The intensity of love between the mystic Nizamuddin Auliya and his renowned disciple Khusrau still stirs the hearts of millions all over the world through Khusrau's poems. Here is a story and the song behind how it all began.
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It was at the age of 8 years, that Khusrau's mother took him to the khaneqah (monastery) of Hazrat Nizamuddin to be inducted into his spiritual group. When he reached there, he didn’t enter at once – he wanted to test him out. He preferred to sit outside and compose a question for Hazrat and to gauge his greatness, in the form of a poem asking whether he should enter or return home. He sat down at the gate and composed the following lines in his heart :
Tu aan shahi ke ber aiwan-e qasrat
Kabutar gar nasheenad, baaz gardad
Ghareeb-e mustamand-e ber der aamed
Be-yaayad andaroon, ya baaz gardad
(You are a king at the gate of whose palace
Even a pigeon becomes a hawk.
A poor traveller has come to your gate,
Should he enter, or should he return?)
It is said that Nizamuddin Aulia who was then 23 yrs of age, at once asked one of his servants to go out at the gate and narrate the following lines to a boy who is sitting there :
Be-yaayad andaroon mard-e haqeeqat
Ke ba ma yek nafas hamraaz gardad
Agar abla buvad aan mard-e naadan
Azaan raah-e ke aamad baaz gardad
(Oh you the seeker of reality, come inside
Become for a while my confidant
But if the one who enters is foolish
Then he should return the way he came.)
Hearing this Khusrau decided that this was the right place for him and entered. Happy and ecstatic, he sang "Aaj Rang Hai Maa, Moray mehboob kay ghar rang hai ri, Mohay pir paayo Nizamudin Aulia."
The search for an ideal Sufi master had successfully concluded for this seeker who would go on to become one of the world's most renowned mystic poets whose words are are alive and pertinent today as they were in the 13th century.
Lyrics and translation:
Maati ke tum deeware
Jo sunyo hamri baat
Aaj milaawara mohe piya ka
Jo jagyo saari raat
O lamps of clay
Listen to my request
Tonight my sweetheart is coming to me
So keep up your vigil and burn brightly all night
Aaj rang hai ri maa
Rang hai ri (*4)
More khaajah ke ghar rang hai ri
Aaj rang hai ri maa
Rang hai ri
More khaajah ke ghar rang hai ri
Today there is jubilant colour, O mother!
Jubilant colour!
At my Khwaja’s home, there is jubilant colour!
Today there is jubilant colour, O mother!
Jubilant colour!
Aaj sajan milaawara more aangan men
Sajan milaawara more aangan men
At my Khwaja’s home, there is jubilant colour!
Today, my sweetheart has come to my home
Aaj rang hai ri maa
Rang hai ri (*2)
My sweetheart has come to my home
Today there is jubilant colour, O mother!
Jubilant colour! (*2)
Raini chaá¹›hi rasool ki
So rang maula ke haath
Jis ki choonar rang diyo
So dhan dhan wa ke bhaag
The glorious colour of the Prophet is the blessed dye
And Maula Ali’s auspicious hand does the dying
Whosoever’s veil gets dyed in this colour
Happy is their fortune!
Aaj rang hai e maa
Rang hai ri (*3)
Haan aaj rang hai e maa
Rang hai ri (*3)
Today, there is jubilant colour, O mother!
Jubilant colour!
Yes! Today, there is jubilant colour, O mother!
Jubilant colour!
Mere mahboob ke ghar
E ri sakhi re mere mahboob ke ghar (*2)
E ri sakhi re mere mahboob ke ghar rang hai ri
Aaj rang hai e maa
Rang hai ri (*2)
At my sweetheart’s home…
O my friend, at my sweetheart’s home…
O my friend, at my sweetheart’s home, there is jubilant colour!
Today, there is jubilant colour, O mother!
Jubilant colour!
I have found my guide – Nizamuddin Auliya
I have found my guide – Alauddin ‘Sabir’
Nizamuddin Auliya
‘lauddin ‘Sabir’ (*3)
Main to jab dekhoon more sang hai ri maa rang hai ri (*3)
Aaj rang hai e maa
Rang hai ri
Whenever I look, he is with me, O mother! There is jubilant colour!
Today, there is jubilant colour, O mother!
Jubilant colour!
Des bides men á¸hoonḠphiri hoon (*2)
Are des bides men á¸hoonḠphiri hoon
Tora rang man bhaayo nijaam ud-deen (*3)
Tora rang man bhaayo main tora rang (*3)
Are tora rang man bhaayo main tora rang
I have wandered far and wide in search
Oh I have wandered far and wide in search
Yours is the colour that has captivated my heart, Nizamuddin
Yours is the colour that has captivated me completely
Bhul rahi re maa
Main to aiso rang
Mahboob-I ilaahi (*3)
​​​​​​​ I have forgotten all else, mother
Such colour as this, I have (never seen before)
O God’s beloved
Khusro rain suhaag ki so main jaagi pi ke sang (*2)
Tan mora man peehu ka
Tan mora man peehu ka so donon ek hi rang
Main to aiso rang
Mahboob-I ilaahi (*2)
​​​​​​​ Khusrau says, I spent the wedding night awake with my beloved husband
My body and my beloved’s soul
My body and beloved’s soul both became dyed as one
Such colour as this, I have (never seen before)
O God’s beloved
Gokul dekha
Mathura dekha(*2)
Poorab dekha
Pachchhim dekha
Uttar dekha
Dakkhan dekha (*2)
Par tosa nah koyi rang dekha re
Main to aiso rang
Mahboob-I ilaahi (*2)
​​​​​​​ I have explored Gokul
I have explored Mathura
I have explored the east
I have explored the west
I have explored the north
I have explored the south
But nowhere have I seen a colour such as yours
Such colour as this, I have (never seen before)
O God’s beloved
Phiri zamaae men chaar jaanib
Allah
Nigaar-I yakta tumheen ko dekha
Haseen dekhe jameel dekhe
Bas ek tum sa tumheen ko dekha
I have wandered everywhere in the world
O God!
But found nothing to parallel your rare beauty
I saw many breath-taking, enchanting faces
But not even one could compare with the beauty of you
Main to aiso rang
Mahboob-I ilaahi (*2)
Such colour as this, I have (never seen before)
O God’s beloved
Des bides men á¸hoonḠphiri hoon(*3)
Mohe tora rang man bhaayo nijaam ud-deen
Tora rang man bhaayo nijaam ud-deen
​​​​​​​ I have wandered far and wide in search
Yours is the colour that has captivated my heart, Nizamuddin
Jag jag jag jag
Jag jag jag ujyaaro
Jag ujyaaro
Vjag ujyaaro
Khaajah nijaam ud-deen jagat ujyaaro
Khaajah nijaam ud-deen jagat ujyaaro
Saabir ‘ala ud-deen jagat ujyaaro
Saabir ‘ala ud-deen jagat ujyaaro
Khwaja Nizamuddin makes the entire world bright
Alauddin ‘Sabir’ makes the entire world bright
Today, Chiragh Dehlavi’s renowned darling…
Today, Chiragh Dehlavi’s renowned darling has become my beloved
…become my beloved
Nijaam ud-deen auliya jag ujyaaro (*3)
Nizamuddin Auliya makes the world bright
​​​​​​​Nijaam ud-deen auliya jag ujyaaro
Jagat ujyaaro (*2)
Jag ujyaaro jagat ujyaaro (*9)
Nizamuddin Auliya makes the world bright
He makes the entire world bright
Teri soorat se kisi ki naheen milti soorat (*2)
Ham jahaan men teri tasveer liye phirte hain
Dekho main to aiso rang
Mahboob-I ilaahi
Main to aiso rang
Mahboob-I ilaahi
​​​​​​​ There is no one who resembles your form
We carry around your image everywhere with us
O’ listen, such colour as this, I have (never seen before)
O God’s beloved
Nijaam ud-deen auliya jag ujyaaro(*2)
Jag ujyaaro jagat ujyaaro (*3)
Woh to jo maage barsat hai ri maa rang hai ri (*2)
Nizamuddin Auliya makes the world bright
He makes the entire world bright
Whatever he asks for becomes granted. Mother, there is jubilant colour!
