Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. gopi nath aman (1898-1983), lakhnau. Freedom fighter. Stout gandhian. Strong advocate and practitioner of communal harmony. He worked with josh malihabadi and balmukund arsh malsiani as associate editor of the govt of India periodical, ‘aaj kal’. Editor of several magazines in lakhnau and kanpur. Awarded padma bhushan in 1977. He composed many cross religious compositions including marsia and salaam, many of which are lost. He simultaneously composed hymns/odes to hindu religious figures. This is a selection of fragments of marsia and salaam that he composed but are now largely lost. Only fragments are available. This post is linked to ‘karbal katha’ in ‘kaaba kaashi’.
1
jo amn¹ zaat² ka hindu hai us ko hairat³ kya
agar⁴ ali⁵ ko nusairi⁶ Khuda samajhte haiN    1.pen-name of the poet 2.caste, birth 3.puzzled 4.if 5.ali ibn-e abi taalib, son-in-law of mohammed 6.a sect which believes that ali ibn-e abi taalib is god
This is first of all, a declaration of the poet’s faith in a gathering of muslims. Second, there is probably a subtle indication that being hindu, believing multiple gods is not surprising. Therefore, why should the poet amn be puzzled if the tribe of nusairis consider ali to be a god. Believing in multiple deities is common practice among hindus.
2
hindu huN vo hindu keh ba-faizaan¹-e tasavvur²
ho jaata hai diidaar³ husain ibn-e-ali⁴ ka    1.by the benevolence of 2.imagination 3.sighting, appearance 4.husain, son of ali, the principal figure in the battle of karbala
This is also a clear declaration of faith. He says, I am hindu and the kind of hindu who because of benevolence of the power of imagination is able to visualize the presence of husain ibn-e ali.
3
kaafir¹ kahe to koii kahe amn² ko magar³
aivaan⁴-e dil meN us ke qayaam⁵-e husain hai    1.non-believer 2.pen-name of the poet 3.but 4.hallway 5.residence
If anyone wants to call amn a non-believer, they are free to do so, but in the hallways of his heart, resides husain ibn-e ali.
4
sanaa-Khwaan¹-e paiambar², zaakir³-e aal⁴-e paiambar² hai
Khuda hi jaanta hai keh banda⁵ momin⁶ hai keh kaafir⁷ hai    1.singer/writer of praise 2.messenger (of god), mohammed 3.one who narrates the story of 4.progeny 5.devotee 6.believer, pious 7.non-believer
He sings praises and writes odes to mohammed. He narrates the tale of the progeny of mohammed (e.g., the story of karbala). Only god can tell whether this devotee is a believer or non-believer i.e., a formal declaration of faith in islam is not required to be considered pious. kishan bihaari noor also declared …
shabbir teri ulfat ke liye, islaam ki koii shart nahiN
5
Khuda-e paak¹ ne shart²-e sujood³ aye amn⁴ ye rakkhi
keh naKhwat⁵ sar se ho ruKhsat⁶ jo sajde³ meN jabiiN⁷ aaye    1.holy 2.condition 3.prostration in prayer 4.pen-name of the poet 5.pride, hubris, doubt (in the existence of god) 6.depart, banished 7.forehead, brow
O amn, this is the (only) condition that god has placed on ritual prayer – that all doubt about the existence of god be banished from the mind before the forehead bows in prostration.
6
pesh¹ kar deta huN kuchh nazr²-e aqiidat³ har saal⁴
taa-keh⁵ us se mere aamaal⁶ meN tanviir⁷ aaye
ye dua hai keh husain ibn-e ali dhyaan⁸ meN hoN
vaqt-e piiri⁹ jo ajal¹⁰ hone gulu-giir¹¹ aaye    1.present, offer 2.offering 3.faith, devotion 4.year 5.so that 6.actions 7.light, brilliance 8.thoughts, imagination 9.old age 10.death 11.holding by the throat, choking
I present an offering of my devotion every year so that my deeds may shine. I pray that husain ibn-e ali be in my thoughts when in old age Death comes to grab me by the throat.
7
rahmat¹ ka imtehaan² hai hairaaN³ haiN mominiin⁴
bazm-e-aza⁵ meN mujh sa gunahgaar⁶ dekh kar
muslim jo maiN nahiN huN to fatva⁷ bhi deNge kya
ibn-e-ali⁸ ka mujh ko parastaar⁹ dekh kar
pyaase jo KhuuN ke the unheN paani pila diya
hur¹⁰ ho gaya Ghulaam ye kiradaar¹¹ dekh kar   1.generosity, forgiving 2.test 3.puzzled 4.believers 5.gathering of mourning 6.sinner 7.edict, judgement 8.husain 9.admirer 10.a commander of yazid’s troops 11.character
This is a test of (god’s) generosity (in forgiveness). Believers are puzzled seeing me in a gathering of mourning (for the martyrdom of husain and his companions in karbala. gopi nath aman composed and read a marsia or a salaam every year at such gatherings). I am not a muslim but how can they pronounce an edict of punishment seeing that I am an ardent admirer of husain ibn-e ali. The last she’r of his group refers to ‘hur’ the commander of an advance party that rushed at great speed to intercept husain and his followers and try to cut them off from access to the river. But when they came they were all tired and out of supplies – food and water. husain instructed his followers to supply them first. hur was so impressed with husain’s character that he changed sides and joined him rather than fight for yazid.
8a
Gham¹-e shabbir² meN aaNkhoN se ashk³ askar⁴ nikalte haiN
rahe taa-hashr⁵ jin ki qadar⁶ vo gauhar⁷ nikalte haiN
Khuda ki shaan⁸, haidar⁹ ki ada¹⁰, soorat mohammed ki
ba-iiN-andaaz¹¹ maidaaN meN ali akbar¹² nikalte haiN
ab aur andaaz¹³ se hogi hifaazat¹⁴ diin¹⁵ ki mohkam¹⁶
fida¹⁷ hone ko ummat¹⁸ par ali asGhar¹⁹ nikalte haiN   1.sorrow, mourning 2.another name of husain 3.tears 4.often 5.until doomsday 6.respect, value 7.pearls 8.glory 9.another name of ali 10.style 11.in this style 12.eighteen year old son of husain who was killed in battle 13.style 14.protection 15.faith 16.strong 17.sacrifice, martyrdom 15.community 19.six month old son of husain
I often shed tears in mourning for husain. Tears like pearls whose value will remain high until doomsday. This refers to husain’s son ali akbar’s entry into battle. He is reputed to have looked like mohammed, his great grandfather and have had the stature of ali, his grandfather. Thus, like the glory of god, the stature of ali and the resemblence of mohammed – such is the style in which ali akbar comes to the field of battle. ali asGhar was a 6 month old infant son of husain. He was deprived of water, like others. husain brought him out asking the forces of yazid to give water to the innocent if not to the adults. They shot an arrow that pierced his throat. Such was the sacrifice to protect the faith.
8b
mo’ariKh²⁰ jaa’eza²¹ lete haiN jab taariiKh-e-aalam²² ka
saf²³-e diiN¹⁵ meN munaafiq²⁴ bad-tar-az²⁵ kaafir²⁶ nikalte haiN
zara aye amn²⁷ dekheN kaargar²⁸ hota hai kaun in meN
kahiiN aaheN²⁹ nikalti haiN kahiN Khanjar³⁰ nikalte haiN    20.record keeper, historian 21.examine closely 22.history of the world 23.line 24.hypocrite 25.worse than 26.non-believers 27.pen-name of the poet 28.useful, effective 29.sighs 30.knives, daggers
When the historian studies the history of the world carefully, he will find that in the line of believers, hypocrites are worse than non-believers. O amn let us see which will be more effective – on one side are sighs of pain of sacrifice and on the other side daggers are drawn.