Showing posts with label sufi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sufi. Show all posts

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Dastangoi Perfomance - Dastan e Chouboli

My Recording of a Dastangoi Performance of Dastan e Chouboli

I had the good fortune of attending a very entertaining and engaging Dastangoi performance of  Shri Vijaydan Detha's Rajasthani folk tale: Dastan e Chouboli in Feb 2012. The performers were Danish Husain and Mahmood Farooqui and the performance was held at Epicentre, Gurgaon.

I had decided to shot this performance as my first-ever video. Apart from the learning I gained in shooting and editing I also gained hand on experience with concurrent sound recording (a tough job indeed).

Camera: Nikon D7000
Quality: Full HD 1080 29fps
Run Time: 68 minutes+
Mic: Shortgun mic mounted on camera body



This performance is based on a great Rajasthani folk tale by Shri Vijaydan Detha. You can learn more about Princess Chouboli and her vow of silence here at Katha's website which have published a fantastic cloth bound two volume translation of the Chouboli stories.

I love stories and Dastangoi is a great traditional Indian form of story telling. Other than the traditional Dastangoi tales, these days one can see Dastangoi performances based on modern themes as well.

You can read more about the great Dastangoi art tradition here at the Dastangoi blog and at the Facebook page to keep updated about Dastangoi events you may like to attend.

This reminds me I should start reading that copy of Bagh O Bahar I've had with me since the beginning of time...

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Khawaja Mere Khawaja - Correct Lyrics - English and Urdu with meaning

Here are the CORRECT lyrics to Khawaja Mere Khawaja from Jodhaa Akbar.
To read an extensive review of Jodhaa Akbar and also about some of the historical aspects click here


Most of the lyrics available online for Khawaja Mere Khawaja are wrong. Atleast that's what I feel. Without talking more about them I present what I think are the correct lyrics in Urdu, transliterated English along with the basic meaning. I have also given the basic meaning of certain Sufi terms used in this song.
Khawaja Mere Khawaja

Transliterated English (with meaning of Khawaja Mere Khawaja)
Khawaja Ji - exalted Khawaja
Khawaja Ji x 2
Ya Ghareeb Nawaz - O benefactor of the Poor (also the most popular epitaph of Hzrt Mo'een Ud Deen Chisti)
Ya Ghareeb Nawaz x 2
Ya Mo'een Ud Deen x 2
Ya Khawaja Ji x 4
Khawaja Mere Khawaja - Oh my khwaja
Dil Mein Sama Ja - reside in my heart
Shahon Ka Shah Tu - you are the king of kings
Ali ka Dulara - dearest of Ali
Khawaja Mere Khawaja
Dil Mein Sama Ja
Shahon Ka Shah Tu
Ali ka Dulara
Khawaja Mere Khawaja, Dil Mein Sama Ja x 2
Beqason Ki Taqdeer- the fate of the unfortunate
Tune Hai Sawaaree - has been restored by you
Beqason Ki Taqdeer, Tune Hai Sawaaree
Khawaja Mere Khawaja
Tere Darbar Mein Khawaja- in your court O Khawaja
Noor To Hai Dekhaa - shines the eternal light
Tere Darbar Mein Khawaja - in your court O Khawaja
Sar Jhukatein Hain Auliya - even the nearest to God bow down
Tu Hain Himal* Wali Khawaja - you are the carrier of those nearest to God
Rutaba Hai Pyaraa - your rank is most craved
Chaahane Se Tujhe Ko Khawaja Ji - desiring you is the path
Mustafa Ko Paya - to attaining perfect humanity (Prophet Muhammad)
Khawaja Mere Khawaja
Dil Mein Sama Ja
Shahon Ka Shah Tu
Ali ka Dulara
Mere Pir Ka Sadaqa x 2 - my master's charity
Hai Mere Pir Ka Sadaqa- it is my master's charity
Tera Daaman Hai Thama - i clutch the hem of your robe
Khawaja Ji Talee Har Bala Humaree- our miseries have disappeared
Chhayaa Hai Kumaar Tera - your beneficence wraps all
Jitna Bhi Rashk Karen Be Shak To Kam Hai Mere Khawja - no matter how much jealously your blessings on me may create in others it does not matter
Tere Qadamon Ko Mere Rehnuma Nahin Chhodna Gavara – i cannot fathom abandoning your presence
Khawaja Mere Khawaja
Dil Mein Sama Ja
Shahon Ka Shah Tu
Ali ka Dulara
Khawaja Mere Khawaja
Dil Mein Sama Ja
Shahon Ka Shah Tu
Ali ka Dulara
Khawaja Mere Khawaja
Dil Mein Sama Ja
Khawaja Mere Khawaja Dil Mein Sama Ja
Beqason Ki Taqdeer, Tune Hai Sawaaree x 2
Khawaja Mere Khawaja
Dil Mein Sama Ja
Shahon Ka Shah Tu
Ali ka Dulara Khawaja Ji …
*Himal– this word maybe “Unal” or maybe “Himal” or maybe "Hinal" or maybe even something else. It is difficult to ascertain right now.
The following terms / concepts have special import in the Sufi lexicon (Tasawwuf). Please keep in mind that these are very basic, and in some sense simplistic, definitions.


1. Khawaja – A special exalted Sufi master who has attained a very high level in the Sufi heirarchy. Usually a term associated with the founder of a Sufi order and his nominated successors. Eg- Khawaja Mo’een Ud Deen Chisti Ghareeb Nawaz, Khawaja Nizam Ud Deen Auliya Mehboob Illahi, Khawaja Salim Chisti.
2. Sama – Although here “Sama” is the imperative form of the Hindi / Urdu verb “Sama Jana” which means to occupy or reside in something, there is another association which I can establish with the inclusion of this word in the lyrics. Sama is also the word for the mystic trance sessions which Sufis all through the world partake in as a means of coming closer to God. It comes from the Arabic word Sama’ which means sound and these Sama sessions always have music and songs such as Manqabats and Qawalis in them. The lyricist for Khawaja Mere Khawaja may or may not have worked on this line of thought but I do construe a secondary meaning to “Sama” in the song.
3. Ali – Cousin and Son in Law of Prophet Muhammad. Almost all the Sufi Khawajas trace their roots back to Ali and through him to Prophet Muhammad. Khawaja Hazrat Mo’een Ud Deen Chisti has a double relationship with Ali, through two of Ali’s sons: Hasan and Husain.
4. Noor – This is a very important Sufi term. It goes much beyond the concept of physical ‘light’. This is more akin to spiritual light passed on from God to Muhammad to Ali and thence to the various Khawajas who trace their lineage back to Ali.
5. Auliya – Auliya is short for Wali Allah ie Friend of God, a higher Sufi rank.
6. Mustafa – This is another name for Prophet Muhammad and can often be found in Sufi and Islamic devotional poetry.
7. Pir - An exalted Sufi, dervish, mystic, saint, babaji generally.
I could be wrong about many things and I would like to know if I am.

Just a little something I would like to add about this song. I think it's a type of Manqabat i Khawaja. Traditionally Sufi Sama' and Qawwali programs have had a sort of warrant of precedence which starts with a Hamad (praise to God), then Na't (praise for the Prophet Muhammad), then Manqabat (praise for Ali) and then Manqabat i Khwaja (praise for the founder of the concerned sufi order). In this case the founder of the Chistiya order in Hindustan being Hazrat Khawaja Mo'een Ud Deen Chisti, the Manqabat is for him and one can hear him being addressed as "Ghareeb Nawaz" (a very very popular epitaph of Hazrat Khawaja Mo'een Ud Deen Chisti). Another very popular epitaph is "Mehbob i Illahi" for Hazart Nizam Ud Deen Auliya one of the greatest Pirs of the Chistiya order.


Here are the lyrics of Khawaja Mere Khawaja in Urdu:
(if you would like the lyrics in a word document then please email me at harkabirblogs@gmail.com and I will email them to you)
















To know more about Jodhaa Akbar click here