Manam Mehv-e Khayal

The original kalam of Bu Ali Shah Qalandar (1209- 1324) uses the word "jamal-e oo" instead of "khayal-e oo"

منم محوِ خیال او نمی دانم کُجا رفتم
شُدم غرقِ وصال او  نمی دانم کُجا رفتم

In the thoughts of my Love, I've sunk
Knoweth not I, where I go
In the embrace of my Love I drowned
I lost all clue, where I go!

غلامِ روئے او بودم اسیر روئے او بودم
غبارِ کوئے او بودم نمی دانم کُجا رفتم

Surrendered to a glimpse of Thee O' Love
Caught within those long tresses am I

Turned to dust in Thy path, swirl I
Oh, but knoweth not I, where I go!

بہ عام آشنا گشم زجان و دل فدا گشتم
فنا گشتم فنا گشتم نمی دانم کُجا رفتم

Thee is who they know of, when know of wandering I
Lost my heart and soul to Thou, now wander I
Perished into this wandering... ruined am I
Yet, where do I stray, can not see I

قلندر بو علی ہستم بنام دوست سر مستم
دل اندر عشق او بستم  نمی دانم کُجا رفتم

Bu Ali Qalandar - Ecstatic at the mention of the Beloved

Existing over the intoxication of love
Knoweth not I ... where I go!

Kalam: Bu Ali Shah Qalandar
Inapt translation: mine


Video credits: Sufi Music

Jogi Utar Paharon Aya

Drained, dead tired, I was searching for something by Abida ji to listen before I hit the pillow. 

Yes, I dont smoke, I dont drink... but I do keep certain indulgences. Abdullah, coffee and Abida... exactly in that order!

Fumbling through youtube, I was sure it would be "bekhudi bay-sabab nahi Ghalib", in Abida's voice that would make the last mark before I lose track of time and space...

But, I stumbled across something else!

A gem! :)

Totally, absolutely, ultimately SO in love with it!

The night suddenly feels beautiful... jogi utar paharon aya..

PS:
Do I also need to mention I feel warmly cuddled in a loving embrace, as I recall amma humming the words ...

PPS:
Apologies for not providing any translation for my non punjabi speaking friends. This is a tappa, and its simplicity is beyond my scope of translation... :)

Saaqi-Nama

Here's a joint!

Two different poets; Two singers. 

The point of commonality is the spirit of the words: Ruthless. Killing.

Aren't these the kind of words that take your heart away? 

These are. These not only take it away; these words tear it down, chop it up, smash it, squeeze it ... 

... and draw the elixir out. 

Drew the elixir out!

But kia karain kay 'nasha baqadr-e hosla-e badakhuar tha!'

Which One Is True?

When you set out on a journey without a clue of the destination in your gear, it leads you right back to where you started.

OR

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” 
-Andre Gide

Dedicated To ... Moi :p

Fly To Heaven

This is love: to fly to heaven, every moment to rend a hundred veils;

At first instance, to break away from breath -- first step, to renounce feet;

To disregard this world, to see only that which you yourself have seen.

I said, "Heart, congratulations on entering the circle of lovers,

"On gazing beyond the range of the eye, on running into the alley of the breasts."

Whence came this breath, O heart? Whence came this throbbing, O heart?

Bird, speak the tongue of birds: I can heed your cipher!

The heart said, "I was in the factory whilst the home of water and clay was abaking.

"I was flying from the workshop whilst the workshop was being created.

"When I could no more resist, they dragged me; how shall I

tell the manner of that dragging?"

Rumi

Source: "Mystical Poems of Rumi", A.J. Arberry

Hum-Nawaee. Na Thi.

Following is a master piece by Naseer Turabi (it was a grave mistake to mention Addam as the poet earlier on, for which I apologize!) 

Sung differently, by two distinct voices, the two versions must not be compared, for each has its own flavor. Each bringing forth a newer dimension of heart ache that only the poet could envision. Or a listener might feel.

"Woh hamsafar tha, magar uss say hum-nawaee na thi" is poignant. And many a times, such a true story!

Tark e taulaqaat pe, roya na tu na mein,

Lakin yeh kya keh chain se soya na tu, na mein

Woh humsafar tha magar us say hum-nawaee na thi

keh dhoop chaaon ka alam raha, judaee na thi

Mohabbaton ka safar is tarha bhi guzra tha

Shikasta dil thay musaafir shikasta-paaee na thi

Adawatain theen, taghaful tha, ranjishain theen

Bicharhnay walay main sab kuch tha, bewafaee na thi

Bicharhtay waqt un aankhon main thi humari ghazal

Ghazal bhi woh jo kisi ko abhi sunayi na thi

Kabhi yeh haal keh donon main yakdili thi Naseer

Kabhi yeh marhala jaisay keh aashnaee na thi

Untitled.

Khuda wo waqt na laye kay sogawar ho tu

sukoon ki neend tujhay bhi haram ho jaye

teri musarrat-e-paiham tamam ho jaye

teri hayat tujhay talkh jam ho jaye

ghamon se aina-e-dil gudaz ho tera

Hujoom-e-yas se betaab ho ke reh jaye

wafoor-e-dard se simab ho ke reh jaye

tera shabaab faqat khwaab ho ke reh jaye

ghuroor-e-husn sarapa niyaz ho tera

taweel raton main tu bhi qarar ko tarsay

teri nigah kisi gamgusar ko tarsay

khizaan raseeda tamanna bahaar ko tarse

koi jaeen na teray sang-e-astan pe jhuke

ke jins-e-ijz-o-aqidat se tujh ko shad kare

fareb-e-wada-e-farda pe aetamad kare

Khuda wo waqt na laye ke tujh ko yad aye

wo dil ke tere liye be-qarar ab bhi hai

wo ankh jis ko tera intazar ab bhi hai

Yeh Jalwa-Giri Kis Ki Hai!

Nuktacheen hai gham-e-dil usko sunaye na banay

Kya banay baat jahan baat banaye na banay

Bojh woh sar pe gira hai ke uthaye na uthay

Kaam woh aan paRa hai ke banaye na banay

Ghair phirta hai liye yoon teray khat ko ke agr

koi poochay ke ye kia hai tou chupaey na banay

Keh sakay kaun ke yeh jalwa-giri kis ki hai

Parda choara hai jo uss nay, ke uthaey na banay

Main bhulata tou hoon usko magar ay jazbaa-e-dil

Uspay ban jaaye kuch aesi ke bin aaye na banay 

Ishq par zoar nahin hai yeh woh aatish `Ghalib'

Ke lagaye na lagay aur bujhaye na banay

Ghalib Set the Condition Right! :)

Latafat ba kasafat jalwah paida kar nahin sakti

Chaman, zangar hai aeena'ay baad'ay bahari ka

Hareef-e josh-e darya, nahin khuddaar-e-sahil

Jo saqi ho to, batil hai dawa hoshyari ka

-Ghalib

Quote

"Then lets see how long now can last. And remember, Dr Jones. You asked for it."

Three Words: Sculpted, Worshiped & Smashed

Just cherishing the beauty that 'Farsi' is, and celebrating the ecstasy that it brings when coupled with the intensity of experience. You could relate to it too... All you need to do is to find a point of reference with either of the two: Pygmalion or Galatea!

Please have a seat, grab some coffee and make yourself comfortable... 

فرزانہ بہ گفتارم دیوانہ بہ کردارم

از بادہ شوق تو ہشیارم و مستم من

Jalwa Baqadr-e Zarf-e Nazar

Unless you are God; you could either be the spectator, or become the scene.




When one chooses to remain a spectator, that makes a poor pick, I must say!

She Spoke Of That Night

And as her breath caught the wasp of his freshly lit cigar, the swirl of smoke filled her senses with a sudden rush of realization. Her hands crawled to her sides to hold on to him. He was not there. Not close by to feel her. Her dewy eyes shot open. Panicked, she rose and saw him. Seated right beside the mirror... a stare from behind his spectacles reflected her image just as well as the cold mirror surface.

And in that candid. Plain. Unemotional, reflection. She saw herself. 
A brutally blunt reflection it was.

She stared. Not able to decide what struck her harder. The icicles that his gaze rode at, or the utter lack of abandon they seemed to mock at!

Her pores broke out in sweat, and this time it was not the heat of passion that had triggered that cold trickle down her body. Her eyes squinted, as her awareness began to drown beneath a surging wave of regret. 

'Maybe" ... "just maybe" ... "I was wrong. After all!" was the last thought she remembered before suffocating on that smoke. 

Drowned

When the ocean surges,
don’t let me just hear it.
Let it splash inside my chest!


-Rumi

Does It Make A Sound?

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?"

I began writing a tale, but then pressed backspace. 

The tale was rich. It steamed with emotions. But it had to ferment. Words, uttered before time, give off the steam and the essence stays back. The saline element of the moisture that floats in the eyes, and cuts through the heart, needs a little simmering to enrich the soul.

Why not hide it away in some forlorn nook of the heart, and let it stay there: unheard, unspoken of... never even whispered of! 

Let that tale's symphony keep on meddling with the rhythm of the heart. Always.

Hafiz says:

Don't surrender your loneliness
So quickly.
Let it cut more deep.

Let it ferment and season you
As few human
Or even divine ingredients can.

Something missing in my heart tonight
Has made my eyes so soft,
My voice
So tender,

My need of You
Absolutely
Clear.

- Hafiz Shirazi

PS: 

If no one is around to hear it, who knows if the tree ever fell or not?

PPS:

And oh yes, by the way, steam contained within, could drive locomotives!

Pygmalion

Pygmalion, in the ancient Greek mythology, is a sculptor who fell in love with the statue of the goddess Aphrodite he had carved.

As per the Mythology,

In time, Venus (Aphrodite)'s festival day came, and Pygmalion made offerings at the altar of Venus. There he quietly wished that his ivory sculpture would be changed to a real woman. When he returned home, he kissed his ivory statue and found that its lips felt warm. He kissed it again and touched her breasts with his hand and found that the ivory lost its hardness. Venus had granted Pygmalion's wish.

Source: wikipedia

Crash

Let me drown into a sea of sounds
Those raging waves,
That crashing force,
Let it devour all the thoughts;
Turn saline, all the sours
Let it turn murky 
the realization of reality 


Switch of the defogger
Let the rear view mirror never be clear
And for your life, never trust a No Fear!


Never. Be. Clear.




Never.

Stella Benson Says

"Call no man foe, but never love a stranger. "

Must Know...

A cheap ale makes a distasteful drink.

And As I Looked At The Crystal Moon...

I want you to know

one thing. 

You know how this is: 

if I look 

at the crystal moon, at the red branch 

of the slow autumn at my window, 

if I touch 

near the fire 

the impalpable ash 

or the wrinkled body of the log, 

everything carries me to you, 

as if everything that exists, 

aromas, light, metals, 

were little boats 

that sail 

toward those isles of yours that wait for me. 

Well, now, 

if little by little you stop loving me 

I shall stop loving you little by little. 

If suddenly 

you forget me 

do not look for me, 

for I shall already have forgotten you. 

If you think it long and mad, 

the wind of banners 

that passes through my life, 

and you decide 

to leave me at the shore 

of the heart where I have roots, 

remember 

that on that day, 

at that hour, 

I shall lift my arms 

and my roots will set off 

to seek another land. 

But 

if each day, 

each hour, 

you feel that you are destined for me 

with implacable sweetness, 

if each day a flower 

climbs up to your lips to seek me, 

ah my love, ah my own, 

in me all that fire is repeated, 

in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten, 

my love feeds on your love, beloved, 

and as long as you live it will be in your arms 

without leaving mine. 

- Pablo Neruda

Finer

Ever wonder why do they put age brackets on children toys?

A child needs to be of a specific age to understand the working of the toy, and enjoy it as such.

Such is the case of finer perfumes, and arts and music!

One needs to have developed senses, an eye, an ear for finery!

And same is the case with humans...

Develop into fine, to deserve to know the finer!

warna sir ko chaRh sakta hai ... 

REPLUG: Abida - The Delight To Senses

Indulging into old entries, when the matter is Abida, is just kosher! :)

touching with fingers the naked body of the dreams: Abida - The Delight To Senses

Simon's Cat = My Chipmunk :)

If,
Simon = leenah;
Then,
Simon's Cat = leenah's Prince
Endloop

Lab-e Darya, Jaan Balab

Mistress in embrace -- mistress-seeking

On the stream-bank, lip dry with thirst.

- Sheikh Saadi Shirazi

Salvaged To Silence

Have you ever been afraid of some thing?

Obviously, you have been. This is such a lame thing to ask! Okay, lemme rephrase it for you ... hmm ... lets try again:

Have you been afraid of something that doesn't exist outside your mind?

Now this got a bit tricky, aint it?

You bet!

Silence, at times could be such a thing ... Frightening. Haunting.

The usual lovers' discourses that take place between Love and a throbbing chest in silence, begin to shy away from solitude. 

One hunts in search of brash sounds to drown into. Like a loser lover heading to a pub for a cheap fix to douse his flame. or Candle.

What an unworthy trade!

Seriously.

Words. Words. Words.

And all devoid of the Purpose.

Meaningless sounds, too many of them.

Wasted momentss that could be spent in communion with the Beloved...

And as my heart grew heavier, burying down deeper under the rubble of the forlorn days... Yes, there has been one pick in these evenings.....

A few couple of moist smiling eyes and a gentle, soft, oh-so-tender whisper (-turned-kiss) "leenah aunty... ap bohat sweet hain... "

At times, a genuine heart felt smile is all you need to get back in touch with your own self. And the silence. And Beloved.

Inteha Iski Kahan Tak Hai

Khuda jane kahan se jalwaye jana kahan tak hai

Wahin tak dekh sakta hai nazar jiski jahan tak hai

Hum itni bhi na samjhe aql khoi dil gawan baithe

Ke husn o ishq ki duniya kahan se hai kahan tak hai

Zameen se aasman tak ek sannate ka aalam hai

Naheen maalum mere dil ki viraani kahaan tak hai

Zameen se aasman tak aasman se la makan tak hai

Khuda jane hamare ishq ki duniya kahan tak hai

Niyaz o naaz ki rudad husn o ishq ka qissa

Ye jo kuchh bhi hai sab unki hamari dastan tak hai

Khayal e yaar ne to aatay hi gum kar diya mujhko

Yahi hai ibteda to inteha iski kahan tak hai

Suna hai sufiyon se hamne aksar khanaqahon mein

Kay yeh rangeen bayani Bedam rangeen bayan tak hai

- Hazrat Bedam Shah Warsi

A Thousand Interpretations, And a Few More...