hur – pas-o-pesh – mir anis

Click here for overall comments and on any passage for meanings and discussion.anis describes the same anxiety, hesitation and troubled mind in much the same way as Shakespeare but in a very different context. husain and his followers arrived on the banks of the Euphrates in karbala and made camp at a strategically advantageous location with access to water. yazid’s army was following but was some days behind. They had sent a smaller, faster advance party under the command of a young captain by the name of hur. The advance party moved through the desert as fast as they could to cut off husain from the river, but arrived a little too late and too hungry and thirsty to put up a good fight. husain’s followers urged him to finish them off, but he gave them water and rations and tried to negotiate in the hopes of a bigger peace. Even though hur followed the orders he was given, he was now torn between loyalty to his own commander and appreciation for the character of husain that he had seen. It is hur’s anxiety and troubled mind that anis describes. (On the morning of the battle of karbala, hur changed sides and came over to husain, knowing full well that he would be killed).

apne be-chobe¹ meN baiTha tha hur-e-ba tauqeer²
saamne rakhi thi masnad³ ke sipar⁴ par shamsheer⁵
dast-o-paa⁶ meN kabhi ra’asha⁷ tha kabhi haalat taGh’eer⁸
kabhi naale⁹ the zabaaN par kabhi hai hai shabbir
tap-e-Gham¹⁰ dil meN dhun¹¹ talKh¹² shikan¹³ abruu¹⁴ par
haath maathe pe kabhi thaa kabhi sar zaanu¹⁵ par1.a special tent that has no “chob – tent pole” 2.hur of good faith 3.carpeted/cushioned seat 4.shield 5.sword 6.hands and feet 7.trembling 8.changing, restless 9.wailing, crying 10.heat of sorrow 11.obsession 12.hard 13.furrow 14.brow 15.lap, knee
hur, a man of good faith, sat in his tent. Before him on the cushion were his sword and shield, but his hands trembling at times, and at times restless. Sometimes he would cry out and say “O, shabbir (husain)”. His heart sorrowful, obsessed (with guilt), his brow deeply furrowed. At times he beat his forehead, at other times sat with his head on his knee.

kabhi uTTha kabhi baiTha kabhi Tahla vo jari¹
garm aaheN² kabhi keeN sard kabhi aah bhari
qalb³ meN thi kabhi sozish⁴ kabhi dard-e-jigari⁵
suKhan-e-paas⁶ kabhi lab pe kabhi nauha gari⁷
aal-e-ahmed⁸ ki sadaa⁹ sun ke taRap¹⁰ jaata thaa
dam-ba-dam¹¹ Khaime¹² se ghabra ke nikal jaata thaa1.brave 2.hot sights, sobs 3.heart 4.burning 5.pain of the liver/heart 6.talk of concern/love 7.lamentation 8.progeny of Mohammed 9.sound, voice 10.writhe in pain 11.moment by moment, again and again 15.tent
That brave man sat down anon, stood up again and walked around. Sobbing sometimes, sighing at others. His heart burning with sorrow, hurting with pain. Talking sweetly at times and lamenting at others. When he heard the sound of the voices of the house of mohammed he writhed in pain. Again and again, he would walk out of his tent.

Hesitation and Distress – Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, Act III, Scene 2.  The king and the Duke of Norfolk are discussion the strange behaviour of Cardinal Wolsey, who has been acting disturbed and anxious.

Duke of Norfolk: My lord, we have
Stood here observing him: some strange commotion
Is in his brain: he bites his lip, and starts;
Stops on a sudden, looks upon the ground,
Then lays his finger on his temple, straight
Springs out into fast gait; then stops again,
Strikes his breast hard, and anon he casts
His eye against the moon: in most strange postures
We have seen him set himself.
Henry VIII: It may well be;
There is a mutiny in’s mind.