Serve the One in Distress

A free translation of 'kisi dardmand ke kaam aa'

The greatest contribution of Sufism to literature, however, is poetry. Sufi poetry is the hymn in praise of God or the seer, expressed in chains of repetitions. The mystics also contributed largely to the development of national and regional literatures, for they had to convey their message to the masses in their own languages: Turkish, Persian, Arabic, languages of Central Asian countries, Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi and several other languages of South Asia. The first true religious poetry was written by the Sufis who blended classical Islamic motifs with inherited popular legends and used popular metres. Sufi poetry expressing divine love and mystical union through the metaphors of profane love and union often resembled ordinary worldly love poetry, and non-mystical poetry made use of the Sufi vocabulary, thus producing an ambiguity that is felt to be one of the most attractive and characteristic features of Persian, Turkish, and Urdu literatures. Sufi ideas thus permeated the hearts of all those who hearkened to poetry.

As my first attempt I am presenting here a free translation of a famous sufi song which has been sung on different sufi shrines of Indian subcontinent. Your critical remarks are welcome. 

Transliteration of the original text:

kisi dardmand ke kaam aa

kisi doobte ko uchaal de

yeh nigaah-e- mast ki mastiyan

kisi badnaseeb pe daal de

mujhe masjidon ki khabar nahin

mujhe mandiron ka paata nahin

meri aajzi ko qubool kar

mujhe aur dard-o-malal de

mujhe zindagi ki talab nahin

mujhe sau baras ki hawas nahin

meri saa’aton ko mahv kar

wo fanaa jo hai la-zawaal de

yeh jo  mae kashi ka ghuroor hai

yahi mere dil ka suroor hai

mere maekade ko dawaam ho

mere saaqiyon ko jamaal de

main tere wisaal ko kya karoon

meri wehshaton ki yeh maut hai

ho tera junoon mujhe phir ataa

mujhe jannaton se nikal de

(Unknown)

English Translation:

Serve the one in distress,

Lift the one who is drowning.

The Blissfulness of that inebriated look,

Exalt upon the one who is unfortunate.

I am unaware about mosques,

I don’t know about temples.

Accept my humility,

Burden me with more pain and sadness.

I don’t desire temporal existence,

I am not eager to live for hundred years.

Seize my moments,

Bless me with the annihilation which is imperishable.

This pride of drunkenness,

Is the exhilaration of my heart.

May the taverns live long,

Give elegance to my cup-bearers.

What should I do to your communion?

This is the death of my frenzies.

Bestow me with the obsession of yours once again,

And Throw me out of the heavens.

© Saad Inshrah