Unke Dar pe pohanchne to paayen | if I reach at his door, spare me from asking what I will do

Unke dar pe
pohanchne to paayen
Ye na poocho
ke ham kya karenge!

Sar jhukana
agar jurm hoga,
Hum nigaahon
se sajda karenge!

Once I reach his door,
spare me from asking what I will do.

If blasphemous it is to prostrated my body,
My gaze shall prostrated at his door.

baath bhi teri rakhni hay saaki
zarf ko bhi na ruswa karenge

jaam deya na deya aaj hum ko
mekade me sawera karenge!

I've to keep your words too, O Cup Bearer,
I can't offend the cup as well;

Whether or not you fill my cup tonight,
I'm going to meet my dawn at the tavern!

Is taraf apnaa daaman jalegaa
Us taraf unki mehfil sajegi

Hum andhere ko ghar mein bulaa kar
Unke ghar mein ujaala karenge!

Here my (life) shall be on fire
There his celebration shall start

I will willingly invite darkness to my abode
If it (by coming to my house) brightens up your house!

Baad tark-e- ta'alluq bhi 'Anwar'
Itna ehsaas hai rasme wafa

aakhri saas tak bhi hum Unse
Berukhi ka na shikhwa karenge

Even after breaking the bonds of relation,
This poet (Anwar) will continue to maintain the signs of faithfulness

Even unto the last breath,
Never will I complain about your indifference.


- translation credit: Abdul Rahim and Farhana Loonat

. Audio, sung by Sufi Qawwali Maestro, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Click to download the song: Unke Dar pe Pohanchne to paayen (if I reach at his door). < right click to Save the Link as mp3 file.

. Some of the Symbol / Imagery used in the Qawwali

Qawwali is the genre of devotional song offering of the Sufis of Indian Subcontinent which often represent the intense devotion to God, His Holy Messenger, the Elect Saints and Spiritual Masters. This particular song can be interpreted as a devotional song dedicated to the Holy Messenger Prophet Muhammad, upon him be holy benediction. At the same time this can be interpreted for one's own Spiritual Master who belongs to the Elects.

The Door talked about - on physical side represents the Door of his holy tomb where his body is laid at rest at Medina, (Masjid an-Nabawi) Mosque of the Prophet, this very place was his abode during his physical presence in the world and also where he is buried after his Union. On the spiritual side, the intended door represents his lotus feet in the realm of Unseen. "To be the dust under the feet of Muhammad" is a holy aspiration for all the sufis. Celebrated sufi mystic Rumi says: "I am the slave of the Qur'an and dust under the feet of Muhammad, Anyone who claims otherwise is no friend of mine."

The Praised Station (Maqam al-Mahmuda) of Mustafa is the Door the sufis wishes to reach near. This ecstatic song is an attempt to gaze at the possibility of what shall this lover will do if he reach at that Door.

In the Qawwali 'Cup Bearer' is God, 'Cup' is His Holy Messenger.

Divine Wine with which 'the cup is filled' - is the gift of divine bliss.

You will recognize in their faces the brightness of bliss.
Their thirst will be quenched with Pure Wine sealed:
The seal thereof will be Musk:
And for this let those aspire, who have aspirations:
With it will be (given) a mixture of Tasnim:
A holy spring, from which drink those Nearest to Allah.
- The Quran, chapter 83, verse 24-28

From sufi esoteric perspective, 'filling the cup' is the divine gift of Haqiqa-e-Muhammad, gift of Muhammadan Reality.

'Fire' represent the spiritual ecstasy, the fire of ishq.

Invitation of 'Darkness to own house' is the Dark Night of the Soul that every lover / seeker must go through. Breaking the bond and 'indifference' represent the separation, an essential precondition that intensifies the longing for union.

May our heart be made open to the Master of all Mystics, Beloved Muhammad and may our heart be graced with the pure love worthy of his most honored and praised spiritual station. Allahumma Salle Ala Sayyedena Muhammad.

# External Inspirations
. Rumi: On Following the Prophet via Mad Sufi blog