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Amir Khusrau, the playful

Amīr Khusrau Dehlawī, a Sufi mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi, was not only a notable poet but also a prolific scholar and a seminal musician. He wrote poetry primarily in Persian for the court and Hindvi for the common man.

Amir Khusrau had a special connection with the common folk and their language of expression. This led him to use the language in his playful interaction with the people. His songs(geet), couplets( dohas) and riddles( pahelis) are mainly written in that dialect called Hindvi.

There are an endless number of riddles credited to him-some as Keh Mukarnis( say-deny ), Dosukhnay (two liners) and chaubolay(four liners) etc. in Hindvi. The riddles convey the spirit of playfulness, celebration, and surprise.

Khusrau’s pahelis, dohas and geets were so enmeshed into the day to day lives of the common man that they were orally transferred from generation to generation. They were passed on by Qawwals (Qawwali singers), mirasees (professional singers), bhands (stage performers),naukranis (women-folk who were employed by aristocratic families to look after children and perform other daily chores, and of course the family members themselves.

Riddles (Dosukhna ):

Dosukhna, (literally meaning a two-liner or a two-verse-thing) is a smart form of riddle in which one has to find one answer for two completely different questions – though that answer could have different meanings for both questions. Interesting part is that the answer is not simply one word or a noun – it has to be a two or three word explanation, since the questions are always asked in ‘Whys’.

Some examples are:

Raja pyasa kyoon? Gadha udasa kyoon?
Lota na tha.

Why is the king thirsty? Why is the donkey sad?
Didn’t have the pot to drink (the king);
Hadn’t rolled on the ground (the donkey)

Deevar kyoon tooti? Raah kyoon luti?
Raaj na tha.

Why did the wall break? Why was there a robbery on the road?
There was no mason (for the wall);
There was no government (to stop the robbery).

Anar kyoon na chakkha? Wazir kyoon na rakkha?
Danaa na tha.

Why didn’t you taste the pomegranate?
Why wasn’t a minister selected?
Didn’t have the seed (the pomegranate);
There wasn’t a wise one (the minister).

Dahi kyoon na jama? Naukar kyoon na rakkha?
Zaamin na tha.

Why didn’t the curd set? Why wasn’t the servant kept?
There was no essence (for the curd),
There was no one to give security(for the servant)

Ghar kyoon andhiyaara? Faqeer kyoon badbadaya?
Diya na tha.

Why was the house in dark? Why did the beggar grumble?
There was no lamp (in the house);
Hadn’t given anything (to the beggar).

Gosht kyoon na khaya? Dom kyoon na gaya?
Gala na tha.

Why wasn’t the meat eaten? Why didn’t the bard sing?
Wasn’t done properly (the meat); Didn’t have a voice (the bard).

Samosa kyoon na khaya? Joota kyoon na pehna?
Tala na tha.

Why wasn’t the samosa (a patty) eaten? Why wasn’t the shoe worn?
Wasn’t fried (the samosa); Didn’t have a sole (the shoe).

Sitar kyoon na baja? Aurat kyoon na nahayi?
Parda na tha.

Why wasn’t the sitar played? Why didn’t the lady bathe?
Didn’t have a reed (the sitar); There was no curtain (for the lady).

Pundit kyoon na nahaaya? Dhoban kyoon maari gayi?
Dhoti na thi.

Why didn’t the pundit (the priest) bathe?
Why was the washerwoman beaten?
Didn’t have a loincloth (the pundit); Did not used to wash (the washerwoman)

Khichdi kyoon na pakaayi? Kabootri kyoon na bhagayi?
Chhadi na thi.

Why didn’t you cook the Khichdi (a rice dish)?
Why didn’t you drive away the (female) pigeon?
Didn’t have a spoon (for the Khichdi);
Didn’t have a stick (to drive away the pigeon).

Others:

Ghuum ghumelaa lehangaa pahne,
ek paanv se rahe kharii.
aath haath hain us naarii ke,
suurat usakii lage parii.
Sab koii us kii chaah kare hai,
musalamaan hinduu chhatrii.
“khusaro” ne yah kahii pahelii,
dil me.n apane soch jarii..
A: Chhatri

She wears a round skirt, stands on one leg,
That lady has eight legs,
And looks like a fairy.
Everyone wants her,
Muslim, Hindu, Chhatri (of warrior caste).
Khosrow asks this riddle,
just think about it.
A:Umbrella

Baalaa thaa jab man ko bhaayaa,
badaa huaa kuchh kaam na aayaa,
“khusaro” kah diyaa us kaa naanv,
buujhe nahiin to chhode gaanv..
A: diyaa

Was lovable when little (or lit),
but was worthless when grown up (or extinguished)
Khusro has told you his name,
solve this riddle or get out of town.
A: Tealight( diyaa)

Ek kahani main kahun,
Tu sunlay meray poot;
Bina paron ke ud gayee,
Woh baandh galay mein soot.
A: Patang

Let me ask a riddle,
Listen, oh my son;
She flew without wings,
with a thread in her neck.
A: A kite

Nar naari kehlaati hai,
aur bin warsha jal jati hai;
Purkh say aaway purkh mein jaai,
na di kisi nay boojh bataai.
A: Nadi ( Darya)

Is known by both masculine and feminine names,
And lightens up (or burns up) without rain;
Originates from a man and goes into a man,
But no one has been able to guess what it is.
A: River

Pawan chalat weh dehe badhavay
Jal peevat weh jeev ganvavay
Hai weh piyari sundar naar,
Naar nahin par hai weh naar.
A: Aag

With the blow of wind she flares up,
And dies as soon as she drinks water;
Even though she is a pretty woman,
She’s not a woman, though she’s feminine.
A: Fire

Ek guni nay yeh gun keena,
Hariyal pinjray mein dedeena;
Dekho jadoogar ka kamaal,
Daalay hara, nikaalay laal.
A: Paan

One trickster performed this trick,
Inserted a (green) parrot into the cage;
Oh, what an act the sorcerer shows,
Puts in green, takes out red !
A:Betel leaf for chewing

Bheetar chilmun, baahar
chilmun, beech kaleja dhadkay,
Amir Khusrau yun kahay
woh do do ungal sarkay.
A;Qainchi

A screen inside,a screen outside,
a pounding heart in between,
Says Amir Khusrau,
its moving inch by inch.
Scissors

Ujjal ateet moti barani, paayi
kabnt diyay moye dharani,
Jahaan dhari wahan nahin paayi,
haat bajaar sabhay dhoondh aayi;
Aye sakhi ab keejay ka?
Pi maangay to deejay kya?
A:Olaiyy

He found some beautiful, sparkling pearls,
and gave them to me to keep,
But alas, I can’t find them now where I kept,
Have searched every corner, even in the bazaar;
What to do, Oh my friend?
What will I give, when the beloved asks?
A: Hail

The Say-and-Deny Riddles of Khusro (Keh Mukarnis):

Keh (say) Mukarni (denial) is an interesting genre of riddles played between two young women, where one of them describes something in a way that it is mistaken by the other girl as her beloved, and finally turns out to be something completely different.

Raat samay woh mere aawe
bhore bhaye woh ghar uthi jawe
Ye achraj hai sab se nyaara
Ay sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi taara!

He comes to me at night
At the onset of dawn he goes away
And it is so very exciting.
Is he the beloved?
No dear, a star!

Jab maangoon tab jal bhar laawe
Mere man ki tapan bujhawe
Man ka bhari tan ka chota
Kya sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, lota!

Brings water whenever I want
Quenches the heat in me
Has a big heart but small body.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a water jar !

Nange paanv phiran nahin deta
paanv se mitti lagan nahin deta
paanv ka chooma let nipoota
Ay sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi joota!

Does not let me walk barefoot
Does not let my feet get soiled
Hugs my feet always.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a shoe!

Sej padi moray aankhon aaya,
Daal sej mohay majaa dikhaya,
Kis say kahun ab maja main apna.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, sapna!

I was lying on the bed,
when he appeared in my eyes,
Oh, he let me have such fun on the bed,
Who should I tell my fun now.
Was it the beloved?
No dear, a dream!

Bakhat bakhat moye wa ki aas,
raat dina oo rahat mo paas;
Meray man ko sab karat hay kaam.
Aye sakhi saajan?
na sakhi, Ram!

Each moment I long for him;
Day and night he remains with me,
And does what my heart asks him to do.
Is it the beloved?
No my dear, its Ram( God)!

Sagri raen chhatiyan par raakha,
Roop rang sab wa ka chaakha;
Bhor bhaee jab diya utaar.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi haar!

Kept him on my bosom the entire night,
And tasted his various flavours thoroughly;
At dawn, I removed him.
You mean the beloved?
No dear, necklace!

Padi thi main achaanak chadh aayo,
Jab utryo to paseeno aayo,
Sehem gayi nahin saki pukaar,
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, bukhaar!

I was lying when he suddenly came upon me,
I was perspiring, when he got away,
Terrified, I could not scream.
Was it the beloved?
No dear, it was fever!

Woh aaye tab shaadi hovay,
Us bin dooja aur na koye;
Meethay laagen wa ke bol.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, dhol!

One can’t get married without him/it,
There is no one like him/it;
And he/it sounds so sweet.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, the drum (for singing)!.

Aap hilay aur moye hilaaye,
Wa ka hilna moye mun bhaye;
Hil hil kay woh huva nasankha.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi pankha!

It shakes itself, and shakes me too,
The shaking really pleases me;
It has become so frail by continually shaking.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a fan!

Lipat lipat kay wa-kay soyee,
Chhaati say chhaati lagakay royee,
Daant say daant bajay to taada.
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, jaada!

Cuddled up in his arms she slept,
Bosoms pressed against each other, she sobbed,
When the teeth started clattering, she saw.
Was it the beloved?
No my dear, Winter!

Oonchi ataari palang bichhayo,
Main soyi meray sir par aayo;
Khul gayin ankhiyan bhayi anand,
Aye sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, Chand!

Had my bed on the roof top,
And was off to sleep, when he came;
Could not sleep any further, it was such a pleasure.
Was it the beloved?
No dear, it was moon!

Ber-ber sovathi jagave
Na jagoon to kaate khaave
Vyakul hui main hakki bakki
Ay sakhi sajan?
Na sakhi, makkhii!

With sound wakes me from sleep
Bites if I don’t wake up
So nervous I wake up.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a housefly!

Jab woh moray mandir aaway,
sotay mujhko aan jagaway;
Padhat phirat woh birah ke achchar,
Aye sakhi sajan?
Na sakhi machchar!

Whenever he visits my place,
Wakes me up from the sleep,
He sings the song of separation;
Is it the beloved, oh friend?
No, its mosquito!

Ati surang hai rang rangeele
gunwant bahut chateeley
Ram bhajan bin kabhi na sota
Kyon sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi, totaa!

Is so beautiful and colorful
So very talented too.
Never sleeps without prayers.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, a parrot!

Jeevan sab jag jaso kahe
Wa binu nek na dheeraj rahe
hare chinak mein hiye ki pir
Kya sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi , neer!( aansoo)

Says everything about the life
With it one cannot bear
Takes away the pain.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, tears!

Shobha sada badhawan hara
Ankhin se chhin hot na nyara
Aath peher mero manoranjan.
Kyon sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi , Anjan!( Kaajal)

Beautifies me so much
Doesn’t look nice away from eyes
All the time I enjoy it’s presence.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, the kohl! ( in the eyes).

Bin aaye sab hi sukh bhoole
Aye to ang ang sab phoole
Siri bhai lagawat chaati
Kyon sakhi saajan?
Na sakhi , paati!

Without it’s everyone takes forgranted happiness
If arrives, it worries us a lot
And we have to embrace it anyways.
Is it the beloved?
No dear, sadness!

( Dear readers, if you know of any such riddles by Amir Khusrau which aren’t here, you are welcome to add them in the comments. I shall be highly indebted for that ).

Courtesy:
-Amir Khusrau Wikepedia
-Amir Khusrau Website:http://www.ektaramusic.com/ak/index.html

Category:

Amir Kusro, Hindi Poetry, Humour, India, Pakistan, Poetry, Social Issues, URDU POETRY

If you will pay Peanuts, all you will get is Monkeys.

When I entered medical school way back two and a half decades ago, there was a ripple of sensation that ran through my entire clan. In minutes one could notice the change in the attitudes when suddenly people started taking this bubbly school girl seriously. Some skeptics even came up to ask if the admission was actually for ‘doctory’ or some other para-med course in the prestigious Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi.

The day came when I finally arrived for the first day of our med school. The group of lucky 90 were huddled into an auditorium for the introductory lecture. The place was an antiquated auditorium which looked more like a Colloseum with walls and seats made of seasoned dark teak-wood. The college had its foundation stone laid in March 17, 1914 and the venue spoke volumes of the time it was built.

The Hippocratic Oath was read out to us, and then the principal of the school gave us a short but touching speech. From what I faintly remember she began with …..
“I congratulate you all…. In our community doctors are considered ‘next to God’. I wish that you keep this key fact in the back of your mind all your life, from today onwards. Yes we are all human beings, we also have our aims and aspirations, but our patients have far more expectations from us than from anyone else. You may not find it so pleasant now, but my advice would be that your mannerism, your thoughts, your words, your dress up and the body language—and in summary your whole life, should reflect the respect and dignity that this noble profession is so worthy of…..”

My experience in practice all these years stands testimony to the respect and love that one gets from one’s patients. They come to us for healing but they heal us too, in return, with the trust with which they put their lives in our hands.

And it is not just the few inquiries into the medical history, or the physical examination or the prescription of few drugs which heals the patient. But trusting the patient’s problems as real ( even if you may find them very trivial or exaggerated), paying proper attention to their concerns, adequate eye contact and pleasant body language act as invisible factors which do wonders in creating a healthy doctor-patient relationship.

As was said centuries ago, it holds true even till date…
“‘Medicine is not merely a science but an art.The character of the physician may act more powerfully upon a patient than the drugs employed.” Philipus Aroleus Paracelsus

After all this grandiose image of this noble profession in the back of my mind, my heart bleeds and winces in pain when I see in my day today life, with what indignation and disrespect the general public has for the image of doctors.

Calling them butchers, killers, criminals….

Gosh! I always lived in an illusion that politicians were the most maligned of all the people. But today I stand with the revelation that doctors are even considered worse.

Irrespective of the current situation (of strike by young doctors in Punjab,Pakistan), the whole scenario pushes my head to think of why has this situation been reached?

There are black sheep in every profession and such have crept in our profession too. It does not limit to the doctors only in our land but all over the world where there are people who consider medicine less of a noble profession and more of a lucrative business. But then so has become the medical education. Nowadays, on the footsteps of the expense it takes to study medicine in the West, the private colleges have cropped up in the subcontinent, which charge hefty fees to make a doctor ( in parallel to the govt. medical colleges which have now become a minority).

The exorbitant costs have made the education ’purchasable’ and now it is not just the ‘worthy’ but the ‘affording’ too who enter these private medical schools.

Many leave for greener pasture in the West or the Middle East where they are well paid and well respected. Those who stay behind either by destiny or by their freewill, need to earn a decent amount to at least make their ends meet.

The irony is that once they pass out, irrespective of graduating from the private or govt colleges, they are paid the lowest of possible wages in lieu of their hard work in the past, present or future.

This has dissuaded the bright youngsters especially the boys from the medical profession , opting for anything else instead. And those enamored who do enter, regret later. The smarter ones branch out into pharmaceutical industry, hospital administration, civil services etc to make their lives easy and better, financially.

Irony still, when these youngsters who now come out to ask for their dues, get mauled physically and psychologically by the authorities as well as the general public. And they give them all kinds of moral lessons by reminding them of their noble profession or Hippocrates Oath.

And of the age-old rhetorics of ‘work for humanity not money’, ‘you work for others, not yourself’, ‘keep killing for greed’ to doctors.

Is this not moral policing too? And every ‘enlightened seems to have become a Mullah against the doctors today !!!

True the doctors need to be doctors even beyond their working hours, but if the youngsters who aspire to lead decent lives do not get enough to even feed their families, how can you expect them to do their duties with full heart and soul. Like all of us they are human beings too, not angels.

It was really painful to hear that the situation has become so desperate that even some emergency work was also closed down. On talking to a young soon-to- be- doctor, Atif Ali from Services Inst. of Medical Sciences, for staying HUMAN, he replied:

“its hard to stay human in a jungle. . . :-)….”
“I am sorry , but i personally believe that we shd be tagged as human mechanic n our job shd b just fixing their prblms . . . .nt getting emotional or flattered by dis term maseeha. . . !

Down vid maseehai of such nation 4 vich i hv to burn my nights stdying, work on holidays, be on d frnt line in disaster , get abused n beaten by patient attndnts n even aftr all that. . Have to look up towards ma parents to send money 4 ma expnses instead ov being support to em.”

Unfortunately when this desperate situation arises, how can one expect them to be the ‘next to Gods’ for the patients?

Ultimately, with or without the support of the people, I hope and pray that they get most of their justified demands met.

I am afraid that if the doctors are not given their due, less and less will smart minds be willing to enter this field or willing to stay in our country.

I have no qualms in saying that if you will pay peanuts, all you will get is monkeys.

Category:

Health, Pakistan, Social Issues

The Right to Dream by Eduardo Galeano

The Right to Dream: Poem written in Spanish by Eduardo Galeano. Uruguayan writer on political and economic issues and the author of Upside Down.

In 1948 and again in 1976, the United Nations proclaimed long lists of human rights, but the immense majority of humanity enjoys only the rights to see, hear and remain silent. Suppose we start by exercising the never-proclaimed right to dream? Suppose we rave a bit? Let’s set our sights beyond the abominations of today to divine another possible world:

the air shall be cleansed of all poisons except those born of human fears and human passions;

in the streets, cars shall be run over by dogs;

people shall not be driven by cars, or programmed by computers, or bought by supermarkets, or watched by televisions;

the TV set shall no longer be the most important member of the family and shall be treated like an iron or a washing machine;

people shall work for a living instead of living for work;

written into law shall be the crime of stupidity, committed by those who live to have or to win, instead of living just to live like the bird that sings without knowing it and the child who plays unaware that he or she is playing;

in no country shall young men who refuse to go to war go to jail, rather only those who want to make war;

economists shall not measure living standards by consumption levels or the quality of life by the quantity of things;

cooks shall not believe that lobsters love to be boiled alive;

historians shall not believe that countries love to be invaded;

politicians shall not believe that the poor love to eat promises;

earnestness shall no longer be a virtue, and no-one shall be taken seriously who can’t make fun of himself;

death and money shall lose their magical powers, and neither demise nor fortune shall make a virtuous gentleman of a rat;

no-one shall be considered a hero or a fool for doing what he believes is right instead of what serves him best;

the world shall wage war not on the poor but rather on poverty, and the arms industry shall have no alternative but to declare bankruptcy;

food shall not be a commodity nor shall communications be a business, because food and communication are human rights;

no-one shall die of hunger, because no-one shall die of overeating;

street children shall not be treated like garbage, because there shall be no street children;

rich kids shall not be treated like gold, because there shall be no rich kids;

education shall not be the privilege of those who can pay;

the police shall not be the curse of those who cannot pay;

justice and liberty, Siamese twins condemned to live apart, shall meet again and be reunited, back to back;

a woman, a black woman, shall be president of Brazil, and another black woman shall be president of the United States; an Indian woman shall govern Guatemala and another Peru;

in Argentina, the crazy women of the Plaza de Mayo shall be held up as examples of mental health because they refused to forget in a time of obligatory amnesia;

the Church, holy mother, shall correct the typos on the tablet of Moses and the Sixth Commandment shall dictate the celebration of the body;

the Church shall also proclaim another commandment, the one God forgot: You shall love nature, to which you belong;

clothed with forests shall be the deserts of the world and of the soul;

the despairing shall be paired and the lost shall be found, for they are the ones who despaired and lost their way from so much lonely seeking;

we shall be compatriots and contemporaries for all who have a yearning for justice and beauty, no matter where they were born or where they lived, because the borders of geography and time shall cease to exist;

perfection shall remain the boring privilege of the gods, while in our bungling, messy world every night shall be lived as if it were the last and every day as if it were the first.

First published: http://www.newint.org/features/2002/01/05/rave/

Category:

CULTURE, International, Poetry, Politics, Social Issues

Let’s Have a Candlelit Dinner Friends

On March 26 2011 at 8:30-9:30 pm, where ever you are TURN OFF your lights for to celebrate the EARTH HOUR.
Everyone is encouraged to participate – individuals, businesses, schools, and organizations.

Why do it?
The Earth Hour website says:
“Put simply, because our future depends on it! Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of sustainability issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a voice and working together to create a better future for our planet.”

WWF, the sponsor of the campaign says:
“Climate change is the biggest environmental threat to our planet and the number one concern for everyone. We are already seeing its impacts. Participating in Earth Hour is a simple way to show that you want to be a part of the solution and sends a powerful message to others that together we can make a difference. “

History:
It all started in Australia 2004 when WWF began searching for new ways to take Climate Change to mainstream. After some years of brainstorming and ideas they celebrated March 31, 2007 as the First hearth Hour when in Sydney 7;30-8;30 PM Some 2,100 businesses participate in it.
Just next year in 2008 on March 29, 371 cities and towns in 35 counties globally with estimated 50 million people participated in this event.
In 2009 there were 4,000 cities, in 88 countries many millions more joining it.
In 2010, on March 27, Earth Hour is held on Saturday March 27 at 8.30pm-9.30pm and succeeds in being a global call to action to stand up, to take responsibility, and lead the global journey to a sustainable future. A record 128 countries and territories take part and iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas stand in darkness.

Why do I love EARTH HOUR:

It is a beautiful global campaign based on hope not fear, and the idea that everyone can take personal responsibility for the future of the planet we live in.

This campaign makes us feel as ONE, and unites us as earth’s inhabitants beyond color, faith or nationalities.

It makes us feel connected not just to the other people on the globe, but to our environment and to our planet Earth.

Heyy, friends if you care enough for our beautiful planet EARTH,
Kindly spread the word…

For more info:

http://www.earthhour.org/Homepage.aspx?intro=no

Category:

General, International, Social Issues

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