SATI NAMAH (A MASNAVI) Poet: Birbal Kachru (Vaarastah) Translated from the Persian by Mufti Mudasir Birbal Kachru (1795-1865), who adopted the pen-name Vaarastah, was born in Rainawari, Srinagar. Besides being an excellent poet, Kachru also wrote a history of Kashmir in Persian titled Majmu-al-Tawaareekh. |n this work Kachru refers to an actual incident of sati which took place somewhere in Kashmir in 1831 during the Sikh rule, two years after the British had banned the practice in India. Vaarastah makes sati the subject of his Persian masnavi (a narrative poem in rhyming couplets). Sati Namah seems to be an imaginative reconstruction of the event. The poem celebrates the act of self-immolation by a beautiful young widow by giving it a mystical interpretation. The act of sati here represents the idea of complete self-sacrifice for the beloved. With its musical rhymes and powerful imagery, Sati Namah is an aristically consummate work and one of the best short masnavis written in Persian by a Kashmiri poet. Given its importance, it is presented here in the original Persian along with the English translation.ole J Pe AK ue O Lord, light the candle of my soul Make my heart refulgent like the bright day Ul sisz Make my breast as radiant as Mt. Sinai And make my soul a shining mirror oS vs Fi & se fo Let my tongue be like the candle's sparkling flame And my inner fiery as a volcano Gr ual We Jb UF Strike my heart with the spark of love And burn up the scum of my base desires Or Pas & ae Make my mind fresh with the rose of love Intoxicate my body with the wine of love FB Af of Let my soul swim in the sea of longing Fas Let my tongue scatter the pearls of Your praise wR ad 5 O God, all that exists worships You! Everything is because of your Absolute Being wu bod oh Ula eg ee oa) Sk tua & hu wir Ft bik ao J 4 Au oe a fe EF FS wt at pot OF LisleSit us Mos F OS ig wit FG From the sun to the tiny particle, You have created all Pure or base, everything is made manifest by You ob blo oe oe i es & The sun is but a rose in the garden of Your beauty The waters of Oman come from the sea of Your majesty Se Gly 7 Or ce Siw FTF It is You who give fire its burning nature It is You who give water its soul-kindling trait et i ABP Wh If the tulip’s flame grows with the aid of water The tresses of the violet also become ripe from it fu £ fi fu Tawu dts You fuel the fire with a drop of water The dew on the rose petal bears this out IE Ys oy FG ote! Ye Gers Burning for You, men’s hearth-like souls become gardens Their smoky hearts become hyacinth-beds with Your love 3 A bs aig as GP 7 Hl oP sbwilgs WZ Just as Your love makes the heart's moth Rush to the fire with zest and zeal az stl Sk A Hindu woman too, with a moth’s zeal Runs like a dragon towards the fireyer gO OF TTS & Let me fan the flame of my imagination And relate the story of a child of fire th HEF by A young maiden lived in a far off place in Kashmir Beautiful, good-natured and gifted with wisdom oi wee oz B Gifted too with a heart burning like a moth Her face would light up with joy like a candle U8 4 5, FI I The passion within her breast was a burning fire Her sole concern was to pay obeisance to fire 6G ee ? Her disposition was lightning for the scum of desire Her breath a blast for desire’s lowly dust ef ub Be Her tears watered the garden of love The thorn of love had bruised her heart un WA Bl iu an Sighs were her true soul mates during the night Tears were her real confidantes during the day tn £7 26 A Her breast was a kebab ever burning on fire Pain was the ash that polished the mirror in it Bh Ba FT 2 & PE Sui as ot YR wir OF sts 2 Se de Byef AE Fu et WE gin Her lips moved, only to talk love Her tongue showered the flames of love Fe fu Spi Her cup was filled with the wine of the Truth Her lamp lit with the light of gnosis ey 5B Fut HH Her face was a chandelier for the candle of beauty Her stature a newly grown cypress in the garden of beauty oi 4 we Ba a GE Her forehead was even, her eyebrows thick A vermillion mark sat between the two at ue vi) SF ye Sin at JF ble J é The morning breeze longed to caress her body Rose’s fragrance desired to smell her hair wot uu e Her two ringlets robbed the Brahmin of his thread wy sbi oy And threw the Sheikh of the mosque into stupor eb Ae Fav Bd Her ruddy face struck fire in the rose’s breast i, os Her curly locks broke the hyacinth’s back Ne 2 2b Ags up eT A The moon stood reflecting her beauty The fir stood as an ever-serving attendantol ¢ yl we Pos oles 26 we GF 5 Her infidel eye ruined many an abode Because of her many a believer lost his faith of Ge Uf kT oy & of Het Se HE Her eyes shot the arrows of cruelty Showing disregard like the ever-turning sky hak 7 eet as Let GP Besse Her nose in front of her eyes was not without a purpose You see a stick in the hands of every sick person wt es AGF WF Log oe The nose looked splendid in the middle of her face Here the sun, and not the moon, was split in two fv BEE op ed or aoa Her red lips had drunk the blood of the ruby The candy had fed on the sweetness of her mouth art oF wi Her mouth was smaller than a rosebud Her tongue taught eloquence to the bulbul fiat ae bo et at sew How can | complete the description of her neck? Graceful, nay majestic, 'God is Great'! ee 1 ae 2% bo hu FF Her miraculous hand, what can I say of it? Praising her, the paper had turned into hennaBAIL Erol £ Her chest put the Aleppo mirror to shame This came from silver, that from a stone pt ie 4 uo 2 bf her thighs, what | can | speak? Like candles they were shining in a crystal 2 i FE pak OF Or of her soft feet? May the evil eye stay away! Regard it more delicate than that of a houri dhs of Sy dt The possessor of such beauty and grace Pride and self-regard, had a consort er foci te Hk On nights when sweet sleep shut her eyes He would stand by her side, “me like a candle 6 Pr 2 FAL Away from her, he knew no peace Her separation made him smoulder LT 26 Us 4 bart Every night, ready with a hundred hearts Like a comb he made her braided hair Je FL pt te wae? The two were true soul mates to each other Each ever ready to shower love on the other by 7 ; Std PWT te Ni oe vlad wis EF win FE SL oe stork GF oh SF ofk au ast SE AUS A 2 bre pe a ot Abn ie Ini FA ST exBS sks BE oT a They relished the moments of joy together And remembered God in those moments Chit bal aes But such days, alas, were meant to end soon! The malevolent sky schemed against them er v 2 Sh ofl ole L With cunning it ignited such a fire that torched The lives of the conjoined hearts in a single breath ie BF HB az The young man gifted with tulip cheeks Fell ill like the eyes of his newly-wed bride Fist od The army of fever made a quick onslaught Blowing away the realm of his being Oh ¢ It SB PT ses From his breast’s mansion to his soul’s abode It intruded every corner, spewing fire fo se why The chambers of his heart and head Were consumed by the reckless fire FT yee vw UF F Ge Fever made its way to his bones As if a reed bed was set ablaze wh sb Stu bf bin fi bf UR aT ee FT ote Se AS JU gird ot ob UF at Foe Ub ch tx A pf ek sds oct BY Fi» oleFoo or SF ol? His tongue turned white as a lily Its scent hid itself in his mouth wt SSL Nv His wine-sipping lip was covered with pustules The tulip-petal was destroyed by the hailstorm wht ¢ ul a Doctors poured in from all sides They began circling him like moths sb EK Ue & Every door of the medicine was thrown open Every doctor got busy looking for a cure “os oz WL aby S One examined his stained tongue and said: ‘How can the tulip’s stain be removed?’ is Ww Jay Oy, Ye Another looked into the eye and said: ‘Alas, how can pallor leave the narcissus?’ oh bg 1 Be Yet another saw the livid cheeks and said: ‘How can one rid the moon of its dark spots?’ oF Gu ue i Sine To put it briefly, no expert of the medicine Found a way to nurse him back to health Fu aur H2 at JE Sa rei gs eS ott oe nd DE yn eF by g3 sas dui Ra & sow eo Tet sy tn KE eF bth otf oFwh 1h BP Fs wt yee luk ila No one ventured to prescribe a cure The potion of death seemed the only cure wt Pui Seats oof eye As the moon of sunny cheeks saw Her bright day turning into a dark night Sees She came out of her chamber and tore her skirt bo Shi oe ek sain Rushed to wilderness and poured dust on her head FP Py ve Like a victim of fate, she went around his pillow And gazed on him in great despair rel Ih x oF pel dd 11 St 3 Then said, ‘O spring-cloud of my expectations! The architect of the garden of my hopes Séworte 5 Shyer ett What fierce blast has wreaked such havoc? And made your elegant frame bent like a willow eve E tor S ws HT oF ob ot What violent storm has brought this calamity? And brought out an iris from your rosy face i bogucet OL sa Fi gy oi ot What cold sigh has kindled such a fire? Burning your delicate body like my heartowt 1 BEE wt beng Now on, my lot is to lament like a bulbul And have my heart torn to shreds like a rose Se RAI PSF Sis Hae & oubh To roar in pain like the thunder To weep profusely like the spring-cloud pu Faw £ My sighs will cast such gloom on the world That dawn will breathe only on the Judgement Day ve 4A Oy of Se i8 es | will strangle myself with my own tresses And not have the least mercy on myself wy Bet ur & wate Ae & My grief-stricken heart will raise lamentations Reminding people of the doomsday’s trumpet!’ ree Caw be puis 2 be bi Lh Such was the wailing of that restless beauty Her days became dark from dawn to dusk FZ SLU KE tr wa tu det Bit 2 For her the sun had bidden farewell to the sky And night's darkness had made the earth black as aloe-wood old AT FF ot wl KF Bit Like the weeping eyes of the orphans The sky filled its skirt with the tears of sorrowGk oe 4 a 8 He who had adorned the assembly restlessness Had set his feet on the path to annihilation en ole PT 5 Softly he closed his eyes, going into a sweet dream And escaped the bitterness of this wretched world DB Ft EB yk The sun, as usual, rose at the dawn And lit up the sky’s fire-place et Rae fl A crowd gathered, forming circles To mourn the death of the young man bat wt we ot The beautiful maiden sat amidst them Wearing a skirt torn down to its hem wr eye ys Every moment she wept like a raining cloud From top to toe she was like a lightning flash us gin Me Wailing, she addressed the fire-worshippers thus: ww (2 UT bu eters hd IL Jy ay eb! OR BF ae Bb otk £ Abe = Be yp \ Ul = as “oR pe * ot, FT et i x ‘Beseech God to bestow courage on the grief-stricken’ SF Fou eb In love with this faithful lover My heart is constricted like my eye LE bh th Pw Scus g we cui os (ule Uo fn re é Neither patience nor solace has now a place in it Solace without the lover can be scarcely had Sf pil ARTA SP fe aL fas My heart's comfort has left this world | too am ready to go with him’ Pi Her announcement turned their hearts upside down vi» ws Aggrieved souls became still more aggrieved et bse rs FOE ot Ra Their eyes lost sleep, their heads balance Their hearts comfort, their bodies patience at Jt GE Jes BS Bue x Pi They bruised their hearts with their fingernails And raised deafening cries of lamentation OBIT LZ ee oh ub we Fg The mantle of their lives was torn like the rose Like the bulbul they uttered countless doleful cries dol 3! Ble x Gl 2 ob Se yey & Benumbed by sorrow, they fell to the ground Begging, they rubbed their heads on her feet Ll we A tat ws Us ow Uo oi SF fea They said: ‘O you whose soul is in deep distress! Whose grief can make even a stone bleedwheok Ut bf ei stk 2 wht oP No one acts in this foolish way No one throws away their life for a corpse eto floes FBS ett § Fb os We know your heart is restless without him For body and soul must remain united dks dle a at Ue Jhe 3 irB hs Aut Get used to burning in the fire of his separation Always cherish his memories in your heart wht ott ds SF 2 Betti bor Be patient, banish this thought of self-slaughter Hearts are bleeding, don’t add pain to pain AL zak or ke We will lay down our lives for your sake And provide you everything you need’ See? tu yar 3 SAetol F ti 2 As that pious beauty heard their counsel A rending sigh rose from her aching heart CAS Slo Sly et eI oT ut She said: 'l have no power over this desire | will only what the great God wills’ we A Her one word silenced them all oh! Go an 7 Ls And they listened to her in rapt attentionSh FF be baetsok ow Si Then an old man among them stood up A man of letters, known for his wisdom L Gui 4 ont F it sf ‘Beware’, he said, ‘of the tricks of the heaven AP LF oy Heed my warning, a devil is tempting you ow 6 Or & bud eg These are the ways of the treacherous sky Sometimes balm it gives, sometimes bruise tbe eh ie Gir 8 SF ete ft iE BP at Get rid of this thought, it’s nothing but deceit Self-immolation is a curse in every creed ot Ad oles gos oot Sets 2 To lose one’s mind and make this of grief! To disregard faith and the world this way!’ Tbe tM e8TZ hot gwd oie As the moon-like beauty heard the old man She let out an impassioned sigh i ns toy cae GE ‘O man gifted with great wisdom Excelling everyone in knowledge Te Sait py A great folly it would be if these tempting eyes Are allowed to cause distress to anyoneesi gob en g A folly it would be if these curls of mine eg ele Are in the hands of the comb and not those silvery hands ad Ex 1 BP at S My pure heart fears a bad name My mirror fears hitting a stone AL Le oly % In this world full of dangers | don’t see Purity or innocence except in the sea’s lap SEL pot MH The cup of pleasure intoxicates all No one cares for honour or good name a FoF la abd 5 lam leaving my mirror-house, bereft of light And divorcing the sun of my own beauty SHOR FZ EUG My idol house is my abode now In it | will worship my idol like a Brahmin Fit Book | will water its rose with my narcissi | will make sweet dreams bitter for myself AF oT fl eeu x pe | will seal my lips like a bud And turn a deaf ear to one and all AY put Fa CE reer A : av Lok ah A x - f, a fe UH iuad ive Fue k rhKe ue © fu J Ube yt When the sea is raging, it is better that | row my boat to the shore’s safety bh GER SB ds bak UE My heart is a bulbul, let it witness The spectacle of the spring of the garden of fire et Ft TT i Tuer ee AP b WS ele Take note, | am a child of fire Like the salamander | have to be in it’ we btar es shor st ols I can have no rest till | burn myself | can have no sleep till | find my lover (EL AIR fs pee yy. Like the salamander | can't do without fire CG. | can't bear the torching separation from my lover’ ir de titers wih gree When the lustrous moon had finished her speech Every heart breathed out a chilling sigh Suh Br x we 2 A Beals Cries of lamentation rose from everywhere Like the ringing of the Brahmin’s bell ot yh Bia gt ft of sy HN ise Crimson tears made the earth a blood-stained garden The smoke of the sighs made the air a blazing furnace(a ATT TBS (89 0 ae os eab! With a heavy heart the priest relented: ‘Let there be a joyful union of water and fire!’ ei Wy Lh 2s, om B72 by As the fairy heard the glad tidings of her union Her face bloomed like a tulip's petal wd ts tk ike x wh ee wbx To the custodians of faith she made a plea: ‘Make haste to arrange for the accoutrements of my love Ike FO Bike ot S dg las Bl e Wait here, like you attend upon a groom While | ready myself like a bride’ ei bes 23 Pn es Ue oy 29 of! Saying this, she stood up like a cypress Adorning the garden with the traces of her steps Foes tk 2 F oo (Fos ott » 2B ow She entered her chamber in great joy And drove out all grief from her bosom SE eth ue ot 5 7 oh Ai te She wore satin more colourful than a rose And let loose her scented hyacinth hair deg Hogue Koel th fb With a red rogue she made her cheeks rosy With a paan she made her lip like a wine cup’s rimKeSugktuie Gus gy ws On her shoulders she threw her two scented locks Then strung two ambergris coils around her ears Tes Ak vol th oy ot eo UF With koh! she beautified her gazelle eyes Becoming coquettish grace through and through 64 SiS wb oF sbi 7h cB» ek Then she threw around her neck the girdle of her locks And put an elegant vermillion mark on her forehead ur ete uti». & ea Fieri Dyed her fingertips with henna, they looked like A branch of corals sprouted from her hands He of BF oh GF ofh Hk oth 47 oh of T ott Such blandishment, such jewellery, such make-up! Such joy, such grace, such coquettishness! 1 Sh oun oe ph set i Sub af Holding a rosary made of rubies and diamonds She looked like a worshipper drunk with devotion eu HT Ae GI etc uit uguiz When the shining moon stepped out, the sound of gongs went up The ringing of bells and the beating of drums too omits Ber ws obi iutye Mourners clad in black rose and fell in grief All crying sorrowful tears of bloodFane FS L Y bar Hay oF 33 ote So many chilling sighs rose from their breasts One would have thought the doomsday had struck seared AAT bs L ow Friends began howling in pain together Each was privy to the other's inner anguish NE See sof od Awe at wt b A fire was lit which turned into vaulting flames Soon it emitted the fragrance of aloe and sandalwood AA WW 0g wt be Se by That fairy-like beauty of flame-like nature That faithful bride of tulip-like cheeks tps PTT IAS Moved towards the river bank like a flame To have a refreshing sip of water tas Fp at, oye Sut put Having quenched her thirst with water She emerged from the river like a sunflower FI ST Uy 2 FO FT Then she bent her proud fiery stature To pay homage to the raging fire Be oy 4 bt &, A AP FT sen Fire kissed her feet out of reverence And placed her on its headbe ad UG 9 47 8 el UE She placed her lover's head in her lap Kissed his lips and laid her cheeks on his Vas 8 e iF ve LI She held him tight in her embrace As if to animate his corpse with her warmth Sot Fiza Her intent fulfilled, she turned around Her tongue then uttered a loud prayer: S per bunds ‘Let every mourner’s night turn joyful And every sorrowful heart rejoice Nie Si 8 pe Raise your heads fallen on the dust Make your dark nights shining days’ Bhs bs oe Hb Sy 5 Addressing the fire, she said, 'O heart-kindler Irradiate my face with your merciful touch’ FAS po Her words provoked the flames in such a way That they turned her to ash in a single breath Sf Ch eb Pay no heed to what the world says Turn in supplication to the great God bad? FH 32 S ios bile pt hes Se wi Sb i Mery 2 wr BS Lo FF Suk ay be Uy Ble ole S Cer Jeskafiw Te St R § O Lord, light the candle of my soul Make my body a light-giving Toor! iw wZ ln A» Illumine my being with the light of gnosis Make my inner as bright as a torch Ulir x ule} Fy oF You remove darkness from those blighted by despair You provide cure to those with burnt hearts So haiv ae S Light the lamp of my eyes So that | am freed from self-delusion of oa filed Free me from the grief of this world Make me a traveller on Your path For the chronogram of this terrible event: “A voice from the unseen world came far and returned’ fed os} cel ws a oy uk gin Boi oF Su EU Clogs OZ of sols ge esa 5 2 ot i br b f e be gs al oF We