O Sahib-i-Ruh mera, by Unknown — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

O Sahib-i-Ruh mera, Yar-i-Rah mera, ShahenShah-i-Dil mera, Dekha do mujhe Dekha de mera Tur kidar hai , Tur pe mein milloo Tujhe, Nur mera, O Adored One, this lover craves unity with You, Master of my soul, let me be lost in You, Like sugar that whirls in hot coffee, And livens the soul, Let me whirl and whirl and whirl, Destroy myself, Engulf myself in You, This Love slowly kills me, Yet like a drunken Majnoun, I thirst for more, You’re the light that shines through the Universe, You’re the energy in my bones which powers me, Inebriated from the Wine of Love, I speak drunken words, Yet my every thought, my every aim is You, O Divine Light, Shine Yourself onto me, Let me feel my self fall apart, become dust In front of You, Aik banda-i-faqeer mein tera, Aik Sahib-i-Ruh tu mera, Nur-o-Tur, Aik mein aur Tu, Nur-o-Tur, You met at Sinai with Musa, You met with Habib at Hira, You enchanted the world with Your Love, To your praise dances every creature, What am I without You, Just a useless rock craving Your Presence, Shine Your Light upon me, From the shackles of the world make me free, Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur, Zindagi ka maqsad hai kya, Bandagi ke ilava, Tu na hoy zindagi mein, Mein kis ke sayah mein penah leta?, Tujhse badi cheez kya hai?, Tere haaton mein to pura qaynat hai, Har zerre Tere hukam-o-nizam par chalta hai, Mein to bas aik Sokhanvar hoon, Mere sokhan bhi teri shan hai, Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur, Dunya wale chotti motti sharabon pite hain zauq ke liye, Par Tere ashiqan bas Tere ishq pe hote hai mast, Musa ko dekhaya Tune Jalal Apne Habib ko dekhaya Tune Karam Dono bane Tere khidhmat ke bande, Jis Nur ke sat unko nawasa tha hamein bhi nawaas zara, Jese Rumi, Mansour, Jilani ko rakha tha, Wese hi hume rakh Tere pas zara, Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur When The Adored, my only True Friend is present, When His Nur hits and shatters the rock of my Tur, Sends this minute Musa into a whirling of annihilation, Then nothing is left but Hu, illa Hu, sirf Tu Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur, Aik banda-i-faqeer mein tera, Aik Sahib-i-Ruh Tu mera, Aik mein aur Tu, Nur-o-Tur, Ey Aşikan, kim bilecek derdlerimize, Zincirlerimiz kim açacak, Zaten bilmezler, Nefsın kulları Kendine yok etmek, Sevgiliyle bir olmak dır, Hatırlatma beni dünyanın işleri Ben unutmak isterim, Zerre zerre hale duşmek isterim, O sevgilinin huzurunda Hiç olmak isterim, Senin Sevda Şarabı içmek , En büyük zevk budur, En acı imtihan budur, Hem deli hem veli olmak budur, Sensin hedefim, Ben senin yolcum, Sensin benim yoldaşim, Bir Sen ve ben, Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur, Aik banda-i-faqeer hoon mein Tera, Aik Sahib-i-Ruh Tu mera, Aik mein aur Tu, Nur-o-Tur, Artistically, like a fortress you fortified the Mountains In their caves you gave your lovers solitude, When Musa became lost in Divine Love lost in Your Nur, Turned to dust were the rocks atop by Your grandeur, This world is a illusions, Humanity knows nothing but intrusion, Some look for you on Hira or Tur, some look for you in temples and churches, some worship you in idols thinking they are You, Thinking they are of impact or use, The true lovers know that You are found throughout the Universe, True Lovers know your throne to be in the Heart, You are the Adored One for all those drunk in Love, found in the beauty in all corners from the Heavens to the Earth, Even though to me You seem distant, You rule my soul and are mentioned in my heartbeats, Your beauty follows me like a shadow of light, There is nothing, There is nothing, There is nothing, Not even me, Just You, Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur, Aik banda-i-faqeer hoon mein Tera, Aik Sahib-i-Ruh Tu mera, Aik mein aur Tu, Nur-o-Tur, How small and insignificant I am in front of You, Yours is infinity, The universe is Your endless canvas, We float upon it like rocks swimming on the ocean, What am I without You, Nur-o-Tur, Ey you who seeks true love, Listen to sagas and wise words of the aged, Spin around your heart as you rotate around the Kaaba, In love was the Kaaba built by Khalil, The Divine Love within your heart is also real, Built in for you by the Divine, A temple to always remember the Beloved, In the drunkenness of Love’s wine, The ignorant throw at me accusations, Calling me of those who reject signs, Sokhanvar speaks nothing but the love of the Most Loving, Found has he a treasure, Not found in the average mines, The wise are not those who read a tower of books, But those who can read between the lines, Between the English, Urdu, Turkish, Farsi and Arabic, They hear the language of the Eternal Truth, Drawing them to His designs, Why must I mourn of separation, Why must I say bye, Nowhere can the lover go without the Adored being there, Did Kalim ever forget that fateful day on Sinai, Did your most loved Habib ever forget Your message in Hira, In the mountain’s eye, Why must I fear separation then, When I know You will call me back to Your home again, Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur, Bir Ben ve Sen, Nur-o-Tur, Aik banda-i-faqeer Tera, aik Sahib-i-Ruh Tu mera, Nur-o-Tur, Nur-o-Tur, Just me and You, Nur-o-Tur.

Translation (English)

About the Poet

Historical Context

Literary Form

Sufi poetry

When Written

Contemporary period

Background

The poem is a reflection of Sufi themes, expressing the poet's yearning for divine union and enlightenment. It draws on historical and religious references, emphasizing the poet's spiritual journey and devotion.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi_literature

Detailed Explanation

Themes

• Divine Love
• Sufism
• Spiritual Journey
• Unity with the Divine
• Self-Annihilation

Literary Devices

• Metaphor: The poet uses metaphors like 'sugar in hot coffee' to describe merging with the divine.
• Imagery: Vivid imagery of light and dust to convey spiritual transformation.
• Repetition: 'Nur-o-Tur' is repeated to emphasize spiritual illumination.
• Allusion: References to Moses and Prophet Muhammad's spiritual experiences.
• Personification: Light and love are given human-like qualities.

Word Dictionary