masjid-e qurt̤ubah
*stanza three*

  ....  
1) oh holy place of Cordoba!
from passion, your existence
  
ay ḥaram-e qurt̤ubah ! ʿishq se terā vujūd
passion wholly eternal,
in which there's no going and coming		  
ʿishq sarāpā davām jis meñ nahīñ raft-o-būd
     
2) whether it be color or brick and stone,
whether it be the lute or word and voice
  
rang ho yā ḳhisht-o-sang , chung ho yā ḥarf-o-ṣaut
the manifestation of miracles of art
is from the blood of the liver		  
muʿjizah-e fan kī hai ḳhūn-e jigar se namūd !
= In ghazal physiology, the liver is the maker of
fresh blood; thus it's an image of steadfastness
and the endurance of suffering over time.		    
     
3) a drop of the blood of the liver
makes a stone into a heart
  
qat̤rah-e ḳhūn-e jigar , sil ko banātā hai dil
from the blood of the liver, voice,
burning and joy, and the song/lyre		  
ḳhūn-e jigar se ṣadā soz-o-surūr-o-sarod !
     
4) yours the heart-illumining expanse,
mine the breast-burning voice/song
  
terī faẓā dil-firoz , merī navā sīnah-soz
from you, the royal-presence of hearts,
from me, the opening of hearts		  
tujh se diloñ kā ḥuẓūr , mujh se diloñ kī kushūd
   
5) not less than the lofty empyrean is the breast of Adam
  
ʿarsh-e muʿallâ se kam sīnah-e ādam nahīñ
although the limit of the handful of dust
is the azure sphere		  
garchih kaf-e ḳhāk kī ḥad hai sipihr-e kubūd
= Adam's body was made from a handful of dust,
and so is limited to this physical earth and sky;
his spirit however can attain higher realms.		    
     
6) if the Form of Light is granted
a prostration, so what?
  
paikar-e nūrī ko hai sijdah muyassar to kyā
he does not obtain the burning and melting
of the act of prostration!		  
us ko muyassar nahīñ soz-o-gudāz-e sujūd !

= An angel, formed of light, performs prostration,
but doesn't have human emotions when doing so.

    
     
7) I am an Indian infidel,
look at my relish and ardor
  
kāfir-e hindī hūñ maiñ , dekh mirā żauq-o-shauq
in my heart is prayer, and blessings on the Prophet,
on my lips is prayer, and blessings on the Prophet		  
dil meñ ṣalât-o-durūd , lab pah ṣalât-o-durūd

= kāfir can be used playfully; in the ghazal,
it's often applied to the beloved.

= Here as so often, hindī means 'pertaining
to Hind', or 'Indian'.

    
     
8) ardor is in my tune,
ardor is in my reed-flute
  
shauq mirī lay meñ hai, shauq mirī nay meñ hai
the melody of Allah-hu
is in my veins and sinews		  
naġhmah-e allâh hū mere rag-o-pai meñ hai
= Allah-hu is the beginning of the phrase 'God is great'    
   

*On to stanza four* -- *Masjid-e Qurtubah index page*

 
 
 

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