Monday, November 14, 2016

Dair-o-haram mein na ja - Khwaja Haider Ali 'Atish'

Parda-e-ghaflat utha pesh-e-nazar yaar hai,
Dair-o-haram mein na ja dhoondhne maujood ko !

~ Hazrat Khwaja Haider Ali 'Atish'

(Remove the veil of heedlessness, The beloved is in view.
Do not seek Him in a temple or Kaaba, Who is present everywhere)

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Wallah wahi sab mein hai ba-Allah wahi hai - Bahadur Shah Zafar

Shola hai wahi, shamma wahi, maah wahi hai !
Khursheed wahi, noor-e-sahar-gaah wahi hai !

Hoor-o-malak-o-deo-pari ins-o-nabi jaan,

Sab sooraton mein maahi dil-khwaah wahi hai !

Yusuf hai wahi, wo hi Zulekha, wahi Yaqoob,

Kinaan hai wahi, Misr wahi, chaah wahi hai !

Raah-rau hai wahi , raahbar wahi, wo hi raah-e-maqsood,

Gumraah wahi raah se aagaah wahi hai !

Kya husn mein kya ishq mein, sab mein hai wahi noor,

Ye maujib ghamza-sabab aah wahi hai !

Majnoon-o-kharabaati-o-deewana-o-hoshiyaar,
Darwesh-o-gada shah-o-shahanshah wahi hai !

Khaara mein sharar hai wo 'zafar' laal mein rang,
Wallah wahi sab mein hai ba-Allah wahi hai !

~ Bahadur Shah 'Zafar'


Maah = The Moon
Khursheed = The Sun
Noor-e-sahar-gaah = The light of dawn
dil-khwaah = beloved
Yusuf = Prophet Yusuf (Jospeh) in Quran
Yaqoob = Prophet Yaqoob (Jacob) in Quran
Zulekha = Wife of Al-Azeez in Quran (Potiphar's wife) in Bible, who was deeply in love with Prophet Yusuf
Kinaan = Semetic City on Canaan, within the region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East
Misr = Egypt
Raah-rau = Traveller, Wayfarer
Raahbar = guide
Raah-e-maqsood = The desired path
Aagaaah = one who is aware
Maujib = cause
Ghamza = flirtatious Gesture
Kharabaati = resident of a bad surrounding (such as tavern,bar,casino)
Khaara = Hard stone
Sharar = Spark,flash
Laal = Ruby stone



This ghazal by Bahadur Shah 'Zafar' is full of symbolism on the concept of 'wahdat-ul-wajood' ie. 'The unity of essence' or 'the unity of existance' or the 'unity of being'.

As per the concept of 'Wahdat-ul-Wajood' everything that exists can only exist because it is an aspect of the Divine Reality, hence it is an aspect of the Divine Unity itself. 
The Sufis who believe in the concept of Wahdat-ul-Wajood see the face of God everywhere but they don't reduced God to everything. God remains supremely transcendent. Even though everything which arises and exists does resembles Him, He resembles nothing but Himself .

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Khwaab tha jo kuch ke dekha - Khwaja Mir 'Dard'

Wa-e-naadaani ke waqt-e-marg ye saabit hua,
Khwaab tha jo kuch ke dekha, jo suna afsaana tha !

~ Khwaja Mir 'Dard'