This write up is second among the series of Forty or so articles to be published on this blog where I will try to transliterate as well as translate Chahal Asrar, the forty Poems of Amer Kabir in devotion of GOD, Prophet, Faith, Sprituality and Philosophy.
His Lineage is traced to fourth Caliph Hazrat Ali paternally and from his mothers side, Syeda Fatimah, with seventeen links, to the Prophet of Islam.
Born in Iran in 1314, he preached obligate monotheism in Central and South Asia including our Kashmir. He died in Khatlan, Tajikistan in 1384.
In the year 1372, the saint visited the valley of Kashmir for the first time, and stayed here for six months. In 1379, he returned back to the valley and stayed for two and a half years.
His third sojourn to Kashmir in 1383 was brief because of deteriorating health.
The saint is credited for bringing Iranian crafts and industries into Kashmir along with 700 followers, which resulted in economic boom in valley vis a vis Arts, Crafts, Textiles, Horticulture, Forestry, Literature as well as cultural integration.
In the book "Salare Ajjam" by S A R Hamdani, the author lists 68 Books and 23 other manuscripts written by the saint. Those include Risalah Nooriyah, Risalah Maktubaat, Dur Murifati Surat wa Sirat Insaan, Risalahai Qiyafah, Manazilus Saaliqin, Zakhiratul Muluk, and Kashmirs' own favourite Awraad Fatehah, gives a conception of the unity of God, which your will find them reverberating every dawn post "Fajr" prayers across mosques and Chahal Asraar, the collection of forty poems in praise of Allah and Muhammad (SAW), Sprituality, Faith and Philosophy.
According to the legend, many a dozen disciples of saint invited his majesty to their homes for dinner on the same night. It is said that the saint refused to none. In the morning, one of the disciple exclaimed that the saint visited his home last night and wrote Poetry in glorification of God and Prophet (SAW).
Meantime, the other disciple claimed the same and put forth another poem as an evidence that the Saint visited his home rather.
This started a cascade and forty odd followers adduced forth the poems, which they claimed to have been written by Saint Hamadani (R.A) the previous night while on visit to their homes instead.
These Forty poems are the epitome of love for God and Prophet (SAW) and have been assembled togather into what is now known as CHAHAL ASRAAR, literally meaning THE FORTY SECRETS.
Where as new generation of Kashmiris' don't understand Persian which once had an honor of being official languages of Kashmir and the language in which huge cache of literary works in valley have been conducted. As a matter of fact, we even feel discomfort understand our own kashur language as well.
Where as we must recognize it as our duty to do, howsoever minute we could, to bridge the gap between our generations to come with the humongous rich literature out there dying to be explored in light of modern perspectives.
So in this series, With all due respect to the Saint Hamadani (RA), I humbly wish to transliterate as well as translate all forty poems of Chahal Asrar from Persian to Englishnized persian and into english.
Last but not least, using such platform, we ought to transcend the literature onto web in understandable interface keeping in mind the larger world population in general.
Before starting, I would like to state that it will be an intellectual dishonesty if I do not give due credit to Dr M.M Masoodi whose book I have taken as reference.
The saint is credited for bringing Iranian crafts and industries into Kashmir along with 700 followers, which resulted in economic boom in valley vis a vis Arts, Crafts, Textiles, Horticulture, Forestry, Literature as well as cultural integration.
In the book "Salare Ajjam" by S A R Hamdani, the author lists 68 Books and 23 other manuscripts written by the saint. Those include Risalah Nooriyah, Risalah Maktubaat, Dur Murifati Surat wa Sirat Insaan, Risalahai Qiyafah, Manazilus Saaliqin, Zakhiratul Muluk, and Kashmirs' own favourite Awraad Fatehah, gives a conception of the unity of God, which your will find them reverberating every dawn post "Fajr" prayers across mosques and Chahal Asraar, the collection of forty poems in praise of Allah and Muhammad (SAW), Sprituality, Faith and Philosophy.
According to the legend, many a dozen disciples of saint invited his majesty to their homes for dinner on the same night. It is said that the saint refused to none. In the morning, one of the disciple exclaimed that the saint visited his home last night and wrote Poetry in glorification of God and Prophet (SAW).
Meantime, the other disciple claimed the same and put forth another poem as an evidence that the Saint visited his home rather.
This started a cascade and forty odd followers adduced forth the poems, which they claimed to have been written by Saint Hamadani (R.A) the previous night while on visit to their homes instead.
These Forty poems are the epitome of love for God and Prophet (SAW) and have been assembled togather into what is now known as CHAHAL ASRAAR, literally meaning THE FORTY SECRETS.
Where as new generation of Kashmiris' don't understand Persian which once had an honor of being official languages of Kashmir and the language in which huge cache of literary works in valley have been conducted. As a matter of fact, we even feel discomfort understand our own kashur language as well.
Where as we must recognize it as our duty to do, howsoever minute we could, to bridge the gap between our generations to come with the humongous rich literature out there dying to be explored in light of modern perspectives.
So in this series, With all due respect to the Saint Hamadani (RA), I humbly wish to transliterate as well as translate all forty poems of Chahal Asrar from Persian to Englishnized persian and into english.
Last but not least, using such platform, we ought to transcend the literature onto web in understandable interface keeping in mind the larger world population in general.
Before starting, I would like to state that it will be an intellectual dishonesty if I do not give due credit to Dr M.M Masoodi whose book I have taken as reference.
POEM NUMBER 2
"His Radiant face is arbiter of my heart;
The dust of road to Kaaba my soul and life."
"Lovers deprived of seeing their beloved,
Hopeless they weep and wail each Morning."
"My sorrow for him is infact my cure,
Because it is He who has the power to heal."
The blogger works as a teacher at Govt High School Amad, Anantnag.
I.
"QABLAYE DIL AFTAABI ROYEE AO AST,
KABAIE JAAN KHAKI RAH KOI AO AST"
"CHU ZE ZULFASH GASHT AALAM MUSHQ BOYE,
DOSTI EEN WA AAN BARBOYEE AO AST"
"His Radiant face is arbiter of my heart;
The dust of road to Kaaba my soul and life."
"It was only the fragrence of his hair spread all over world,
That love and Harmony arose into existance."
II.
That love and Harmony arose into existance."
II.
"KUFRO DEENO NOOR WA ZULMAT DAR JAHAN,
AZ RUKHI MAH WA SHAB GASUYE AO AAST"
AZ RUKHI MAH WA SHAB GASUYE AO AAST"
"TEERI BARAAN BALA BAR HARKI HAST,
AZ KAMANAY PUR KHAMI ABROYE AO AST"
AZ KAMANAY PUR KHAMI ABROYE AO AST"
"Heresy, Faith, Light, Darkness all came into existance,
Because of the moony face and dark hair of His."
Because of the moony face and dark hair of His."
"The bow of his curved eyebrows,
Pulps Down the Volley of arrows."
III.
Pulps Down the Volley of arrows."
III.
"HAR GIRIFTARI KI ANDAR AALAM AST,
AZ KAMANDI ZULFI ANBER BOYE AO AST"
AZ KAMANDI ZULFI ANBER BOYE AO AST"
"HAR GUL KORAST DAR BAAGI WAJOOD,
AABI HAIVAN HAMA AZ JOYE AO AST"
"Everything present in world is bound,
Bound by the Fragrant look of His hair."
AABI HAIVAN HAMA AZ JOYE AO AST"
"Everything present in world is bound,
Bound by the Fragrant look of His hair."
"Every flower in the world owes its existence,
Existance to the waters of His stream."
Existance to the waters of His stream."
IV.
"NALA HAI BEDILANISH HAR SEHAR,
BAR DAREG WA DARDI NAQADI ROYE AO AST"
"AATASHI KA NADAR MIYANI JANI MA AST
AZ FIROGI NARGIS JAADUIE AO AST"
AZ FIROGI NARGIS JAADUIE AO AST"
"Lovers deprived of seeing their beloved,
Hopeless they weep and wail each Morning."
"Whatever the fire is in my soul and life;
Is because of His charming daffodil eyes."
V.
Is because of His charming daffodil eyes."
V.
"JUZ GAMASH DARMAN NA BENM DAR JAHAN,
KIN KAMANI LUTF BAR BAZUYE AO AST"
KIN KAMANI LUTF BAR BAZUYE AO AST"
"HAR DO AALAM GAR SHAWD ZER O ZABAR,
MELI RANJO RANI HIJRESH SOYE AO AST"
MELI RANJO RANI HIJRESH SOYE AO AST"
"My sorrow for him is infact my cure,
Because it is He who has the power to heal."
"If even both the worlds are destroyed,
Broken hearts can find home in union with beloved."
VI.
Broken hearts can find home in union with beloved."
VI.
"CHAND GHARDI GARDI HAR DARAIE ALI,
MARHAMI EEN RESH AZDA ROYE AO AST"
"Oh! Ali how long can pain overwhelm you,
For He alone can relieve you."
MARHAMI EEN RESH AZDA ROYE AO AST"
"Oh! Ali how long can pain overwhelm you,
For He alone can relieve you."
P.S: Thanks to dad for helping me in transliteration
You can view other poems of Chahal Asrar Here.
