Two for 'Zafar'

We have heard of valiant warrior poets, poet kings with the smile of eros and the body of adonis, but imagine a 60 year old prince becoming the king. With his four queens tucked along and unkept princes running around, the king, with his toothy grin and bent back, must have been an ugly sight. But what the public would have failed to see was his heart which no longer was a mughal but had turned Hindustani like the man that the king was.

Bahadur shah may have been no doubt a Mughal but Zafar was an Indian.
The following two poems by Zafar is a proof of that.

Title: Lagta Nahin Hai Dil Mera
Poet: Bahadur Shah Zafar
Performer: Mohd rafi.
Film: Lal Quila

Lagta Nahin Hai Dil Mera Ujde Dayaar Mein
Kiski Bani Hai Aalam-E-Napaydaar Mein

Dayar - City; Aalam-e-Napaidar - The Mortal World

Keh Do In Hasraton Se Kahin Aur Ja Basein
Itni Jageh Kahan Hai Dil-E-Daagdar Mein

Hasraton: Fancies/desires Dil-e-Daagdaar - Sorrowful Heart

Umr-E-Daraaz Mang Kar Laye The Chaar Din
Do Aarzoo Mein Kat Gaye Do Intezaar Mein
Umr-e-Daraz - Long Life

Kitna Hai Badnaseeb zafar Dafan Ke Liye
Do Gaz Zameen Bhi Na Mili Kuch-E-Yaar Mein

Dafn - Burial; Koo-e-Yaar - Land of the Beloved

Translation:

My heart is so very unhappy on this barren earth,
But who has ever been contended on this mortal hearth

Please ask my fancies to go dwell some place else
There remains no room enough in this sorrow filled heart

I had requested a long life all of four days
Two have passed pining and two spent in the wait

How ill-fated is zafar that for his own burial
Two yards of land was not fated in the land of his beloved.


Title: Na Kisi Ki Aankh Ka Noor Hoon
Poet: Bahadur Shah Zafar
Performed : Mohd Rafi
Film: Lal Quila

Na kisi ki aankh ka noor hoon, na kisi ke dil ka qaraar hoon
Jo kisi ke kaam na aa sake main wo ek musht-e-Gubaar hoon

Qaraar: Ease, Satisfaction; Noor: Light; Musht: The fist/—a blow with the clenched fist/—a handful/—a few; Gubaar: Dirt/Dust

Na to main kisi ka habib hoon, no to main kisi ka raqeeb hoon
Jo bigad gaya wo naseeb hoon, jo ujaad gaya wo dayaar hoon

habib: beloved; raqeeb: enemy; naseeb: fate; dayaar= place

Mera rang-roop bigad gaya, mera yaar mujh se bichhad gaya
Jo chaman fizaan mein ujad gaya main usi ki fasl-e-bahaar hoon

chaman: garden; fizaan: environment; fasl: yield,harvest; bahaar: bloom, beuty, glory;

Paye faatehaa koi aaye kyun, koi chaar phool chadhaaye kyun
Koi aake shammaa jalaye kyun, main wo bekasi ka mazaar hoon

Fateh:Aperture, Conquest, Opening, Sucess, Victory; shamaa: lamp,candle; bekasi: despair; Mazaar: Mausoleum, Shrine, Tomb, Grave

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