Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. siraj aurangabadi was a contemporary of Khwaja mir dard, mohammed rafi sauda and mir taqi mir, except he was in hyderabad. He wrote similar sufi and romance themes as these other poets.
1
Khabar¹-e tahayyur²-e ishq³ sun, na junuN⁴ raha na pari⁵ rahi
na to tu raha na to maiN raha, jo rahi so be-Khabari⁶ rahi 1.news, story 2.amazement 3.love 4.frenzy (of love) 5.beloved 6.not awareness (of self)
The highest form of love (sufi concept) is to lose oneself (no awareness of self) and achieve union with the beloved. The poet/lover relates the amazing story of love where the lover is not aware of either himself, or of the beloved. He is so lost that the only thing that remains is “unawareness/nothingness”.
2
shah-e beKhudi¹ ne ataa² kia, mujhay ab libaas³-e barahnagi⁴
na Khirad⁵ ki baKhiyagari⁶ rahi, na junuN⁷ ki parda-dari⁸ rahi 1.lord of “unawareness” 2.grant 3.apparel 4.nakedness 5.wisdom, knowledge, reason 6.stitching 7.frenzy (of love) 8.veil, mystery
Losing oneself/achieving “unawareness” is the highest goal. The lord of “unawareness” has given me the apparel of nakedness i.e. has stripped away all pretense. The stiching (of clothes) done by wisdom/reason (the cover of reason) is gone. The mystery of the frenzy of love is no more. These were all hindrances to the achievement of union with the beloved. They have been stripped away.
3
chali samt¹-e Ghaib² se ek hava, ke chaman zahoor³ ka jal gaya
magar aek shaaKh⁴-e nihaal⁵-e Gham⁶, jise dil kahe so hari rahi 1.direction of 2.unknown, mysterious, divine 3.apparent, visible – used here to mean the material world 4.branch of 5.sapling, young tree 6.sorrow – used here to mean love
A fierce wind blew from the unknown/mysterious and destroyed all sensation of the material world (only the spiritual remained), but a branch of the tree of love called heart remained fresh/green.
4
nazar¹-e taGhaaful²-e yaar³ ka, gila⁴ kis zubaaN se bayaaN⁵ karuN
ke sharab-e sad-qadaah⁶ aarzu⁷, Khum⁸-e dil meN thi so bhari rahi 1.glance 2.forgetful, uncaring 3.beloved 4.complaint 5.describe, relate 6.hundred goblets i.e. plentiful 7.desire 8.cup
The poet/lover cannot find the tongue/words to relate the complaint he has. The beloved’s glance has been uncaring. The plentiful wine of love in the cup of the heart remained untouched, the beloved did not drink any … the cup was still full.
5
vo ajab¹ ghaRi² thi maiN jis ghaRi, liya dars³ nusKha⁴-e ishq⁵ ka
ke kitaab aql⁶ ki taaq⁷ meN, jyun dhari⁸ thi tyun hi dhari rahi 1.amazing 2.moment 3.lesson 4.prescription, formula, chemistry 5.love 6.mind, reason 7.alcove 8.placed, lying
It was an amazing/enchanting moment when I received the lesson of love. The book of reason on the shelve remained untouched.
6
tere josh¹-e-hairat-e-husn² ka, asar³ iss qadar⁴ so yahaaN hua
ke na aaine meN jila⁵ rahi, na pari⁶ kuN⁷ jalva-gari⁸ rahi 1.enthusiasm, eagerness 2.surprising/enchanting/bewitching beauty 3.effect 4.so much 5.shine 6.angel 7.old for of ‘ko’ 8.display of beauty
The poet/lover/devotee is engrossed in the enchanting beauty of the beloved (god). It has a big effect on his heart (yahaaN-here). The mirror of his heart loses its shine. The angel (used here to represent the personification of ultimate beauty) is no longer reflected on his heart … has no effect of him any more.
7
kiya Khaak¹ aatish-e-ishq² ne dil-e-benava³-e-siraj ko
na Khatar⁴ raha na hazar⁵ raha, jo rahi so be-Khabari⁶ rahi 1.ashes 2.fire of love 3.voiceless 4.danger, fear 5.avoidance, escape 6.loss of awareness (of self)
The flame of the fire of love has reduced the voiceless heart of the poet/lover to ashes. He does not feel any fear, he is not looking for any escape. All that is left is complete loss of awareness of the self i.e. he feels complete union with the beloved.