94. Mas bu chaevnas waane ashiqinie: Zaeefa

ضعیفہ

This is a poem of a lesser known female poet whose nom de plume was Zaeefa. Her real name was Zoon Dedh and hailed from Sarai Bal Srinagar. She was disciple of Qadir Bhat who was disciple of Ahmad Dar. Ahmad Dar is famous for the poem "Shoqe chaani waaye chang nai saazo, Aakho Shehre sheerazo". This poem, Sufi in essence, has very vivid imagery and has been crafted beautifully. 

مس بہٕ چٲونس وانہٕ عشقنہٕ، حؠس نہٕ رودُم بٲلۍ یے

نُنٚدبون دلدار میٚونُے، از چِھ آمت سٲلۍ یے

IPA:

/mas bə t͡ʃɑːwnas wɑnəh ɪʃqɪnəh, həs nə rʊdum bɑːlɪ je/

/nʊndbon dildɑːr mjoːnʊi, ɑz t͡ʃʰɪh ɑːmut sɑːlɪ je /

Romanisation:

mas be chaevnas waneh ashqinih, hes ne rudum baeliye

nundbon dildar myonui, az chih aamut saeliye

Words:

Mas: مس : Wine

Baeli: بٲلۍ : Friend (Childhood or friend from youth)

Nundbon: نُنٚدبون : Beautiful, Charming 

Sael: سٲل : Tour, excursion, strolling

Translation:

I was caused to drink the wine from Love’s tavern, O friend, my senses didn't stay.

My beautiful sweetheart has come today, in joy’s delightful sway.

Commentary:

This is simple couplet where poet is conversing with her friend intimately about love and beloved.

پیالہ بٔرۍمس لولہٕ مسکی، حال سپدُم حٲلۍ یے

گتھ کرٲنۍ شمع رویس پونپریو پان زالۍ یے

IPA:

/pɪɑːlə bəɾɪːməs loloːh məski, ħɑːl sʌpdʊm ħɑːli je/

/gətʰ kəɾɑːnɪː ʃəməɦ rɔjas põmprʲo pɑːn zɑːli je/

Romanisation:

Pyaleh barimas loloḥ maski, haal sapdum haeliye

gath karani shama royas pompryo paan zaeliye

Translation:

I filled for him the cups with wine of love and longing, my state was learnt,

Circling the face of the candle, the moths their bodies burnt.

Commentary:

The couplet captures the consuming nature of love. Filling cups with the “wine of love and longing” reveals the speaker’s emotional state, while moths circling the candle, burning themselves, symbolise the surrender and self-sacrifice of passion. Blending inner feeling with vivid imagery, it portrays love as both ecstatic and perilous.

زلفِ قلاب یا چِھ گلاب عاشقن رنبٲلۍ یے

عَشقہ پیچان مُشکہ سٕتۍ دارسٕے کٔمۍ کھٲلۍ یے

IPA:

/zʊlf ɪ qulɑːb jɑː t͡ʃʰɪh ɡʊlɑːb ɑːʃɪqən rʊnˈbɑːli je/

/ʕɪʃqɪ pɪt͡ʃɑːn mʊʃkə sɪt͡iː dɑːrsɪ kɛmɪ kʰɑːli je/

Romanisation:

zulf i qulaab ya chih gulaab, aashiqan runbaeliye

Ashqi pechaan mushk sitii, daarsie kemi khaeliye

Words:

Zulf e Qulaab: زلفِ قلاب : Curly, hook like, hair

Rambael: رنبٲل : Beautified

Ashqeh Pechaan: عَشقہ پیچان : Morning Glory flower

Daar: دار : Gallows, Hanging noose

Translation:

The curling locks and roses, charms of lovers’ lot,

Whose fragrance lifted morning glories to death’s knot.

Commentary:

The couplet celebrates the allure and intensity of love through vivid imagery. The first verse emphasizes the captivating beauty of the beloved, hair and flowers as symbols of attraction and desire. The second verse draws on the natural behavior of morning glory flowers, which are climbing plants that entwine themselves as they grow. Here, the flower’s ascent toward the gallows suggests how the irresistible fragrance of the beloved compels even delicate beings to reach beyond themselves, symbolising love’s intoxicating, overwhelming power.

شوقہٕ تہندے دِل مؠے پِھوٗرُم عرش کیو پاتٲلۍ یے

دم دوان دمدار دمادم غم نہٕ روزان کالۍ یے

IPA:

/ʃoːqɪ tɛhnde dɪl mɛː pʰʊːrʊm ɑrʃ kjohoː pɑːtɑːli je/

/dəm diːvɑːn dʊmdɑːr dʊmɑːdəm ɣəm nə roːzɑːn kɑːli je/

Romanisation:

shoqeh tehnde dil me phurum arsh kyoho paataeliye

dam divaan damdaar damaadam gham ne rozaan kaeliye

Words:

Patael: پاتٲلۍ : Nether world, abyss

Translation:

In his yearning, my heart roamed heaven and nether deep,

The ripe lover feeds its flame and no sorrow can keep.

Commentary:

The couplet portrays the boundless power of love and longing. The poetess' heart, carried by the beloved’s yearning, traverses both heaven and the netherworld, symbolising the all-encompassing nature of passion. The lover nourishes the “flame” of desire, and no sorrow remains, emphasizing how true love overcomes grief and worldly limitations. Using cosmic imagery and intense emotional expression, the couplet captures love as both consuming and liberating.

چھا ضعیفسؔ حال یا ہوش نوٗرِ مستی نٲلۍ یے

نار ژاپان وُزملۄ دۆپ پان پنُن زٲلۍ زٲلۍ یے

IPA:

/t͡ʃʰaː zaʔifas haːl jɑː hoːʃ nuːrɨ masti næːlij jeː/

/naːr tsaːpaːn wuzmalo dop paːn panun zaːlij zaːlij jeː/

Romanisation:

Cha Za’eefas haal ya hosh noor-i masti naeli ye

Naar tsaapaan wuzmalo dop paan panun zael zaeli ye

Words:

Naar chhapun: نار ژاپُن : To chew fire. Kashmiri phrase used to denote anger. Almost equivalent to spit fire.

Vuzmal: وُزمل : Lightning

Translation:

Has Zaeefa any consciousness, with radiance veiling her whole?

Chewing fire, the lightnings cried, as they burned their body and soul.

Commentary:

In this couplet, Zaeefa, the poetess, stands as a figure completely overtaken by ecstatic radiance, so enwrapped in light that she has lost all consciousness of herself and the world around her. The lightnings, blazing embodiments of fire and energy, look upon her in this state and rue their own condition. Speaking “in chewing fire,” that is, in the throes of fierce anger and inner burning, they lament that despite being made of fire themselves, they have not attained such ecstasy. They possess the very element of flame, yet remain restless and self-consuming, while Zaeefa, devoid of flame, is serenely engulfed in divine illumination. Their grief is therefore twofold: envy at her transcendent state and shame at their own impotence. In their fury and regret, they turn their heat inward, burning their own bodies and souls. The poem thus contrasts the calm rapture of spiritual absorption with the torment of unfulfilled intensity, showing that true ecstasy lies not in possessing fire, but in being consumed by the light of love.

PC: Google