The River of Love

One of the most popular and beautiful verses of the wonderful Amir Khusrau…

ocean-waves
darya

Khusrau darya prem ka, ulti wa ki dhaar,
Jo utra so doob gaya, jo dooba so paar.

Oh Khusrau, the river of love
Runs in strange ways.
One who enters it drowns,
And one who drowns, gets across.

hiroshige-whirpool

 Sohni_&_Mahinwal_fullriver

it is popularly performed alongside the equally famous poem Chaap Tilak, as in the videos below:

Translation:

You’ve taken away my looks, my identity, by just a glance.
By making me drink the wine from the distillery of love
You’ve intoxicated me by just a glance;
My fair, delicate wrists with green bangles in them,
Have been bound by you by just a glance.
I give my life to you, Oh my cloth-dyer,
You’ve dyed me in yourself, by just a glance.
I give my whole life to you Oh, Nizam,
You’ve made me your bride, by just a glance.

 

 

Transliteration:

Chhāp tilak sab chīnī re mose nainā milāike

Bāt atham keh dīnī re mose nainā milāike
Prem bhaṭī kā madvā pilāike
Matvālī kar līnhī re mose nainā milāike
Gorī gorī baīyān, harī harī chuṛiyān
baīyān pakaṛ dhar līnhī re mose nainā milāike
Bal bal jāūn main tore rang rajvā
Apnī sī kar līnhī re mose nainā milāike
Khusro Nijām ke bal bal jaiye
Mohe suhāgan kīnhī re mose nainā milāike
Bāt atham keh dīnī re mose nainā milāike

 

loversinsidemusicoutside

The first verse is a part of the following family of couplets:

Bae gaye baalam, bae gaye nadia kinaar,
Aapay paar utar gaye, hum to rahay ehi paar.

He has crossed, the beloved has crossed,
Has reached the other side, on his own.
With me, left here alone.

darya

Khusrau darya prem ka, ulti wa ki dhaar,
Jo utra so doob gaya, jo dooba so paar.

Oh Khusrau, the river of love
Runs in strange directions.
One who jumps into it drowns,
And one who drowns, gets across.

 

Bhai ray malla jo hum kon paar utaar,
Haath ka devongi mandra, gal ka devun haar.

 

Oh, brother oarsman, if you let me cross the river,
I have for you my gold bangle, my necklace.

 

from: http://www.angelfire.com/sd/urdumedia/doha.html

job persian miniature

hiroshige-autumn-moon-over-tama-river