Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. durga sahay suroor jahanabadi (1873-1910) was a scholar in faarsi and wrote in chaste urdu moving between urdu/faarsi and hindi/sanskrit seemingly effortlessly, naturally and musically. In this musaddas entitled ‘hamd-e baari’ he has an intriguing mixture of islamic, sufiyaana and hindu imagery. Also note that the title “hamd-e baari” is islamic terminology, but a universal concept.
1
aql-e daqeeqa-ras¹ ka dauRa samand² barsauN³
raunda⁴ kiya jahaaN ke past-o-baland⁵ barsauN
DhoonDha kiya tujhe maiN zaar-o-nazshand⁶ barsauN
baam-e-falak⁷ pe phaiNki uR⁸ kar kamand⁹ barsauN
tera pata na paaya, O la-makaan¹⁰ vaale
saare jahaaN meN DhoonDha saare jahaan vaale    1.able to reach/grasp fine points 2.horse 3.years 4.trample underfoot 5.lows and highs 6.weeping and dejected 7.rooftop of the skies/heavens 8.fly 9.noose 10.without home, not confined to one place
The poet likens the mind to a stallion/horse who has the ability to reach difficult to reach points. The mind tried for years to understand fine points. The stallion/horse trampled high and low spots under its hooves. I searched for years, weeping and dejected. I flew high up and threw a noose to catch you. I searched all over the world for you, O lord of the world. Note that ‘lamakaan’ is an islamic term, invoking islamic imagery.
2
bulbul ka humnavaa¹ maiN aksar² raha chaman meN
baiTha kiya bahut din phoolauN ki anjuman³ meN
Khalvat-nashiN⁴ raha huN, GhunchauN⁵ ke pairahan⁶ meN
dauRa⁷ kiya maiN barsauN⁸ is vaadi⁹-e kohan¹⁰ meN
duniya ko chhaan¹¹ Daala, tera pata¹² na paaya
naqsh¹³-e qadam¹⁴ ka tere jalva¹⁵ nazar¹⁶ na aaya 1.singing/talking together/in harmony with 2.often 3.gathering, assembly 4.residing in private intimacy 5.unopened flower bud 6.clothing 7.ran 8.years 9.valley 10.ancient 11.sift through, search 12.address 13.print 14.step, foot 15.manifestation 16.sight
The bulbul is a symbol of love, singing songs of love. The poet/seeker has been singing love songs along with the bulbul, to no avail. He sat in the company of flowers (but still no revelation of god). He sat in seclusion like unopened flowers with tightly wrapped clothing, hoping to get inspiration. He ran for years through this old valley (the earth), looking for you. He searched/sifted through the earth but could not find any trace of him. He could not see even his footprints.
3
ek umr but-kade¹ meN ragRa² kiya jabiN³ maiN
k’aabe meN ban ke baiTha aksar⁴ haram-nashiN⁵ maiN
barq-e-Khayaal⁶ ban kar dauRa tah⁷-e zamiN maiN
taarauN ki anjuman⁸ meN barsauN raha makiN⁹ maiN
laikin kahiN tajalli¹⁰ teri nazar na aaii
vahm-o-gumaaN¹¹ se yaarab¹² teri na kanha¹³ paaii 1.idol house, temple 2.rubbed 3.forehead 4.often 5.(visitor to) mosque 6.lightning of imagination 7.under 8.gathering 9.resident 10.brilliance 11.guess and suspicion 12.lord 13.court
Lifelong rubbing his forehead (in devotion/desperation) in the temple did not get him anywhere. He sat in the k’aaba often just like other visitors to the mosque. He even searched underground with lightning imagination. He lived among the stars for many years, but could not find his brilliance anywhere. He guessed and speculated but could not find the royal/divine court.
4
jaNgal meN aah barsauN, dhooni-rama¹ ke baiTha
parbat² pe ban ke jogi³, aasan⁴ jama ke baiTha
sahra⁵ ki vaadiyauN⁶ meN aaNkheN-bichha⁷ ke baiTha
tere liye jahaaN⁸ se maiN haath-uTha⁹ ke baiTha
DhoonDha kiya tujhe maiN, vairaagiyauN¹⁰ meN barsauN
baiTha faqeer¹¹ ho kar, maiN tyagiyauN¹² meN barsauN    1.undisturbed meditation 2.mountain 3.devotee 4.devotional posture 5.desert, wilderness 6.valleyes 7.an expression meaning eagerly make all arrangements to welcome/receive 8.world 9.withdraw from 10.recluse 11.mendicant 12.those who give up/abstain
I sat in deep meditation in the jungle. I went to the top of the mountain and sat assuming a devotional posture. I prepared to welcome you in the valleys of the wilderness. I withrew from the materialism of this world, to look for you. I looked for you among the reclusive sadhu. I became a mendicant and looked for you for years. Although he is using some hindu imagery for his search, he is still looking for the universal god.
5
tera nishaan¹ laikin O be-nishaaN² na paaya
vahdat³ ka aah teri raaz-e-nihaaN⁴ na paaya
Khalwat-nashiN⁵ jahaaN⁶ hai tu vo nishaaN na paaya
vo sarzamiN⁷ na paaii, vo aasmaaN na paaya
zarrauN⁸ meN uR ke chamka, taarauN meN jaa ke jhalka⁹
jalva¹⁰ nazar¹¹ na aaya, par shaahed-e-azal¹² ka 1.clue, mark 2.one who leaves no mark, mysterious 3.one-ness, universality 4.hidden secret 5.sitting in privacy, hidden 6.where 7.homeland 8.particles/grains (of dust) 9.glimmer 10.manifestation, appearance 11.sight 12.eternal beauty
But I could not find any clue of you, O, mysterious one (note that the use of be-nishaaN for god, invokes islamic imagery). I did not uncover the hidden secret of your universality. I could not find the place where you are hiding. Did not find your homeland nor the sky under which you live. I looked into the shining particles of dust and the glittering stars but could not see the manifestation of your eternal beauty. Again, ‘shaahed-e azal’ invokes islamic imagery.
6
phoRa kiya bahut din, sar shauq¹-e jabba-saaii²
laikin na aastaaN³ tak tere hui rasaaii⁴
dair⁵ o haram⁶ meN barsauN⁷ kii⁸ qismat-aazmaaii⁹
timsaal¹⁰ aah laikin teri nazar na aaii
tu jalva-gar¹¹ kahaaN hai o do jahaaN ke maalik
shams¹² o qamar¹³ meN kya hai, O aasmaaN ke maalik    1.wish 2.prayerful begging 3.abode, home 4.reach 5.temple 6.mosque 7.years 8.short for “kiya”, did 9.trial for fate 10.example 11.manifest, visible 12.sun 13.moon
I broke my head in prayer and supplication but did not reach your abode. I tried my luck for years in temple and mosque but did not find your equal (or anyone like you). Where are you manifest O, lord of the here and hereafter. What are the sun and moon, O lord of the skies.
7
phoolauN meN aah kya hai mauj¹-e shamim² teri
yaarab³ hai kis chaman meN baad⁴-e naseem⁵ teri
GhunchauN⁶ meN kya hai tere raaz⁷-e qadiim⁸ teri
aaraam-gaah⁹ hai kya baaGh-e na’eem¹⁰ teri
tu arsh¹¹ ki fiza¹² meN hai ya behisht¹³ meN hai
k’aabe meN tujh ko DhoonDhuN ya tu kunisht¹⁴ meN hai  1.wave, gust 2.fragrance 3.O, lord 4.breeze 5.fragrant breeze 6.unopened buds 7.secret 8.ancient, eternal 9.place of repose 10.blessing, gift, happiness 11.highest sky 12.atmosphere 13.pradise 14.church, fire temple
Is the fragrance of flowers, you manifestation. O, lord in which garden does your morning breeze blow. Is your eternal secret bound in unopened flower buds, or do you repose in the blessed garden. Are you in seventh heaven are in paradise. Should I look for you in k’aaba or in the church or the fire temple.
8
kaashi meN kya hai teri, taqdees¹ ka shivaala²
paryaag meN hai tera kya aah dharm-saala³
naqoos⁴ meN hai kya tu, mahv⁵-e Kharosh⁶-e naala⁷
hai aah dwaarka⁸ meN kya tera paaT-shaala⁹
tauheed¹⁰ ki suna kar dilkash¹¹ kahaaniyauN ko
deta kahaaN hai siksha¹² tu apne gyaaniyauN¹³ ko    1.purity, genuine 2.temple to shiva 3.meditative retreat, religious school 4.conch shell 5.engrossed in 6.sound 7.wailing 8.kingdom of krishn 9.school 10.one-ness (of created and created) 11.pleasant 12.lessons, teaching 13.learned
Is the temple of your authenticity in kaashi or is your retreat in prayaag. Are you engrossed in making the wailing sound of the conch-shell or is your school located in the ancient kingdom of dwarka. Where is it that you give the wise lessons with pleasant stories of one-ness of all creation.
9
barsauN se phir raha huN, maiN teri justaju¹ meN
khoya gaya huN aksar² maiN koii aarzu³ meN
jalva-faza⁴ hai kya tu, phoolauN ke raNg o buu meN
kya tere zamzame⁵ haiN bulbul ki guftagu⁶ meN
maiN mahv⁷-e zauq⁸ teri vahdat⁹ ke raag ka huN
parvaana¹⁰ aah teri ulfat¹¹ ki aag ka huN    1.search 2.often 3.desire, longing 4.manifest 5.songs 6.speech, songs 7.engrossed in 8.taste/desire 9.one-ness 10.moth 11.love
I have been wandering for years in search of you, lost often in longing for you. Are you manifest in the colour and fragrance of flowers or in the song of the bulbul (the bulbul and rose are symbolic lover and beloved in urdu poetry). I am engrossed in the desire for the song of your one-ness. I am like the moth around the fire of your love.
10
hasrat-kash¹-e takallum² hai aah ek zamaana
hai shaiKh o barhaman ke lab par tera fasaana³
vahdat⁴ ka aah teri maiN bhi sunuN taraana
kuchh soz⁵-e aasheqaana⁶, kuch saaz⁷-e mutribaana⁸
parde meN baaNsuri ke mujh ko sada⁹ suna de
baNsi bajaane vaale vahdat ka geet gaa de    1.stricken with longing 2.conversation 3.legend 4.one-ness 5.fire, passion 6.of love 7.lute, music 8.lyrical 9.sound
The world is stricken with longing of word from you. The shaiKh and brahman tell your tales. I too, want to hear the music of your one-ness, the fire of passion, the melody of devotion. Disguised as the tune of the flute, let me hear you. O, flutist, sing the song of one-ness. He moves seamlessly from ‘hamd-e baari’ to ‘krishn bhakti’.