2. Ahead of the stars:
Air and water for the body, books and internet for the mind, Dreams and tranquility for the soul.
Destiny for dreams and ethics for path.
In a series of crests and troughs, there are always some slots alloted for letups. These are actually more entertaining than either the crests or troughs. In a clash of interests, the November and December railway stations changed the track from the carnatic to the sufi world.
Mysticism has always amazed me. Any form of mysticism and occult can make me stand agape.
Its now the Sufi turn. On the way to the Sufi destination, I bumped in to something that made me take a diversion and that is Urdu qawwalis and poetry.
This particular piece is worth sharing here...This piece of poetry is amazing and wonderfully inspiring and it comes from Allama Iqbal. The great man who we know in India for the Song, Saare Jahaan se achcha. I was sifting the sands of sufi when I came across this beautiful poetry in the form of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's rendition and later another anonymous poetic rendition. It was so inspiring, that I have tried putting it up here, pardon my knowledge of hindi. Feel free to correct any faults in the script or in the meaning.
सितारों से आगे जहां और भी हैं,
अभी इश्क के इम्तिहान और भी हैं
तही ज़िन्दगी से नहीं ये फज़ाएँ
यहाँ सैकड़ों कारवाँ और भी हैं
कनाट न कर आलम-ए-रंग-ओ-बू-पर
चमन और भी, आशियाँ और भी हैं
अगर खो गया एक नशेमन तो क्या गम
मक़ामात-इ-आह-ओ-फुगाँ और भी हैं
तू शाहीन है, परवाज़ है काम तेरा
तेरे सामने आसमान और भी हैं
इसी रोज़-ओ-शब् में उलज कर न रह जा
के तेरे ज़मीन-ओ-मकान और भी हैं
गए दिन की तनहा था मैं अंजुमन में
यहाँ अब मेरे राज़दान और भी हैं
The attempted translation:
Beyond the stars are yet other worlds:
There are yet more trials of love ahead!
These conditions do not exist in the void of lower life:
There are hundreds of other caravans here!
Do not be content with this world of color and scent:
There are yet other gardens; other nests!
Why grieve, if this one nest be lost?
There are yet more places for clamor and complaint!
You are the royal eagle; soaring is your pursuit:
Before you are yet other firmaments (to soar up to)!
Do not lose yourself by being enmeshed in this day and night (routine and unavoidable)
You have yet another Time (as pure Duration) and yet other spaces (to conquer)!
The days are gone when I was alone in silent gathering:
Now here I have confidants as well!
There are yet more trials of love ahead!
These conditions do not exist in the void of lower life:
There are hundreds of other caravans here!
Do not be content with this world of color and scent:
There are yet other gardens; other nests!
Why grieve, if this one nest be lost?
There are yet more places for clamor and complaint!
You are the royal eagle; soaring is your pursuit:
Before you are yet other firmaments (to soar up to)!
Do not lose yourself by being enmeshed in this day and night (routine and unavoidable)
You have yet another Time (as pure Duration) and yet other spaces (to conquer)!
The days are gone when I was alone in silent gathering:
Now here I have confidants as well!
Rahat's version:
Another poetic rendition of "Sitaron se aage":
1. Inception, a century ere:
நிற்பதுவே, நடப்பதுவே, பறப்பதுவே, நீங்களெல்லாம்
சொற்ப்பனந் தானா? பல தோற்ற மயக்கங்களோ ?
கற்பதுவே, கேட்பதுவே, கருதுவதே, நீங்களெல்லாம்
அற்ப மாயைகளோ? உம்முள் ஆழ்ந்த பொருள் இல்லையோ?
வானகமே, இளவெயிலே, மரச்செறிவே, நீங்களெல்லாம்
கானலின் நீரோ? வெறும் காட்சிப்பிழை தானோ?
போனதெல்லாம் கனவினைப்போற் புதைந்தழிந்தே போனதனால்
நானும் ஓர் கனவோ? இந்த ஞாலமும் பொய் தானோ?
காலம் என்றே ஒரு நினைவும், காட்சி என்றே பல நினைவும்
கோலமும் பொய் களோ?அங்குக்குணங்களும் பொய்களோ?
சோலையிலே மரங்களெல்லாம் தோன்றுவதோர் விதையில் என்றால்
சோலை பொய்யாமோ?- இதைச்சொல்லொடு சேர்ப்பாரோ?
காண்பதெல்லாம் மறையும் என்றால், மறைந்ததெல்லாம் காண்பமன்றோ?
வீண்படு பொய்யிலே-நித்தம் விதி தொடர்ந்திடுமோ?
காண்பதுவே உறுதிகண்டோம், காண்பதல்லால் உறுதியில்லை
காண்பது சக்தியாம்- இந்த காட்சி நித்தியாமம்
My attempt at translating the great work:
Hey! that which stands, walks, flies, are you all mere dreams? Delusions of different forms?
Hey! that what is being learnt, heard, thought, are you all cheap illusions? is there no depth in your meanings?
Hey sky, Gentle-rays, grown trees, are you all just mirages ? or mistakes of the vision?
Whatever that's past seems buried like a dream..am i a dream too? is this universe a lie too?
Time is a single thought, Visuals are multiple thoughts, is this earth a lie too and in there, is the character a lie too?
If trees in an orchard came from a single seed, is this orchard a lie? will this be accepted?
If what can be seen will disappear, can we see what's already disappeared?
It is wasted in a lie, will this fate continue everyday?
We found truth in what we saw and whatever was not seen was not firm.
What is seen is Shakthi and the scene is permanent.
The original idea is in Tamil and was conceived and written by Subramanya Bharathi better known as MahaKavi Bharathi almost hundred years ago. And below is the translation attempt. As said before, it is an attempt and comes nowhere near the original. The Christopher Nolan idea was INCEPTED in this poetry almost a century ago. Brilliant piece of poetry.
The song was set to tune by another great IR
சொற்ப்பனந் தானா? பல தோற்ற மயக்கங்களோ ?
கற்பதுவே, கேட்பதுவே, கருதுவதே, நீங்களெல்லாம்
அற்ப மாயைகளோ? உம்முள் ஆழ்ந்த பொருள் இல்லையோ?
வானகமே, இளவெயிலே, மரச்செறிவே, நீங்களெல்லாம்
கானலின் நீரோ? வெறும் காட்சிப்பிழை தானோ?
போனதெல்லாம் கனவினைப்போற் புதைந்தழிந்தே போனதனால்
நானும் ஓர் கனவோ? இந்த ஞாலமும் பொய் தானோ?
காலம் என்றே ஒரு நினைவும், காட்சி என்றே பல நினைவும்
கோலமும் பொய் களோ?அங்குக்குணங்களும் பொய்களோ?
சோலையிலே மரங்களெல்லாம் தோன்றுவதோர் விதையில் என்றால்
சோலை பொய்யாமோ?- இதைச்சொல்லொடு சேர்ப்பாரோ?
காண்பதெல்லாம் மறையும் என்றால், மறைந்ததெல்லாம் காண்பமன்றோ?
வீண்படு பொய்யிலே-நித்தம் விதி தொடர்ந்திடுமோ?
காண்பதுவே உறுதிகண்டோம், காண்பதல்லால் உறுதியில்லை
காண்பது சக்தியாம்- இந்த காட்சி நித்தியாமம்
My attempt at translating the great work:
Hey! that which stands, walks, flies, are you all mere dreams? Delusions of different forms?
Hey! that what is being learnt, heard, thought, are you all cheap illusions? is there no depth in your meanings?
Hey sky, Gentle-rays, grown trees, are you all just mirages ? or mistakes of the vision?
Whatever that's past seems buried like a dream..am i a dream too? is this universe a lie too?
Time is a single thought, Visuals are multiple thoughts, is this earth a lie too and in there, is the character a lie too?
If trees in an orchard came from a single seed, is this orchard a lie? will this be accepted?
If what can be seen will disappear, can we see what's already disappeared?
It is wasted in a lie, will this fate continue everyday?
We found truth in what we saw and whatever was not seen was not firm.
What is seen is Shakthi and the scene is permanent.
The original idea is in Tamil and was conceived and written by Subramanya Bharathi better known as MahaKavi Bharathi almost hundred years ago. And below is the translation attempt. As said before, it is an attempt and comes nowhere near the original. The Christopher Nolan idea was INCEPTED in this poetry almost a century ago. Brilliant piece of poetry.
The song was set to tune by another great IR
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