25. Mahmood Gami: Tamseel e Adam..

 تِمثالِ عدم

The books and the songs say it as "Tamseel e Aadam" i.e., Allegory of Adam(or Man). But I differ from it because only "Timsaal e Adam" makes sense after we read the poem in entirety.

 تِمثالِ عدم پرْژھیوم حُبابس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Timsaal e adam prichyom hubabas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Timsaal e adam: تِمثالِ عدم: similitude for non-existence,

Hubab:حُباب: Water-bubble

Rind: رِند: It's an Urdu word for drunkard, intoxicated, inebriated. But in poetic circles it is one who is inebriated in love and is unconscious of the world around except his/her beloved. So, I have used word “ecstatic” in place of the word “inebriated”.

 

I asked water bubble the similitude for non-existence,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

The poet asked the water bubble about examples of non-existence and continues to exhort him that since you are a drunk(ecastatic lover), why do you attach your existence with the water i.e., why don't you free yourself of the water and live separately. Water bubble could be a human being in the imagination of the poet.

Moving forward without getting an answer, the poet himself gives similitudes of existence and non-existence and in following stanzas.

 فکرٔ ہینزٔ رزٔ لم ذکرے دُولابس

ارہٹ پِھیری طنابو سٔتی۔

مو گژھ غأفل نندرِٔ تہِ خابس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Fikri hinzi razzi lam zikre dulaabas,

Arhat pheeri tanabov seeith.

Mo gachh gaefil nindri te khwabas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Dulaab: دُولاب: Water-wheel

Arhat: ارہٹ: Water-wheel

Tanaab: طناب: Rope

Pull the remembrance wheel by the rope of care,

The water wheel will rotate by these ropes.

Dont become neglectful by sleeping and dreaming,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

The drawing of water from a well is dependent upon rope and water-wheel. The existence of each is dependent upon one another. Likewise, a person shall draw the sustenance (water) from the well of divinity by remembrance of God. The sustenance will be non-existent for one who is neglectful of the remembrance of God.

 كسبُک معنے پرْژھیوم قصابس

دوپنم دِل گنڈ قُلابس سٔتی۔

دزٔ دزٔ سٔتی مزٔہ اتھ کبابس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Kasbuk maaney prichyom qasabas,

Dopnam dil gandd qulaabas seeith.

Dazze dazze seeit mazze ath kababas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Kasb: كسب: Skill

Qasaab: قصاب: Butcher

I asked a butcher the meaning of skill,

Told me to tie my heart to a hanging hook.

The grilling in fire makes kabab more palatable,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

A person excels in its skill by being determined and this determination gives existence to his profession. Without determination a person's calling is non-existent. A kabab becomes more savoury when grilled. Grilling gives it the existence. Likewise, a person who wishes to rise in divinity circles shall be determined to the divine path. The grilling that he endures on the way bestows upon him the real existence.

 جویند جویاجویا کألب طُلابس

گویند گویا کِتابو سٔتی۔

غأفل چِھہ مشغول لہوس تہ لعبس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Joyand joya kaelib tulaabas,

Goyand goya kitabov seeith.

Gaefil chi mashgool lahu'as te la'abas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Joyand: جویند: Seeker

Joya: جویا: Seek

Kaelib: کألب: Frame, Body

Tulaab: طُلاب: Pupil

Goyand: گویند: Speaker

Goya: گویا: Speak

Lahu wa Laib: لہو و لعب: Worldly amusement

The seeker seeks the frame of a seeker,

The speaker speaks by the books.

Neglectful is busy with worldly amusement,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

This first couplet of the stanza has been constructed in Persian language.

A teacher owes it's existence to the pupil and vice versa. The author and the book are dependant upon each other for their existence. One can't exist without other. A person who neither seeks nor is sought, neither preaches nor is worth preaching is as good as non-existent.

وأحد چِھہ پانے شأهد شرابس

زأہدس لے چھے ثوابس سٔتی۔

کتھ کھوژِٔ عاشق عشقنِس عذابس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Waehid chi paanai shaehid sharabas,

Zaehidas lai chhey sawabas seeith.

Kath khochhi aashiq ashqienis azabas,

Rind chukh zind kath aabas seeith.

Lai: لے: Attraction, Obsession

The God is himself witness to the wine(love),

The piety seeker has obsession with the reward.

Why will a lover fear the torment of love,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

The love emanates from Almighty and a person reaches it only after enduring hardships. On the other hand a person who is concerned with material rewards only forsakes love and adopts rituals only. The pious(one who has not pursued love) is as good as non-existent as compared to the lover. Love gives him the existence while as piety gives a person only material reward.

حُبّہ سٔتی حبيبن پھوکھ لوے حُبابس

پھوکہ سٔتی بیہِ میٗول آبس سٔتی۔

موٗد کیا، روٗد کیا، باقۓ حسابس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Hubbe seeith habeeban pokh loye hubabas,

Phokke seeith beyi myuul aabas seeith.

Muud kya ruud kya baaqai hisaabas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Hubb: حُبّ: Love

With love the lover blew the water bubble,

With the blow, again united with water.

What died, what is left in the process,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

The water bubble(lover here) was annihilated by its beloved into itself by a gentle blow of breath(love). Ask yourself what is existent and what non-existent. Has lover become non-existent after it got annihilated in love?

 پوچھرُک پردٔه ژٹھ اژٔہ منْز حِجابس

پادشاہ ڈِیشہن نوابس سٔتی۔

برْونٹھ پکھ کھوژ مو قہر و عتابس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Pochhruk parde chhatt achh manz hijabas,

Paadshah deesh-han nawabas seeith.

Brontth pakh khochh mo qahr o ataabas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Pochhar: پوچھر: Fullness

Deeshun: ڈِیشُن: See

Qahr o Ataab:قہر و عتابس: Anger and reproach

Tear the curtain of fullness, enter the veil,

You will see the King sitting with the Nawab.

Go ahead, dont be afraid of anger or rebuke,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

When a person tries to be pious by doing all the virtues and avoiding vices, he/she feels full of obedience and is content with this stage. The poet prods him/her to go beyond this curtain and enter the veil of love. There the epitome of love are together i.e., God and Prophet are so near only because of the degree of love. To enter this veil of love is very risky if done without a mentor. So the poet exhorts the lover not to fear anything and jump into it. The fear is anticipated only and not real.0 This only will give you existence. Otherwise u will be non-existent in the scheme of divine love.

 آب منز ناوے ناو منز آبس

یُتھ چِھہ حقؔ الجنابسﷺ سٔتی۔

انجنابﷺ مِیلِتھ پرْتھ صحابسؓ

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Aab manz naavay, naav manz aabas,

Yuth chi Haq Anjanabas seeith.

Anjanab meelith prath Sahabas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Water in the boat, boat in the water,

This is how God is with Prophet.

Prophet similarly is united with Companions,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

The Companions of Prophet owe their existence to him who in turn owes his existence to God. And in the scheme of love God and Prophet are united. So the existence down the hierarchy is dependent on the divine love. Remove the love and nothing exists. Allama Iqbal's couplet is almost on the similar lines:

ملت کے ساتھ رابطۂ استوار رکھ

پيوستہ رہ شجر سے ، اميد بہار رکھ۔

صورتس نش چھے تعبیرخوابس

مُشک زن مِیلِتھ گُلابس سٔتی۔

وأصلس نِش ژھای چھے نہ کینھ نقابس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Surtas nish chhey taabeer khwabas,

Mushk zan meelith gulabas seeith.

Waesilas nish chhaay chhe ne kenh niqabas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Waesil: وأصل: Who has united with beloved

The interpretation of dream is from the figure,

Like the fragrance united with the rose.

The lover united with beloved has nothing hidden from him/her

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

The God is like a dream and its interpretation is the Prophet. It is because they are united like the fragrance and rose. If it feels fanciful to you then plunge into the love and see yourself that between lover and belove there is no veil. Here again the poet emphasises that it is the love that gives you the existence.

عشقنِس مسلس يتھ لاجوابس

زانکھے معنہ چُھکھ حسابس سٔتی۔

دفتہ کور نیمۂ یُس واتہ کعبس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Ashqinis maslas yath lajawabas,

Zankhai maani chukh hisaabas seeith.

Dafte koar nammi yus waati Kaabas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

The issue of love, this matchless thing,

If you get to its meaning, you are in scheme of love.

Tell me where will one bow that reaches Kaaba,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

You will be counted as existent in the scheme of things of Almighty if you know the meaning of love. If Kaaba owes its existence just for direction of bowing and not the attraction of love then tell me which direction shall one bow when he/she reaches the Kaaba?

 برٔه گوس کرٔه کیا یتھ اضطرابس

کر میلہ ذرہ آفتابس سٔتی۔

محؔمود گامیں پرْژھیو حُبابس

رِندٔ چُھکھ زِندٔ کتھ آبس سٔتی۔

Barre gos karre kya yath iztiraabas,

Kar meyli zarre aaftaabas seeith.

Mahmood Gami'yan prichyov hubabas,

Rind chukh, zind kath aabas seeith.

Barre: برٔه: Weak, emaciated

I have become emaciated, what will i do to this restlessness,

Wish the speck get united with the Sun!

Mahmood Gami asked the water bubble,

Ecstatic lover you are, why exist with water?

Explanation:

I have become weak and am restless in the pursuit of my beloved. I am just a speck and my beloved is magnificent like a sun. As a speck I will retain my existence and yet become magnificent like sun if love makes us one. For that reason Mahmood Gami had asked a water bubble why do you exist with water; why not free oneself of this love.