Arziyan saari mein, chehre pe likh ke laaya hoon
Tumse kya maangoon mein, Tum khud hi samajh lo.
I have come to You with all my yearnings,
all my longings writ large on my face
What can I ask from You, You perceive it all by Yourself..
Ya Maula.. Maula Maula Mere Maula..
Maulaaaaa...
Maulaaaaa...
O Lord, my Lord, my Master..
my Friend...
my Friend...
Darare Darare Hai Mathey Pe Maula
Marammat Muqaddar ki kardo Maula
Mere Maula….
Marammat Muqaddar ki kardo Maula
Mere Maula….
Creases and fissures line my forehead,
(so many worries, but also the destiny is writ on the forehead)
Repair my fate, O Lord, O Friend.
Tere dar pe jhuka hun mitha hun Bana hun
Marammat Muqaddar ki kardo Maula
At Your Door of Mercy I bow, I obliterate myself to emerge anew
(I surrender to You, in this complete surrender my old-self dies,
from this surrender I emerge anew)
Repair my fate, O Lord, my Friend
Jo bhi Tere Dar aaya..Jhukne Jo Sar aaya
Mastiyan Peeye Sabko..Jhoomta Nazar aaya..
Pyaas Leke Aaya tha..Dariya Woh bhar Laya..
Noor ki Baarish Main bheegta sa tar aaya..
Whoever came to Your Door, with their head bowed in deep surrender
Was seen by everyone bewildered, dancing in ecstasy
Whoever came to You thirsty,
went back home (satiated) with a flowing river
Drenched in showers of divine light, they swam out
Maula Maula Maulaa Mere Maula…
Maula Maula Maulaa Maula…
Darare Darare Hai Mathey Pe Maula
Marammat Muqaddar ki kardo Maula
Mere Maula….
O Lord, my Lord, Master, my Master
Friend, my Friend
Creases and fissures line my forehead,
Repair my fate, O Lord, O Beloved
Main Bhatkta Jaata Tha
Reshmi Si Maaya Thi
Aur Mein Takta Jaata Tha
Jab Teri Gali Aayaa,
Sach Kabhi Nazar Aayaa
Mujhme Hi woh Khushboo Thi,
Jise Tune ilwaaya
Jise Tune ilwaaya
A fragrance emanated from somewhere
I wandered lost in its search
A mesmerizing epiphany
And I gaped in astonished wonder
It was only when I came to Your street, Your path,
that the truth dawned upon me
The fragrance was but within me,
and it was You who introduced it to me
It was only when I came to Your street, Your path,
that the truth dawned upon me
The fragrance was but within me,
and it was You who introduced it to me
Tootke Bhikharna Mujhko Zaroor Aata hai
Varna Ibaadatwaala Shaur Aata Hai
Sajde Mein Rehne Do Ab Kahin Na Jaaongaa
Ab Jo Tumne Thukraaya To Sawar Na Paaongaa
I certainly know how to break into pieces and scatter
But I do not know how to pray to You in the correct manner
Let me remain immersed in adoration of You,
I will not leave this state.
If You reject me now, how will I ever recover!
Sar Udhaake Meine To Kitni Khwahishein Ki Thi
Kitne Khwaab Dekhe The Kitni Koshishein Ki Thi
Jab Tu Roobaroo Aayaa…..
Jab Tu Roobaroo Aayaa, Nazar Na Mila Paayaa
Sar Jhukaa Ke Ek Pal Mein…
Sar Jhukaa Ke Ek Pal Mein, Maine Kyaa Nahin Paaya
Maula Maula Maulaa Mere Maula..
Dared I to proudly chart out so many desires,
Dreamt I innumerable dreams and struggled so much
Dreamt I innumerable dreams and struggled so much
But when You came face-to-face with me, I could not meet Your eyes
In a precious moment with my head bowed in utter surrender to You
What have I not found?!
(I had nothing else left to find as I found You)
My Lord, my Lord, My Beloved
What have I not found?!
(I had nothing else left to find as I found You)
My Lord, my Lord, My Beloved
Mora Piya Ghar Aayaa, Mora Piya Ghar Ayaa
Maula Maula Maulaa Mere Maula…
Maula Maula Maulaa Mere Maula…
My Beloved has come Home, My Beloved has come Home
My Master, My Friend, My Beloved
My Master, My Friend, My Beloved
- Original Lyrics by Prasoon Joshi. The sufi song is made popular by music composed by Allah Rakha Rahman and sung by Kailash Kher (download the song as mp3).
Post Script
Such Sufi songs are written from a very high place of realization. Thus the lyrics, the metaphors used in the song are sign-posts of realization and post-realization states. They tells the tale of a realized heart and the journey to that sacred heart-land.
Thus in this particular song the Sufi's journey to God-Consciousness (taqwa, fana and baqa) and various levels of "the Interior Castle" is included. For example, the journey begins with soul's yearning and partaking in a mysterious fragrance that appear from nowhere. Before deep surrender, before enlightenment of the soul it has many desires, many innumerable 'goals' to achieve which all reduce to One Desire (for God) and one goal (to Reach at the Beloved) and there the soul becomes "pleased", "pleasing" to its Lord. Ya ayyatuhal nafsul mutma'inna, irji'i ila rabbika, raziyatan marziya. "O you, pleased soul, come back to your Lord, satisfying and satisfied" - as declares the Final Testament. There through the journey the soul realizes the mysterious fragrance was coming from "no other place" but from within and it was the Glance of Grace which enabled to discover this bewildering reality.
And these songs, if anyone assume them to be mere sentimentality or emotionalism; no, they are far from it. The way-stations described using different metaphors are highly endorsed by many awliya, saints and realized friends of God who have traveled the same path themselves, have reached and their "works" are testimony of that. And like St. Theresa of Avila who wrote from her own experience "The Interior Castle", gave us the reality map of the journey to the Real. And these songs capture fragments of that map. But just as a map is not the real terrain, so the journey must be taken by each soul to experience it and to begin such journey, one better enter and remain in the company of Friends (spiritual masters, precisely sufi master as they are the keepers of this both exoteric and esoteric living tradition) who have set out to Journey to the Real Home. And in finding such company, one can learn and trace their path. Thats why its prayed: Ihdinas Siratal Mustaqeema, Sirata allazeena an AAamta AAalayhim. 'Show us the straight path, The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors.'
And these songs, if anyone assume them to be mere sentimentality or emotionalism; no, they are far from it. The way-stations described using different metaphors are highly endorsed by many awliya, saints and realized friends of God who have traveled the same path themselves, have reached and their "works" are testimony of that. And like St. Theresa of Avila who wrote from her own experience "The Interior Castle", gave us the reality map of the journey to the Real. And these songs capture fragments of that map. But just as a map is not the real terrain, so the journey must be taken by each soul to experience it and to begin such journey, one better enter and remain in the company of Friends (spiritual masters, precisely sufi master as they are the keepers of this both exoteric and esoteric living tradition) who have set out to Journey to the Real Home. And in finding such company, one can learn and trace their path. Thats why its prayed: Ihdinas Siratal Mustaqeema, Sirata allazeena an AAamta AAalayhim. 'Show us the straight path, The path of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors.'
The path is prayed to be shown, so that it could be traced and walked upon.
On the word Maula / Mawla
Repeatedly the word used in the song is Maula (also written as Mawla) which is a Quranic word that comes from the same root W-L-Y (Waly). The various forms of this root-word and its derivatives are the most oft-recurring words in the Holy Qur'an. It is said that they have been used 124 times in the form of a noun and 112 times in the form of a verb. The same root W-L-Y of Mawla gives birth to various words such as Wala, Walayat, Wilayat, Awlaa and Waly which correspond to approximate meanings such as Master, Lord, Protector, Friend, Supporter, One who has superior right etc. In sufis terminology, Mawla refers, first and foremost to God, the Divine Friend, the Sole Guide, Lord.
... Allah is the Mawla of the ecstatic devotees (mu'min)
- The Quran 47:11
Only Allah is your Friend (Wali) and His Messenger and (the fellowship of) believers, those who keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate humbled. As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah, His Messenger, and the (fellowship of) believers,- it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph. 5:55-56
He is your Mawla, an excellent Mawla and excellent Helper! 22:78
There will every soul become acquainted with what it sent before, and they will be brought back to Allah, their Mawla. 10:30
And if they turn back, then know that Allah is your Mawla. Most excellent of Mawla (Master) and most excellent of Helper! 8:40
And just as everything is a metaphor for God in this world, so the the earth bound divine guide, the compass who leads to God - that spiritual master, spiritual guide is also called Maula. The word / title Mawlana or Mevlana means "our master" as is used, for example, before the name of Jelaluddin Rumi as Mevlana Rumi. In this song, Maula is addressed to God.
The usage of the word Maula also has a significant connection in Islamic history in terms of the assignment of spiritual authority. On the historical event at Ghadhir Khumm the Last Messenger, taking Ali beside him pronounced in front of a gathering of his noble companions, "Man kuntu mawla fa hatha Aliyyun mawla" which means, "For whom I am mawla, for him Ali is mawla." - which was the confirmation of the chain of transmission of spiritual succession and the Prophet was referring to Ali as his spiritual successor - thus all Sufi lineage of master-disciple relationships goes back to Prophet Muhammad through Mawla Ali, may Allah bless them and their respective exalted stations. After the Prophet, no other person achieved spiritual height and gnosis that Hazrat Ali attained which again affirms his station as Mawla after the Prophet. Almost all Sufi lineage receive their living spiritual transmission either through Hazrat Ali or Hazrat Abu Bakr, both of whom were the two most intimate and gnostic companions of the Seal, Muhammad Mustafa, may Allah exalt our love for them, may Allah perfect our nisbat (relationship) with them.
Madad ya Mawla!
# Reference:
. Station of No Station: Open Secrets of the Sufis by Henry Bayman
. On Islam and Personal Life: Interview of A R Rahman
. Station of No Station: Open Secrets of the Sufis by Henry Bayman
. On Islam and Personal Life: Interview of A R Rahman
Some other translation of the Song:
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