Life without devotion is disgrace - Persian Poetry of Rumi

زندگی بے بندگی شرمندگی

In my childhood, I used to accompany my family to visit an uncle living in the then emerging and thriving colony 'Shad Bagh,' near Lahore Railways station across the 'Do Moria Pull - A bridge with two entrances)'. En route there was a mosque on which there was a big board displaying three words as written above. These were my father's favourite but I was too small to understand the literal meaning of these words.

And it was not many decades later when before proceeding on a year long course in Iran, I underwent a diploma level Persian language course at the National Institute of Modern Languages 'NIML' (now NUML after being elevated to the level of a university) that I came to know the true meaning of these three words:

زندگی آمد، برائے بندگی

زندگی بے بندگی شرمندگی

Zindagi Aamad Bara'ay Bandagi

Zindagi Be Bandagi Sharmindagi

Life is only for devotion.

Life without devotion (worship or total submission) is disgrace

And more so, it dawned on me that these mystical words flowed from the mind and pen of none other than one of the great Persian language poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī (جلال‌الدین محمد بلخى‎) - also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (جلال‌الدین محمد رومی).

Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic, was born in Wakhsh (present-day Tajikistan) and rose to be highly revered poet and religious scholar.

Rumi drew spiritual aspiration from one of the great name in the mystic world Shams-i-Tabrīzī or Shams al-Din Mohammad. It is said that one day Rumi was reading next to a large stack of books. Shams Tabriz, passing by, asked him, "What are you doing?" Rumi scoffingly replied, "Something you cannot understand." On hearing this, Shams threw the stack of books into a nearby pool of water. Rumi hastily rescued the books and to his surprise they were all dry. Rumi then asked Shams, "What is this?" To which Shams replied, "Mowlana, this is what you cannot understand."

So this the level of these two great names in poetry and spiritual world and both are revered til  today by Iranians, Turks, Afghans, Tajiks, and other Central Asian Muslims as well as the Muslims of the Pakistan and India. However, the name of Shams-i-Tabrīzī should not be confused with Shah Shams Tabrizi buried in Multan, Pakistan. 

Now with this background (or if you want to read more about these two spiritual personalities, hit on the highlighted links for details given in Wikipedia), I came to understand the true meaning of the three words which did not make sense to me in my childhood and I wondered then as to why my father liked these three words so much. Since my father knew Persian very well, he must have known the background, which I learnt many years later in my life.

Read the full poetry of Rumi given here in under and see how beautiful spiritual and mystic thinking can be be. And you would also know the correlation between زندگی بے بندگی شرمندگی with the rest of the poetry:

تو کریمی، من کمینہ بردہ عم

لیکں از لطف شمار پروردہ عم

Too Karimi Mun Kamina Barda Um

Laikin Az Lutf E Shuma Parwarda Um

You are the gracious and I am the ignoble, standing at your door.

You are my cherisher.

زندگی آمد، برائے بندگی

زندگی بے بندگی شرمندگی

Zindagi Aamad Bara'ay Bandagi

Zindagi Be Bandagi Sharmindagi

Life is only for devotion.

Life without devotion (worship or total submission) is disgrace.

یاد اے او سرمایہ ایماں بو ند

ھر جگہ، از یاد او سلطاں بوند

Yaad E Oo Sarmaya E Eeman Bo'ad

Har Gada Az Yaad E Oo Sultan Bo'ad

Remembrance of him is the foundation of faith.

The beggars are like kings due to his remembrance.

سید و سرور محمد(صلی اللا علیہ وسلم) نور جاں

معتر او بھتر شفیع مجرمان

Sayyad O Sarwar Mohammad Noor E Jaan

Mehtar O Behtar Shafi E Mujrimaan

Mohammad (pbuh) was purified of worldly things,

he got this reward:

God said to him, Whatever direction you face your prayer,

My face is to that direction.

His soul like an eagle of Heaven as God called him Mercy for all the creations of God.

چوں محمد(صلی اللا علیہ وسلم) پاک شد از نار او دود

ھر کجا روح کرد وج اوللا بود

Choon Muhammad Pak E Shud Az Nar O Dood

Her Kaja Roo Karad Wajhullah Bood

There is no greater or better of all the prophets than Mohammad (pbuh).

He is the praise of God and therefore has been praised very much.

He is the reflection of God in the shape of a worshipper of God.

شھباز لاماکانی جان او

رحمت لل عالعمیں در شان او

Shahbaaz Lamakani Jaan E Oo

Rehmatal Lil Aalameen Dar Shaan E Oo

The friends of God are like God because God is their friend and in this way he who has seen his spiritual leader, sees God.

one who doesn't see his spiritual leader as God is not a true spiritual disciple.

معترین او بھترین انبیاہ

جز محمد(صلی اللا علیہ وسلم) نیست در ارض و سماں

Mehtareen O Behtareen E Ambiyaah

Juz Muhammad Naist Dar Arz O Samaa

There is no greater or better of all the prophets than Mohammad (S.A.W)*.

* SallaAllah-u-Alaih-e-Wasslam (Peace be upon him)

آں محمد(صلی اللا علیہ وسلم) حامر او محمود شد

شکل عابد،صورت معبود شد

Aan Mohammad Hamid O Mahmoud Shud

Shakal E Abid, Sorat E Ma'bood Shud

اولیاہ، اللا ہ اللا اولیاہ،

یعنی دید پیر، دید کبریاہ

Auliyah Allah O Allah Auliyah

Yani Deed E Peer Deed E Kibriyah

ھرکہ پیر او زات حق راہ یک نہ دید

نے مرید او نے مرید او نے مرید

Her Ka Peer O Zaat Haqra Aik Na Deed

Nai Mureed O Nai Mureed O Nai Mureed

مولوی ھر گز نہ شر مولائے روم

تا غلام شمس تبریزی نہ شد

Maulvi Hargiz Na Shud Maula E Rum

Ta Ghulaam E Shams Tabraizi Na Shud

Maulvi ( Rumi was also called Maulana / Maulvi Rumi for being a religious teacher as well )could never be Maula-i-Rum  (spiritual leader or Master)

if he had not devoted himself to Shams Tabrizi - The spiritual Master of Maulana Rumi (Rehmatullah-e-Alayeh)

The last verses are attributed by Rumi to his spiritual teacher and guide Shams Tabrizi - a great thing only great minds and hearts can do. Otherwise small people like us disregard any attribution to our elders and take all undue credit to show our false elevation in literature and spiritualism. And perhaps for this Tabrizi had told Rumi: 'Mowlana, this is what you cannot understand' - not intended for Rumi but for us......

Rumi's Poetry/Persian Text/Translation courtesy Sufi Music

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My heart is an idiot

I am not much of poetry lover but I love poetry of Munir Niazi as he wrote something that moves others' emotions and heart.

However, I recently came across this brilliant piece of expression by Noon Seen Nayyer and thought of sharing with my viewers. Each verse and word of it is thought provoking and at least made me to ponder over when I correlate it with what is happening around us these days.

اب تو دل پیار کے انداز سمجھتا ہی نہیں
میری سنتا ہی نہیں مجھہ سے سنبھلتا ہی نہیں

میں جو پوچھوں کہ کوئی تجھکو اگر چاہنے لگے ؟
ان سنی کرتا ھے خوش ھو کے دھڑکتا ہی نہیں 

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میری نظروں سے ملاتا ہی نہیں نظریں یہ اب
میں کہوں کچھہ بھی مجھے غور سے تکتا ہی نہیں

میری آنکھوں میں اترتی ہوئی تنہائی کو
دیکھتا روز ھے اس دکھہ پہ تڑپتا ہی نہیں

اپنی خاموشی و خود غرضی پہ اتراتا ھے
ایسا بے درد ھے غم سہہ کے سسکتا ہی نہیں

کیسے سمجھاؤں کہ یہ مجھہ سے صلاح پھر کر لے
کیسے بہلاؤں کہ دل مجھہ سے بہلتا ہی نہیں

میں ہی لے دے کے اسے ساتھہ لئے پھرتی ھوں
یہ تو پتھر ھے کسی بات پہ ہنستا ہی نہیں

کیسا بے حس سا نیر دل ھے تیرے پہلو میں
کچھہ بھی ھو غم یا خوشی تجھہ سے لپٹتا ہی نہیں

Poetry by Noon Seen Nayyer
Poster Credit: Chrispiascik

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Our Sharjeel: In the memory of Captain Sharjeel Shahid Shinwari Shaheed

A couple of weeks back, Captain Sharjeel Shahid Shinwari, a doctor in Pakistan Army got ambushed in Waziristan by the militants and succumbed to the IED placed by the road side while visiting patients in a forward military camp. I wrote about the martyred captain in my exclusive post at 'Another son f the soil falls in the line of duty.'

Now another mutual friend of mine and the father of the martyred captain, who himself is in distress these days, remembered the martyred son of the soil in a poem exclusively written for him. Not a man of letter, but his distress has taught him to use his pen and express his thoughts so beautifully that one can feel the pain of a father who has undergone the tragedy of losing his son in the service of the country.

Here it is, written in Urdu. I have tried to translate it into English for my readers who cannot understand Urdu - though my effort cannot match the true feelings reflected by my friend, but it may convey the meanings to some extent.

"Sharjeel Hamara"

Dedicated to my platoon mate Maj Shahid Noor his Family and 55th PMA

Suno aik Ferzand-e-Touheed ki kahani

meray nacheeze bandey ki zubani

(listen to the story of a son of a soil - from a humble person like me)

Sharjeel hamara

Sherjeel hamara
(Our Sharjeel - Our Sharjeel)

Wo "pachpan" ka roshan tara

Maa ki ankh ka raj dullar

(He, who was a shinning star of the 55th PMA Long Course - a mother's prince)

Sherjeel hamara

Sherjeel hamara

Shahid kay angan ka Noor

Hamaray dil ka Saroor

(Light of Shahid Noor's eyes - a lovely darling of us all) 

Sharjeel hamara

Sharjeel hamara

Soum-o-Salat ka Paband

Insanyiat ka ye Peyker Shahzada

(Adherent of prayers and fasts - A symbol of humanity)

Sharjeel hamara

Sharjeel hamara

Ba-Waqat Shahdat Khaki mai malboos

ferzand-e-Noor tha apne faraiz pe mamoor 

(Dressed in the military uniform at the time of his martyrdom - when performing his military duty)

Sharjeel hamara

Sharjeel hamara

Jamm-e-Shahdat ki ulfat mey 

Sabqat ley gaya ye sher hamara

(By attaining martyrdom, this lion has taken a lead from all of us)

Sharjeel hamara

Sharjeel hamara

Suno aye Pak Fouj kay Jeedaro

la dekho aysaa tabinda sitara 
(Oh sons of Pakistan Army, Can you bring forth anyone like this bright star?)

Sharjeel hamara

Sharjeel hamara

kar diya Shahid ka ghar pur-noor

aur walidaah majida ko mahnoor

(He brightened up his home and blessed moonlight to his mother)

Sharjeel  hamara

Sharheel hamara

Afreen Afreen aye ahilyan noor

kar giya hai fakher sey sir baland hamara

(Congratulations, oh family of Noor, he his raised your head with dignity and honour)

Sharjeel hamara

Sharjeel hamara

Ellahi dua hey ke Roz-e-Mehsher 

Sahara baney Jannat ke rah ka 

(Oh God, I pray that on day of judgement, he may show the way to his family the way to the Heavens)

Sharjeel hamara

Sharjeel hamara

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'Sorrow' - a poem written in distress

A friend of mine is in extreme distress these days - and from his solitary abode he has sent me a poem title ' sorrow.' And I thought I must share this beautifully worded and well balanced piece of poetry with my viewers:



Life & sorrow are closely associated,
By life , sorrow is very much fascinated, 
By sorrow peace is initially confiscated, sorrow grows when life is sophisticated, 
in sorrow all must dip,
by coming under sorrows grip,
all are lashed by sorrow's whip,
to every life sorrow makes a trip,
sorrow nicely shape our mind.
sorrow stops our being blind,
via sorrow remedies we find,
sorrow are indirectly kind,
sorrow must be over come,
for which efforts must be welcome,
at last how strong we become,
it's always sorrow outcome.


And let me add here that he was never a literary person ever in his life - but the distress and his solitude has made him a man of pen and thoughtfulness. 


Do pray for this friend of mine that his darkest days of life are soon over and he too can move about with the rest of the world as free as the wind - something that Papillon wished when he was put in captivity for no fault of his. 

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Nasir Kazmi on Load Shedding

When Nasir Kazmi had written his following poetry many many years ago, perhaps he would not have known how his poetry will be used by someone to correlate it to the menace of load shedding. But when I was listening to this beautifully versed piece of poetry sung by Tasawar Khanum, I was stopped in my tracks. And I just tried to correlate the verses with the environment we are living in and it just occurred to me as if this poetry was written to describe the present days.

I hurriedly wrote the verses on paper and am uploading for the readers to decide whether these relate to our present day sufferings or not.

Shehr ki 'be-chiragh' gallioun main
Zindigi tujh ko dondhti hay abhi  
[In the light-less /dark streets of the city
Life is searching for you now]

Bhari dunya main jee naheen lagta
Janay kis cheez ki kami hay abhi
[In this world full of life
I do not know what am I missing]

kuch tao nazak mazaj hain ham bhi
aur yeh chot bhi nayee hai abhi
[I am otherwise very sensitive at heart
and moreover this wound is new too]

If you now correlate the verses above with the darkened light less streets due to excessive load shedding,   we all know light is something we are all vying for more than anything as our life hinges on it. And despite the fact we have everything, in varying degrees, but it is the light or the electricity that is not there.

And the third one is as if it was the start of the load shedding when the poet takes it as something that is new and is hurting.

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I know some poetry lovers may not like this 'gesture' of mine for correlating the poetry of a great poet - but just take it lightly and enjoy load shedding since we cannot do much about it.

And by the way do listen to this beautiful poetry of Nasir Kazmi, beautifully sung by Tassawar Khanum given herein under: 

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Around the corner I have a friend

Long time back, I read the famous book  'Papillon' - an autobiography of man wrongly convicted who then endured hardships in the most notorious prisons in terribly harsh and disgusting jail conditions. My heart moved as I read the autobiography. I even read Banco - the second part of the autobiography too and was amazed at the determination of the man for having endured so much for a crime he never committed.

Like Papillon, a friend of mine is in real distress, convicted for no sin or crime of his. He was there at the right place but terribly at the wrong time. When tides changed, the culprits made good with fortunes and ran out of the country, leaving this friend of mine to be convicted of their sins and got behind the bars.

Not much of a writer ever, but the captivity and utter loneliness has awakened a poet in him and he has started writing. He has sent me a poem he has written from his solitary abode, each word of which speaks of the anguish and pain he suffers all by himself when the world moves on under the free blue sky.

Here is what he writes:

Around the corner I have a friend
in this city that has no end

The days go by and weeks rush on
and before I know, a year has gone

I never see my old friend's face

now we are busy, tired man

Tired of playing to make a name

Tomorrow I say I'll call on my friend

Just to show that I'm thinking of him

But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes

and distance between us grave and grows

Around the corner yet miles away

Here's a telegram: sir, he died today

That's what we get and deserve in the end
Around the corner, A vanished friend.

JIMMY

These words are really moving and I sincerely pray may his anguish is over sooner than before and he walks free under the open sky - free as the wind once again. Oh dear God, do help him and grant him his freedom.

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Children (Khalil Gibran)

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, 'Speak to us of Children.'

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

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