kanhaaii de-bekal utsahi

For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the “English” or “Notes” tab.

کنہائی دے ۔ بیکل اُتساہی

 

۱

ایسا درپن مجھے کنہائی دے

جس میں میری کمی دکھائی دے

۲

گت مری سانس کی ٹھہر جائے

جب تری بانسری سُنائی دے

۳

شیام میں دور رہ کے ہوں بیمار

پاس آ کر مجھے دوائی دے

۴

وستر واپس دے سادھناؤں کو

آستھا کو نہ جگ ہنسائی دے

۵

دے قلم اپنی بانسری جیسا

اپنی رنگت کی روشنائی دے

۶

دشمنوں کی ادارتا دیکھی

دوستوں سے بھی آشنائی دے

۷

اپنی دھرتی کا میں سنگھار کروں

زندگی کو یہی کمائی دے

۸

تو نے ماکھن چرائے ہیں چھلیئے

دِل چرانے کی مت صفائی دے

۹

بٹ رہے ہیں دہائیوں میں لوگ

اب میرے دیش کو اکائی دے

۱۰

دوستی کا اُدھار ہے تجھ پر

حق سُداما کا پائی پائی دے

۱۱

تجھ کو بیکل بُلایا مادھو نے

چل کے رس خان کو بدھائی دے

कन्हाई दे – बेकल उत्साही

 

ऐसा दरपन मुझे कन्हाई दे

जिस में मेरी कमी दिखाई दे

गत मेरी सांस कि ठहर जाए

जब तेरी बांसुरी सुनाई दे

वस्त्र वापस दे साधनाऔं को

आस्था को न जग हंसाई दे

दे क़लम अपनी बांसुरी जैसा

अपनी रंगत कि रौश्नाई दे

दुशमनौं कि अदार्ता देखि

दोस्तों से भी आश्नाई दे

अपनी धरती का मैं सिंघार करूं

ज़िन्दगी को यही कमाई दे

तू ने माखन चुराया है छलिये

दिल चुराने कि मत सफ़ाई दे

बट रहे हैं दहाईयौं में लोग

अब मेरे देश को एकाई दे

१०

दोस्ती का उधार है तुझ पर

हक़ सुदामा का पाई पाई दे

११

तुझ को बेकल बुलाया माधव ने

चल के रस खान को बधाई दे

Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. mohammed shafi KhaaN bekal utsahi was an observant/orthodox muslim known to be regular with namaz and roza and for performing haj. hasrat mohani, seemab akbarabadi, hafiz jalandhari and and nazir akbarabadi were known to be similarly religious. Yet, they wrote paeans to krishn. I do not know of any fatwa against them. It is an indication of changed times that a singer like rasoolan baaii was pulled off the stage by Hindutva goons for singing meera bhajans

1
aisa darpan1 mujhe kanhaaii2 de
jis meN meri kami dikhaaii de
1.mirror 2.another name for krishn
O, krishn, give a mirror in which I can see my own shortcomings.

2
gat1 meri saaNs ki Thahr jaaye
jab teri baaNsuri sunaaii de
1.movement, rhythm
I will be so stunned, if I hear your flute that the rhythm of my breath would stop.

3
shyaam1 maiN duur rah ke huN beemaar
paas aa kar mujhe davaaii de
1.black/dark, another name of krishn
I am sick because I am separated from you. Come closer and give me a cure.

4
vastr1 vaapis de saadhnaauN2 ko
aasthha3 ko na jag-haNsaaii4 de
1.clothes 2.practice (of faith), meditation/prayer 3.faith 4.laughing stock of the world
This is probably a reference to krishn stealing clothes of the gopis when they were bathing in the river. The poet suggests that the clothes be given back so they may go back to their prayers and that faith may not become a laughing stock of the world. The poet probably means to apply this to the present day … so the interpretation might be give people the means so that they may be able to take up their normal activities/obligations.

5
de qalam1 apni baaNsuri jaisa
apni raNgat ki raushnaaii2 de
1.pen 2.ink
Grant me a pen like your flute (that I may write the same songs of love). Grant me ink of your colour (krishn was supposed to have been dark/black).

6
dushmanauN ki udaarta1 dekhi
dostauN se bhi aashnaaii2 de
1.generosity 2.familiarity, friendship
We have seen the generosity (sarcastic) of the enemy (British – this is a guess based on bekal utsahi’s active participation in the independence movement). Now, grant us some friends.

7
apni dharti1 ka maiN singhaar karuN
zindagi ko yahi kamaaii2 de
1.land 2.fruit (of my labour of life)
So that I may beautify (cultivate) my land, give my life’s labour this reward/fruit. bekal utsahi was a landlord and professional farmer. He has written other nazm admiring agriculture and rural life.

8
tu ne makkhan churaaye haiN chhaliye1
dil churaane ki mat safaaii2 de
1.cheat, trickster, mischievous 2.explanation, excuses
This has reference to legends of krishn’s childhood when he used to steal butter then make excuses trying to get away with it. Now he has stolen the poet/lover’s heart. Now his explanations/excuses will not have any effect.

9
buT1 rahe haiN dahaaiyauN2 meN log
ab mere desh ko ekaaii3 de
1.getting divided 2.tenths 3.unity
Humans are being divided into tens of communities. Give my homeland unity.

10
dosti ka udhaar1 hai tujh par
haq sudaama2 ka paaii paaii de
1.debt, obligation 2.childhood friend of krishn
You owe a debt of friendship (sudaama took the blame and punishment for krishn’s childhood pranks). It is time to pay up.

11
tujh ko bekal bulaaya maadhav1 ne
chal ke ras Khaan2 ko badhaaii3 de
1.another name of krishn 2.sayyad ibrahim KhaaN – taKhallus ras KhaaN (1548-1628) wrote bhajans to krishn in brij bhaasha 3.congratulations
In an oblique way the poet, mohammed shafi KhaaN bekal utsahi is claiming kinship/equality with sayyad ibrahim ras Khaan who wrote bhajans to krishn in brij bhaasha. madhav/krishn has called you O, bekal go and congratulate ras Khaan. Congratulations to ras Khaan could be due to his celebrated bhajan compositions. Implied is that bekal’s own compositions are of the same quality.

mohammed shafi KhaaN bekal utsahi was an observant/orthodox muslim known to be regular with namaz and roza and for performing haj.  hasrat mohani, seemab akbarabadi, hafiz jalandhari and and nazir akbarabadi were known to be similarly religious.  Yet, they wrote paeans to krishn.  I do not know of any fatwa against them.  It is an indication of changed times that a singer like rasoolan baaii was pulled off the stage by Hindutva goons for singing meera bhajans.

1
aisa darpan1 mujhe kanhaaii2 de
jis meN meri kami dikhaaii de

1.mirror 2.another name for krishn

O, krishn, give a mirror in which I can see my own shortcomings.
2
gat1 meri saaNs ki Thahr jaaye
jab teri baaNsuri sunaaii de

1.movement, rhythm

I will be so stunned, if I hear your flute that the rhythm of my breath would stop.
3
shyaam1 maiN duur rah ke huN beemaar
paas aa kar mujhe davaaii de

1.black/dark, another name of krishn

I am sick because I am separated from you.  Come closer and give me a cure.
4
vastr1 vaapis de saadhnaauN2 ko
aasthha3 ko na jag-haNsaaii4 de

1.clothes 2.practice (of faith), meditation/prayer 3.faith 4.laughing stock of the world

This is probably a reference to krishn stealing clothes of the gopis when they were bathing in the river.  The poet suggests that the clothes be given back so they may go back to their prayers and that faith may not become a laughing stock of the world.  The poet probably means to apply this to the present day … so the interpretation might be give people the means so that they may be able to take up their normal activities/obligations.
5
de qalam1 apni baaNsuri jaisa
apni raNgat ki raushnaaii2 de

1.pen 2.ink

Grant me a pen like your flute (that I may write the same songs of love).  Grant me ink of your colour (krishn was supposed to have been dark/black).
6
dushmanauN ki udaarta1 dekhi
dostauN se bhi aashnaaii2 de

1.generosity 2.familiarity, friendship

We have seen the generosity (sarcastic) of the enemy (British – this is a guess based on bekal utsahi’s active participation in the independence movement).  Now, grant us some friends.
7
apni dharti1 ka maiN singhaar karuN
zindagi ko yahi kamaaii2 de

1.land 2.fruit (of my labour of life)

So that I may beautify (cultivate) my land, give my life’s labour this reward/fruit.  bekal utsahi was a landlord and professional farmer.  He has written other nazm admiring agriculture and rural life.
8
tu ne makkhan churaaye haiN chhaliye1
dil churaane ki mat safaaii2 de

1.cheat, trickster, mischievous 2.explanation, excuses

This has reference to legends of krishn’s childhood when he used to steal butter then make excuses trying to get away with it.  Now he has stolen the poet/lover’s heart.  Now his explanations/excuses will not have any effect.
9
buT1 rahe haiN dahaaiyauN2 meN log
ab mere desh ko ekaaii3 de

1.getting divided 2.tenths 3.unity

Humans are being divided into tens of communities.  Give my homeland unity.
10
dosti ka udhaar1 hai tujh par
haq sudaama2 ka paaii paaii de

1.debt, obligation 2.childhood friend of krishn

You owe a debt of friendship (sudaama took the blame and punishment for krishn’s childhood pranks).  It is time to pay up.
11
tujh ko bekal bulaaya maadhav1 ne
chal ke ras Khaan2 ko badhaaii3 de

1.another name of krishn 2.sayyad ibrahim KhaaN – taKhallus ras KhaaN (1548-1628) wrote bhajans to krishn in brij bhaasha 3.congratulations

In an oblique way the poet, mohammed shafi KhaaN bekal utsahi is claiming kinship/equality with sayyad ibrahim ras Khaan who wrote bhajans to krishn in brij bhaasha.  madhav/krishn has called you O, bekal go and congratulate ras Khaan.  Congratulations to ras Khaan could be due to his celebrated bhajan compositions.  Implied is that bekal’s own compositions are of the same quality.

Key Search Words: krishn bhakti, communal harmony, sufi, sufiyaana, cross-religious, cross religious, kaaba kaashi, k’aaba-kaashi, k’aaba kaashi