Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. panDit ralaa raam ratan panDorvi (1909-1990), paThaankoT. There are many books to his credit including urdu instructional texts for school children, an explanatory, interpretive book of Ghalib’s Ghazal, literary history and criticism, rules of versification and representative compositions of muslim poets of hindi. A recognized authority of urdu, hindi and sanskrit and perhaps also of faarsi.
1
vafoor¹-e shauq² se raah³-e vafa⁴ meN naqsh-e-paa⁵ ban jaa
guzar⁶ kar hadd⁷-e hasti⁸ se baqaa⁹ ki intehaa¹⁰ ban jaa     1.plenty, excess 2.love 3.path 4.fidelity, steadfast love 5.footprints 6.passing beyond 7.limits 8.life, existence 9.immortality 10.limit, expanse
This can be interpreted at the sufiyaana/spiritual level. The poet/sufi is calling for very strong spiritual love in the path of truth/fidelity to the divine spirit. Let this be so strong that it becomes footprints/example for others to follow. Passing beyond the limits of material existence become the vast expanse of the immortal spirit i.e., merge yourself into the divine spirit. I also choose to interpret it at a more material level – staying true to your values, set an example for others to follow in your footprints and thus achieving immortality through your reputation.
2
nigaahoN¹ meN teri raa’naaiyaaN² hoN barq³-e siina⁴ ki
tamaasha⁵-e majaazi⁶ se haqiiqat⁷ aashna⁸ ho ja    1.eyes, sight 2.brilliance, glory 3.lightning 4.the valley of Sinaaii 5.seeing, observing 6.illusion, material 7.true, real, spiritual 8.aware, knowledgable
This has reference to mount tuur of the valley of Sinaaii. Moses/moosa is believed to have gone up the mountain asking to see god. What he got see was a lightning strike (material/illusion) , which is often presented as divine light/glory (spiritual/real). Thus, keep in your sight the glory of the lightning of Sinaaii. Observe the material/illusionary and behind it comprehend the spiritual/real.
3
tera josh¹-e talab² Khud³ manzil⁴-e maqsood⁵ ban jaaye
sahaara⁶ rahnuma⁷ ka chhoR kar Khud rahnuma ban jaa    1.passion 2.demand (to know) 3.itself 4.goal 5.desired 6.dependence 7.guide
Let your own passion/thirst for knowledge itself become your goal. Do not depend on the guide, strike you own path.
4
guzar¹ hadd²-e tayaqqun³ se qadam⁴ aage baRha apne
lagaa kar naara⁵-e mansoor⁶ bande⁷ se Khuda ban jaa    1.pass beyond 2.limits, bounds 3.certainty, faith 4.steps 5.declaration 6.sufi scholar (858-922) 7.devotee, believer
mansur al hallaaj was a sufi scholar who declared “an-al-haq” – I am the Truth, probably based on his travels to India … ‘aham brahmasmi’. He was charged with heresy, sentenced to death, and offered a chance to recant. He refused to, and was executed. He is used as a symbol of defiance. Thus, pass beyond the bounds of certainty/convention and step ahead. Raise the same declaration as mansoor and transform from human to god. I like to think that here the word ‘god’ is not used to mean the conventional ‘creator’, but an independent thinker.
5
yahi takmiil¹-e ulfat² hai, yahi taa’liim³-e vahdat⁴ hai
ke taalib⁵ ki vafa⁶ ban jaa, hasiinoN⁷ ki ada⁸ ban jaa    1.completion, fulfilment 2.love 3.teaching 4.unity/one-ness of the universal spirit 5.seeker 6.fidelity, steadfast devotion 7.beauties, beloved 8.coquetry
In urdu poetics the relationship between the lover and beloved is one of steadfast devotion on one side and aloofness/coquetry on the other. This is often used also imply the relationship between the devotee and the divine spirit. But here the poet/sufi asserts (like many others) that there is ‘vahdat’ – one-ness of the divine and the devotee. Thus, this itself is the fulfilment of love/devotion, it is the teaching of the spirit of vahdat/oneness, that you become both the devotion of the seeker and the aloofness of the beloved/divine.
6
tere ishq-e-haqiiqi¹ meN vo aalam-giir² jazba³ ho
Ghubaar⁴-e raah⁵ ban kar vus’at⁶-e arz-o-samaa⁷ ban jaa    1.real love of the universal spirit 2.world conquering 3.emotion, spirit 4.dust 5.path 6.expanse 7.earth and sky, universe
The sufiyaana tradition distinguishes between ishq-e haqiiqi and ishq-e majaazi, love of the universal spirit vs the illusionary material world. Also ‘Ghubaar-e raah ban ja’ signifies going far ahead on the path (of love) leaving a cloud of dust behind. Thus, let there be such a strong/world conquering emotion/spirit in your love of the universal that it leaves behind dust and becomes the expanse of the universe.
7
janaab-e dil¹ ke faizaan²-e suKhan³ par dil tasadduq⁴ hai
ratan⁵ ustaad⁶ ke qadmoN⁷ pe gir kar Khaak-e-paa⁸ ban jaa    1.zamiir hasan dil shahjahaaNpuri 2.benevolence 3.poetry 4.devotional offering 5.penname of the poet 6.teacher, mentor 7.feet 8.dust of the feet
zamiir hasan dil shahjahaaNpuri (1875-1959) was ratan panDorvi’s ustaad. Here the poet is offering a tribute to his mentor. My heart is a devotional offering for the benevolent teaching of ‘suKhan’/versification. O ratan, fall at the feet of your mentor and become like the dust of his feet.