Love Stories of the Risalo of Shah Latif - Umar Marui

The Risalo of Shah Latif is divided into chapters called Surs which are composed on the lines of musical notes. Each sur is based on symbols taken from stories which are part of Sindhi folkloreur

Sur Marvi

Umar Soomro was the last Soomro King of Sourthern Sindh and had a notorious weakness for the fairer sex. Marvi was a resident of Malir in the desert and belonged to the fraternity of ordinary folks that relied on rainfall cultivation, cattle bleeding and simple life of living off the land. Marvi was a lady with extraordinary beauty and there were many suitors including Phog, a peasant but her proposal for marriage was not accepted and she was married off to Khetsin whom she came to love.

Phog chose to avenge his indignation and knowing King Umer’s character and reputation, he went to him and informed him of Marvi legendary beauty. Phog and King Umer schemed, planned the abduction of Marvi and took her to Umer Kot. She was kept in the palace where every night Umer made overtures towards her which she duly rejected. Eventually, impressed with her chastity and her devotion towards her people, Umer returned Marvi to them with respected bestowed upon her as a royal sister.

Marvi is admired as a symbol of devotion and nationalism as she became a symbol of resistance against oppression.

[Taken from Agha M. Yaqoob's 3 volume translation of the Risalo with minor editing]

Main Nay Kaha (cont.)

Manpreet, the link that I gave previously has disappeared. Sorry but it contained the lyrics as well albiet in roman

I have found this courtesy http://reddiarypk.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/celebrating-jalib-main-nay-kaha/

“Main Nay Kaha” is a satirical poem by the famous leftist poet Habib Jalib called “Musheer” (Advisor). Jalib wrote it in response to a conversation he had with Hafiz Jalandari during the time of Ayub Khan’s dictatorship.

It remains just as fresh and valid today.
This poem has been put to music by Laal (Shahram Azhar & Taimur Rahman) a new Pakistani music group dedicated to resistance music and poetry. Shahram Azhar and Taimur Rahman are also political activists of the Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party and their poetry, music, and activism constitute an integrated whole the essence of which is always revolutionary. The CMKP has been an integral part of the lawyers movement and the movement for democracy in Pakistan.

The music video contains real images of events in Karachi, London, and Lahore during the tumultuous period between December 27th and February 18th. The song and video were recorded on a shoe-string budget of one session each.

This video and song are connected to a documentary on a journey through a life-changing period in the history of Pakistan. The journey begins in Pakistan on the eve of the assassination of Benazir and the ensuing grief, violence, and carnage. The film maker travels to London to discover a group of young activists organizing protests against Emergency rule. Following these activists full circle to Pakistan, the documentary captures the events around the 2008 elections. The film thus captures a moment in the life of Pakistan, from Benazir’s assassination to the elections, through the lens of young activists. The documentary by Widei Films will also be released shortly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPsr1RnEfWo
Credits:Habib Jalib - Mainay Uss Say Yeh KahaShahram Azhar - VocalsTaimur Rahman - MusicMahvash Waqar - Backing VocalsTaimur Khan - Director ProducerDita Peskova - Assistant DirectorJamie Mill - Recording DirectorLaal & Taimur Khan - Music ProducerWIDEi Films - Production Company

"I said this to him"

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XPsr1RnEfWo

fantastic entry at http://iaoj.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/main-nay-kaha-by-laal/

Love Stories of the Risalo of Shah Latif - Moomal Rano

The Risalo of Shah Latif is divided into chapters called Surs which are composed on the lines of musical notes. Each sur is based on symbols taken from stories which are part of Sindhi folklore
ur.

Sur Mumal Rano has captured the imagination of readers & "Rano" has, more than being one character of this love story and a sur named after him, become a favorite musical piece which is this sur rendered in a semi-classical style, the experts of this genre being Ustaad Manzoor Ali Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Abida Parveen & Ustaad Mohammad Juman to name a few

Moomal-Rano

The story begins with the description of the charms, clothes and perfume adorning Mumal and her sisters and attendants as they weave a web of magic in the Kak palace to attract rich suitors for the hand of Mumal, deprive them of their wealth and also finish them off in a maze of labyrinths, fake ponds and other illusions of the palace.

The reputation of this palace, and of Mumal’s dazzling beauty soon became legend. Hamir alias Umar, the last Soomro King of Umer Kot in Sindh, and his three ministers, all Sodhas by caste were attracted to the magical Kak.

One of the ministers was the young Rano alias Mendhro. Hamir attempted to reach the palace but failed. The other ministers, too, failed. Rano then ventured to try his luck. He was an extremely intelligent and courageous man which led him to succeed in reaching the palace, unharmed. Mumal was so impressed that she accepted her as her consort. He spent the night at the palace and returned to Umer Kot in the morning. He covered long distance from Umer Kot to Kak to spend time with Mumal.

One day, Rano reached Kak Mahal unusually late due to some business that he had to attend to. Mumal got so frustrated that she planned to play a trick on him. She dressed her Sumal in a man’s attire and made her sleep by her side. When Rano arrived, he mistook Sumal as a Mumal’s paramour.

Out of disgust he left his riding cane besides Mumal’s bed and returned to Umer Kot. Mumal pleaded Rano to forgive her but Rano ignored her requests.

Out of desperation, she set a fire and jumped in it. When Rano came to know of this, he rushed to the place where he saw that Mumal was already in flames, he joined her to be consumed by the fire along with Mumal.

[Taken from Agha M. Yaqoob's 3 volume translation of the Risalo with minor editing]

As indicated above, Rano is now sung during mehfils and it is most frequently requested musical piece in a mehfil of kafi genre.

what better way to conclude, this story of eternal quest for love, to capture the essence of this sur by a verse that encapsulates Moomal's anguish, her waiting for her raano

vaithee nit-u nihaaray-aan, raana tohinjee raah
mota-aay maagan tay, aaranduoee Allah
rana togar saah, nat-a rana ghara-n raaj main

Urdu translation by Agha Saleem

taktee hoon din raat ay raana
main to tairee raah
aik din tukh jo layay ga
aangan main Allah

English translation by yours truly

lonesome I sit
eyes fixed on ever path
combing alleyways
that could lead you to me

my soul in a prayer, sweet prince
that the Lord blesses your safe return

love, there are many a prince in this land
but you are the one that rules my heart

tgif

"freedom is another word for nothing left to lose" captures the mood so well. thank you janis joplin

the breeze giving me the buzz i'd been craving for a while

it's been one of those weeks.

Searching for God

Thanks to some websearch, I have chanced upon a Punjabi poem by Faiz on Youtube (performed & improvised by Atif Aslam) and on Mr Kidvai’s blog (performed by Tina Sani). It is called Rabba Sacheya (My True God)

Naqsh-e-fareeyaadi includes Faiz’s Punjabi poems & the chronological order is right in line with the comment on apna.org that Faiz only wrote in Punjabi after 1971.

Previous to Rabba Sacheya, I was only aware of “kidray na paindeeyan dasan, vay pardaysee-ya tarayee-aan” thanks to Arshad Mehmood & Nayyara Noor’s collaboration in the 70s. Also a bit of “Punjabi Kisaan kay Leeyay” [Uth utaan noon jatta, marda kyon jaeen] a theme common in Rabba Sacheya

Despite the fact that this book has not left my bed side bookshelf for last 20 years, I missed to recognize the beauty of Rabba. Perhaps my handicap that Punjabi is not my mother tongue and that I belong to a generation that has come to appreciate poetry only after it is sung & recorded by an artist of repute

Why Faiz did not produce more poems in Punjabi beats me. There is a earthy texture that can only be felt when the poet articulates the feelings in his native language

Rabba Sachiya too tay Akhiya si
Ja Oye Bandiya Jug Da Shah hai.n Too.n
Sadia.n Naimta.n teria.n Dolta.n Nai.n
Sada Naib tay Alijah hai.n Too.nm

Aes Larey Tay Tor Kud Puchiya Iy
Kee Iss Nimanay tey bitiya.n nay.n
Kadi Sarwi layi O Rab Sayi.n
Teray Shah Nal Jag ki Kitiya.n na.in
Kithay Dhons Polis Sarkar di
Kithay Dhandli Patwar Di
Enwai.n Hudda.n ich Kalpay Ja.n meri
Jeewa.n Phahi ich Koonj Kurlaondi Ay
Changa Shah Bnaya ei Rab Sayia.n
Polay khandiya.n War na Ayo.ndi ay

Mai.nu Shahi nai Chah-e-di Rab meray
Mai.n tay Izzat da tukkar mangna ha.n
Menu Tahng nai, mehla.n maria.n di
Mai.n tay Jeewa.n di Nukkar Mangna ha.n

Meri Mannai.n tay tairia.n mai.n manna.n
Teri Soh.n Jay ik wi gal mora.n
Jey Ayeh nai Pujdi ta.n Rabba
Fair mai.n Jawa.n Rab koi Hor Lorra.n

For a larger view of the poem in arabic script, readers can refer to http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/faiz/poem-4.html

Thanks to the brilliant people at apna.org who would have us know that

QUOTE
“of all his Punjabi poems, Rabba sachya is the best example of poetry with a purpose. It is a complaint quite different from the one Allama Iqbal made to God. The poem evokes a strange feeling and passion wherever it is recited:
Rabba sachya toon tay akhya si
Ja oay bandya jug da shah ain toon
Sadian naimtaan tairian daultan nay
Sada naib tay alijah ain toon Ais laaray tay tore kad puchhyai
Keeh ais namaanay tay beetian nay

(O God the Truthful you had said
Go O Man, you have been made king of the world
My bounties are your treasures
You are my deputy and viceroy
After sending me with this promise have you ever asked
What has transpired with this poor thing?)

Then he enumerated in the poem the problems of immediate concern to a Punjabi peasant:

Kithay dhauns police sarkar di ay
Kithay dhaandli maal patwaar di ay
Anvain haddan wich kalpay jaan mairi
Jeeven phahi wich koonj kurlandi ay
Changa shah banayai rab saiyaan
paulay khandyan vaar na aundi ay

(Somewhere there is the terror of police people
Somewhere there is fraud in the revenue department
My soul is shackled in my bones
like a squeaking lark caught in a net.
Dear God what a king you made out of me
I can't count the number of beatings that are given to me)
Then in a fit of frustration he concluded that "if You can't look after me then I should search for another God for myself."
UNQUOTE

http://www.kidvai.com/windmills/2007/06/pervez-hoodbhoy-superstar.html

Tina Sani’s version is brilliant as she performs without instruments and it must have been recorded by Mr. Kidvai at The Second Floor in Karachi. This is Tina at her very best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmnNeaJH4Ug

What can I say about Atif Aslam. Any popular artist who covers Faiz’s Rabba Sacheya and Shah Hussain’s Maee Nee Main Kinoon Aakhan deserves credit for courage

Atif’s version takes a departure from the original. I wonder if the lines that he has added are his own or some other poet

Love Stories of the Risalo of Shah Latif - Noori Jam-Tamachee

The Risalo of Shah Latif is divided into chapters called Surs which are composed on the lines of musical notes. Each sur is based on symbols taken from stories which are part of Sindhi folklore. Sur Kamod in the Risalo of Shah Latif is based on the love story of Noori Jam-Tamachee

Noori Jam-Tamachee

King Jam Tamachi was a Samo ruler of lower Sind at the end of the 14th century A.D. While on a shooting expedition, he chanced to see a fisher girl named Noori, falling madly in love with her and offered to married her, his love for her blind to the social disparity between them.

When they returned back to his capital, he was made aware of the general disapproval of this match. He merely observed that the detractors did not know her as much as he did. In order to display her character and appease the cynics, one day, he announced to his queens, that he would take one of them for a ride on an outing.

All the queens put on elaborate makeup and their best clothing, but not Noori. On the contrary, she put on her old family garment, perhaps the one she wore when the kind has seen her first. When Jam Tamachi visited the queens, she smiled at them and moved on. When he saw Noori, in her simple attire, he was greatly impressed. He nodded her approval at her and led her by the hand to the royal carriage.

When they were alone, he enquired from her about her dress. She tells him that the dress reminded her of what she inherently was, and what she owed the king for her elevation. The king was charmed with her simplicity and sincerity and the legend of their happy lives have become part of the Sindhi folklore immortalized by Shah Latif.

[Taken from Agha M. Yaqoob's 3 volume translation of the Risalo with minor editing]

I owe it to Ustad Manzoor Ali Khan's rendition of Sur Kamod for this exploration of Shah Latif. It is challenging to understand the nij/thait diction but after listening to Ustad Manzoor Ali Khan, it became labor of love to cross-reference available literature on Shah to understand the Sur. I am handicapped still, as far as pronunciation is concerned, but I hope I am forgiven for this short-coming

Ustad Manzoor's track can be accessed at

http://yangtze.cs.uiuc.edu/~jamali/sindh/res/audio/links/manzoor2.ram

This kafi is based on Shah Latif’s Sur Kamod & it is describing the scene of the King Jam Tamachee falling for a simple fisherwoman Nooree, about Noori's humble background, her demeanor, her poverty & the king falling for her despite all this…