari rahi

(simt-e-Ghaib : from the unknown; hawa: breeze/wind; chaman : garden; surur : intoxication; shaaKh-e-nihaal-e-Gham : a branch nurtured by pain; hari : green)

From the land of unknown blows a breeze, that burns the garden of intoxication,
But of all that is green, is a branch nurtured by pain, called the heart, remain

nazar-e-taghaful-e-yaar ka, gila kis zubaan se karun bayaan
ki sharaab-e-sad-qadhe arzuu, Khum-e-dil men thi so bhari rahi

(nazar-e-taGhaaful-e-yaar : heedless glances of the beloved; gilaa : complain; bayaan : explain; sharaab-e-sad-qadhe aarzuu : hundred cups of wine of desire; Khum : decanter; bharii : filled)

In which words should I complain of the heedless glances of my beloved?
When the hundred cups desire filled in the decanter called heart remain.

woh ajab ghadi thi main jis ghadi liya dars nuskha-e-ishq ka
ki kitab aql ki taaq par, jo dhari thi yun hi dhari rahi

(ajab:strange; ghadi : moment; dars : class; nuskha-e-ishq : lessons of love; taaq : shelf; aql:intellect)

Those were strange times when I had taken the lessons of love,
On the shelf that it had lain before, the book of intellect still remain

tere josh-e-hairat-e-husn ka asar is qadar se ayaan hua
ke na aaine main jila rahi, na pari ki jalwa-gari rahi

(josh : passion; hairat : bewilderment; husn : beauty; ayaan : obvious; Jila: Luster; Jalvaa-garii: Manifestation )

The passion of bewilderment of your beauty has become obvious
Neither the mirror remains lustrous nor the displays of fancy remain.

Kiya Khaak aatish-e-ishq ne dil-e-be-navaa-e-”Siraj” ko
na Khatar raha, na hazar raha, magar ek be-Khatari rahi

(Khaak : ashes; aatish-e-ishq: fire of love; dil-e-be-navaa-e-”Siraj” : desolate heart of Siraj; Khatar : fear; hazar : care; be-Khatari : fearlessness)

The fire of love has reduced the desolate heart of Siraj to ashes
Neither fear nor care exist, But a feeling of fearlessness remain.

Lyrcis: Siraj Aurangabadi
Album : Rung
Performed by: Munshi Raziuddin & Troupe

With her eyes:

Note:
This qawali sung by Aziz ahmed kahan Warsi is a cornerstone and a must hear for any qawal enthusiast. After realizing my incompetence at translating the master poetry, I take my leave by handing over the untranslated lyrics and a guide to urdu dictionary.
Do listen to Warsi singing this, and you will realize why Qawali intoxicates and makes it follower sway with rythm, with just some tabla and some claps.

Yeh Kisne Nigahon se (Qawali)

Yeh kisne nigahon se sagar pilaye,
Khudi par meri bekhudee banke chaye. (1)

Khabardar aye dil, Mecca me adab hai,
Kahin baadahnoshi pe dhabba na aaye. (2)

Kai baar ubhre, kai baar doobe
Kai baar toofan ke chakkar me aaye (3)

Kisi ki mohabbat ne aisa duboya
Bahut koshishein ki ubharne na paye. (4)

Mohabbat woh kya jisme khuddariyan ho
Ibadat woh kya jisme pabandiyan ho (5)

Hakikat me zaheer wohi bandagi hai
jahan sar jhuke aastan jhuk jaaye (6)

kai baar sahil se takrai kashti
kai baar takrake sahil pe aaye (7)

Talasho talab me woh lazzat mili hai
Dua kar raha hun ke manzil na aaye. (8)

Meanings: Urdu to English
Please use : http://www.geocities.com/urdudict/ for translating Urdu to English). Some FAQ meanings have been noted below:

Verse 1.
Be-khudee: Being besides Oneself, Intoxication, Rapture, Senseless
Verse 2.
Adab: Courtsey
Baadah noshi: Jollification, Festivity, Celebration
Verse 3.
Ubharna: Emerge, Jut
Verse 4.
Ibaadat: Prayers, Devotion
Khuddaarii: Self-Respect
Paa band : Restricted
5.
Verse 6.
Zaheer: Ally, Associate, Assistant
Aastaan: Abode, Threshold
Bandagi: Devotion, Worship, Service
Verse 7.
Sahil: river
Kashti: Boat
Verse 8.
Talaash: Look For, Inquiry, Search, Quest, Zetetic
Talab: Demand, Desire, Inquiry, Need, Pursuit, Quest, Request, Search, Want, Wish, Yen
Lazzat: Taste, Deliciousness, Joy, Pleasurable Experience, Relish, Pleasure Enjoyment, Flavour
Duaa: Blessing, Prayer, Wish