Khusro, the forked tongued Dilliwala. :)

[shiftingoutlines]

Amir Khusro was a Hindustani Turk, born of a Turkish father and a Rajput mother, in India. Mureed (spiritual disciple) of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, Khusro was a renowned sufi poet and musician of the 13th century. He wrote poetry primarily in Farsi (Persian) and Hindavi (Although Khusro seems to have referred to it as ‘Dehalvi’ or ‘of Delhi’(yay delhi!). Hindavi can be considered as a close ancestor of present day Hindi and Urdu).

 
I post two of his poems here—one Farsi and the other Hidavi/Dehalvi/Kharibolo/Hindi. I am only posting transliterations, mostly because I am lazy.

 

 ***

 Mun tu shudam tu mun shudi,mun tun shudam tu jaan shudi

Taakas na guyad baad azeen, mun deegaram tu deegari

 

I have become you, and you me,

I am the body, you soul;

So that no one can say hereafter,

That you are are someone, and me someone else.

***

 

CHHAP TILAK

Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay

Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay

Prem bhatee ka madhva pilaikay

Matvali kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay

Gori gori bayyan, hari hari churiyan

Bayyan pakar dhar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay

Bal bal jaaon mein toray rang rajwa

Apni see kar leeni ray mosay naina milaikay

Khusrau Nijaam kay bal bal jayyiye

Mohay Suhaagan keeni ray mosay naina milaikay

Chhap tilak sab cheeni ray mosay naina milaikay

 

You took away my looks, my identity, with just a glance.

By making me drink the wine of love,

You've intoxicated me with just a glance;

My fair, delicate wrists with green bangles in them,

Have been held tightly by you with just a glance.

I give my life to you, Oh my cloth-dyer,

You've dyed me in yourself, by just a glance.

I give my whole life to you Oh, Nijam,

You've made me your bride, with just a glance.

 

Ustad Meraj Ahmed Nizami’s rendition of chhap tilak can be found here on youtube

Translation from herewww.ektaramusic.com/ak/index.html. Translations of poetry, particularly sufi poetry are always a tad inadequate. If you know better, less literal translations, please do post them.

Comments

[esperante]

Mmm, that first poem is such a perfect example of the dissolution of the Self Sufism talks about. And that rendition of Chaap Tilak is just lovely, so thank you!! (I've only ever heard it sung by Kailash Kher and Indian music groups on my university circuit.)

[shiftingoutlines]

Isn't he just lovely, Meraj Sahab? I am glad you liked it. :)

Wrong dialect

[(Anonymous)]

The second poem of Amir Khusrao which you posted is not in Khariboli ! There are various dialects of Hindi of which one is Khariboli. It is that dialect which is commonly spoken nowadays, which is the standard dialect The dialects of Hindi are - Khariboli, Braj, Kannauji, Haryanvi and Bundeli. The dialects of Eastern Hindi or Purbi are Awadhi, Bagheli, Chhattisgarhi, Bhojpuri and Sadri.
(Dialects of Rajasthani are - Marwari, Mewari, Hadauti, Dhundhari, Shekhawati, Mewati, Bagri, Malwi and Nimadi.)
When Amir Khusrao said Hindavi, he referred to Hindustani, i.e. Hindi or Urdu or Hindi-Urdu mixed language, including eastern dialects sometiems. His compositions are mostly in Awadhi mixed with Urdu (Farzi, Arabic thorough Farsi, and Chagatai words), though he also comeposed in Khariboli.
This song is not in Khariboli, so it seems to be Awadhi. It can also be Kannauji, which is very similar.
(Wikipedia mentions it as Braj, which though seems unlikely to me.)