islami sufi – hasrat mohani

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for word meanings and discussion. hasrat mohani was a very devout, observant muslim, known as “maulana” for his orthodox practice. He went to hajj several times as well as to baGhdaad, najaf and karbala on pilgrimage. What is unusual is that he also did pilgrimages to mathura and nandgaam several times and wrote Ghazal style paens to krishn as well bhajans in the style of meera baaii. He also wrote bhajan style paeans to sufi scholars/saints in colloquial language. At the same time he declared himself to be a socialist/communist.

1
Khyaal-e-Ghair¹ ko dil se miTa do ya rasool-ul-laah²
Khirad³ ko apna diivaana bana do ya rasool-ul-laah1.thought of the other 2.messenger of allah 3.wisdom, knowledge
The poet/devotee wants to focus his love on mohammed and mohammed alone (or is it god, I am not clear) and prays to the messenger of allah asking the he help remove all thought of any other. Khirad is used here to mean ‘worldly knowledge’ as opposed to ‘spiritual love’. The poet/devotee would rather have even ‘Khirad’ focus its love/attention only on mohammed.

tajalli¹ tuur² par jis noor³ ki dekhi thi moosa⁴ ne
hameN bhi ek jhalak us ki dikha do ya rasool-ul-laah1.brilliance 2.Mt. Sinai 3.light (divine) 4.Moses
It is said that Moses went up tuur/Mt. Sinai asking to see god. He sees a lightning strike as a manifestation of his power/glory. hasrat wants to see at least a glimpse of the same (divine) light that Moses saw the brilliance of at the top of Mt. Sinai.

ali¹ aagaah² jis se ho ke baab-e-ilm³ kahlaaye
vo raaz-e-ishq⁴ hum ko bhi bata do ya rasool-ul-laah1.ali ibn-e abi taalib – the cousin and son-in-law of mohammed 2.aware 3.door to knowledge 4.secret of love
It is reported that mohammed said, “I am the city of knowledge and ali is its door”. hasrat implies that ali acquired this sobriquet when he became aware of the secret of (universal) love – a sufi concept. He prays that he too learn (be taught) the same secret.

husain-ibn-e-ali¹ ke sabr² ne jis ke maze looTe
hameN bhi us balaa³ ka hausla⁴ do ya rasool-ul-laah1.husain, the son of ali 2.patience, acceptance 3.calamity 4.fortitude
The story of karbala, where husain took a firm stand against evil, in the face of certain death and calamities that befell him, his family and followers is used as exemplary and as a metaphor for patience/acceptance/fortitude. hasrat implies that husain derived pleasure out of the pain of his calamities because he had a vision of truth/justice. He prays that he too have a bit of that fortitude.

tamanna¹ hai mohabbat² ko leqaa³-e Ghous-ul-aazam⁴ ki
use baGhdaad⁵ ka rasta dikha do ya rasool-ul-laah1.desire, wish 2.love, devotion 3.meeting, seeing 4.Ghous-the great, a reputed sufi scholar/saint 5.Baghdad, where the mausoleum of Ghous is located.
It appears that hasrat is embarking on a journey to visit and offer devotion at the tomb/mausoleum of ‘Ghouse, the great’. This devotee has a desire to see the spirit of ‘Ghouse, the great’. Show me the way to Baghdad, O messenger of allah.

giraftaaraan-e-baatil¹ haiN talab² hai haq-numaaii³ ki
hameN abd-us-samad⁴ sa rahnuma⁵ do ya rasool-ul-laah1.prisoners of falsehood 2.demand, need 3.exposition of truth/righteousness 4.name of another sufi scholar/saint 5.guide
We are all prisoners of “falsehood” – the implication is that love of/attachment to this material world is “false”. There is a need for someone to show the way to righteousness/Truth. abd-us-samad is such a guide, claims hasrat.

Gharaz¹ hasrat ko vahaab² abd-ur-razaaqain³ o vaali⁴ se
mila kar martaba⁵ anvaar⁶ ka do ya rasool-ul-laah1.need, want, desire 2/3/4/6.names of sufi scholars/saints of the area 5.status
hasrat is desirous of (the blessings/teachings of) of these sufi saints. Get me there O, messenger of allah and give me the same status as anvaar (hasrat mohani is buried close to him).

2
gumrahauN¹ ki rahnumaaii² keejiye
ya ali! mushkil-kushaaii³ keejiye1.wayward, lost 2.guide 3.remove obstacles
ali, has the sobriquet ‘mushkil kusha’ – remover of obstacles. hasrat, considers himself a sinner and prays for guidance back to the right path.

kuchh hameN bhi aye amir-e-aulia¹
deejiye, paas²-e gadaaii³ keejiye1.leader of representatives 2.consideration for 3.penury, begging
‘vali’ is used to mean successor/representative of mohammed. hasrat (still referring to ali) gives him the sobriquet ‘leader among vali/aulia (aulia being plural of vali). To us too, O leader, give something, be considerate of our begging/appealing.

Khwaahish¹-e zaahir² se baatin³ ki taraf
ahl-e-dil⁴ ki dil-rubaaii⁵ keejiye1.wish, desire 2.apparent/worldly 3.hidden/real/spiritual 4.lovers/devotees 5.encouragement
We are all enamoured of worldly possessions. Encourage us (your devotees) towards the spiritual.

kar ke hum ko vaaqif¹-e asraar-e-ishq²
faareGh³-e zuhd-e-riyaaii⁴ keejiye1.knowledgable of 2.secrets of (universal) love 3.free of 4.hypocritical display of piety
hasrat is imputing sufi concepts of universal love as genuine and ritual religiosity as hypocritical. Help us learn the secrets of universal love and free us of hypocritical display of piety.

ba-ataa¹-e daulat²-e qurb³ o qubool⁴
chaara⁵-e dard⁶-e judaaii⁷ keejiye1.with the grant of 2.wealth of 3.nearness (to you) 4.acceptance (by you) 5.cure, remedy 6.pain of 7.separation
By granting me the wealth of nearness to and acceptance by you, give me the remedy of the pain of separation.

aur¹ to sunta hai meri arz² kaun
aap hi haajet-ravaaii³ keejiye1.other (than you) 2.appeal 3.fulfilling my need
Who, other than you will listen to my appeal. Only you can/should fulfill my needs.

jaan¹-e hasrat² hai giraftaar-e-majaaz³
hukm⁴-e in’aam⁵-e rehaaii⁶ keejiye1.life, soul 2.pen-name of poet 3.prisoner of the worldly 4.decree/order of 5.gift of 6.release
The life/soul of hasrat is still a prisoner of the material world. Issue a decree, granting him the gift of release.

3
may’assar¹ hai shaah-e-najaf² ki Ghulaami³
zahe⁴ kaamraani⁵, zahe shaadkaami⁶  1.available 2.king of Najaf – meaning ali (who is buried in Najaf) 3.slavery/servitude 4.blessing, good fortune 5.success 6.happiness
I have available to me servitude to ali, O blessed success, O blessed happiness.

mile mujh ko bhi misl¹-e salmaan² o boozar³
vahi Khwaaja-taashi⁴ vahi nek-naami⁵  1.in the example of 2/3.close associates/supporters/followers of ali 4.association, learning from the same master 5.high repute
May I also get, as salman and abu-zar did, close association of learning along with you and good reputation. It is reputed that a few friends including salman and abu-zar formed a discussion group and were known as ‘ahl-e suffa’, suffa being a bench hewn out of the trunk of a tree on which this group used to sit. It is believed that the word ‘sufi’ came out of that. Thus, hasrat lays claim to both devotion to ali and to the sufi tradition.

vo be-Khauf o Gham kyuN-na-ho¹ ban gaye hoN
haqeeqat² meN sher-e-Khuda³ jis ke haami⁴  1.why should it not be so 2.in truth/reality 3.lion of god, a sobriquet of ali 4.supporter
Why should it not that they become fearless and without apprehension – they who in reality have the support of ali. This plays on the common belief that ali will speak on behalf of his devotees on the day of judgement.

nazar-aaye¹ maula² ke rauze³ pe hasrat⁴
aqeedat⁵ ko anvaar-e-haq⁶ misl-e-jaami⁷  1.may I see 2.lord (ali) 3.tomb, mausoleum 4.pen-name of poet 5.faith 6.rays of light of truth/god 7.like/in the example of jaami
This probably reflects hasrat’s pilgrimage to the mausoleum of ali in najaf. He prays that the too may see divine light, like jaami did, at the tomb of ali. abdur-rahman jaami – sufi scholar/poet wrote in praise of ali.

4
shifa’at¹ ka livaa-e-ahmadi² jis din uTha hoga
hamaare haath meN daamaan³-e shaah-e-karbala⁴ hoga1.cure, deliverance 2.banner/flag of mohammed 3.hem of the robe 4.king of karbala – a sobriquet of husain who was killed in karbala
It is a popular belief (among the Shia) that on the day of judgement (figuratively – when the flag/banner of mohammed will be raised) believers/admirers (holding the hem of his robe) of husain will be saved because of his intervention.

gavaahi¹ pesh hogi jis ghaRi Khoon-e-shahaadat² ki
to haq³ meN pairavaan-e-haq⁴ ke be-shak⁵ faisla⁶ hoga1.testimony 2.blood of martyrdom 3.used here to mean in favour of 4.supporters of truth/justice 5.without doubt 6.judgement
This also has reference to the battle of karbala … ‘blood of martyrdom’ usually implies that. On the day of judgement, when testimony will be presented and everything will be revealed about the martyrdom in karbala then judgement will be made in favour of the supporters of truth/justice (usually this means those who mourn for husain). Thus, mourning for husain will result in a favourable judgement.

sipar¹ ban jaayegi jab dosti² aal-e-mohammed³ ki
rejaa-e-maGhfarat⁴ meN muntaqil⁵ bem-e-saza⁶ hoga1.shield 2.friendship, love 3.progeny of mohammed 4.hope of deliverance 5.change 6.fear of punishment
When love of the family of mohammed will become a shield, (on the day of judgement) the fear of punishment will change into the hope of deliverance.

Khataa’eN¹ baKhsh² di jaayeNgi la-raib³ ahl-e-isyaaN⁴ ki
batool⁵ o haidar⁶ o hasnain⁷ ka jab vaasta⁸ hoga1.transgressions 2.pardoned 3.doubtless 4.sinners 5.another name of fatima, the daughter of mohammed 6.another name of ali 7.hasan and husain 8.association
If sinners have an association with (faith in) batool/haidar/hasan/husain – the family of mohammed, then their sins will be forgiven.

DareN hasrat jinheN Dar ho uqoobaat¹-e-qayaamat² ka
hameN to aaj bhi maa’loom hai us roz kya hoga1.punishments (for sinners) 2.doomsday
Let those who are fearful of the punishments on the day of judgement be afraid. We know even today, that which will happen on that day (we will be saved by our devotion to mohammed’s family).

5
baGhdaadi dayaalu khivayya
hum hoN gareeb haiN paar javayya
birha ki maari, nipaT dukhyaari
taagan kab lag duur se nayya
paar utaar, piya se milaau
razzaaq piya, baaNse nagar ke basayya
ekaii naam ke doii doii kanhayya
razzaaq, vahaab piya bin hasrat
hamri battha kaahe kaun sunayyaO, kind oarsman of baGhdaad. We may be poor, but we want to get across. Stricken by separation, I am dealing with my sorrow, staring for so long, at the boat (which can take me across). I can get down at the far end and meet my beloved, my beloved razzaaq of baaNsa. Two beloveds of the same name, razzaaq and vahaab without whom O, hasrat, who will listen to your appeal. These are all sufi scholars/saints to whom he is offering ‘bhakti’.