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Dama Dam Mast Qalandar | Translation of Sufi Qawwali
2008-08-16 08:45:00 O laal meri pat rakhio bala jhoole laalan, Sindri da Sehvan da, sakhi Shabaaz kalandar, Dama dam mast Qalandar, Ali dam dam de andar.O the red robed, may I always have your benign protection, Jhulelal (as he was affectionately called). O master, friend and Sire of Sindh and Sehwan (or Serwan), The red robed God-intoxicated Qalandar, The Lord in every breath of mine, glory unto to you.Chaar charaag tere baran hamesha, Panjwa mein baaran aayi bala jhoole laalan O panjwa mein baaran, O panjwa mein baaran aayi bala jhoole laalan, Sindri da Sehvan da, sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar, Dama dam mast Qalandar, Ali dam dam de andar.Your shrine is always lighted with four lamps, And here I come to light a fifth lamp in your honor. Here I come with fifth O master, friend and Sire of Sindh and Sehwan (or Serwan), The red robed God-intoxicated Qalandar, The Lord in every breath of mine, glory unto to you.Hind Sind (some also sing Ghanan ghanan) peera teri naubat vaaje, Naal vaje ghadiyaal bala jhoole laa...
The Nomenclature of Islamabad Streets
2008-04-24 14:30:00 Mast Qalandar I am looking for an address on Street No. 8 in an upscale residential area in Islamabad. The area is laid out somewhat like a rectangle. I start from one end of the longer side of the rectangle, driving slowly westward and looking out for street signs. Soon I spot the first sign that ...
Inspiration Pakistan: The Potter of Saidpur
2008-04-19 15:58:00 Mast Qalandar In my last post I had mentioned about my visit to Saidpur village, on the outskirts of Islamabad. I had also mentioned about my encounter with Rahim Dad, the potter of Saidpur. The village has had a pottery making tradition for generations. However, only two potters continue to carry on making clay pottery in ...
The Caps of Pakistan (Repost)
2008-03-28 22:19:00 Guest Post by Mast Qalandar (MQ) Pakistan is a country of several ethnic groups and cultures. This is apparent not only in the people’s looks but also in their language, traditions, food and dress. One of the things that strikes a newcomer to Pakistan is the variety of caps and turbans Pakistanis wear. Even though with increased ...
A Trip to Saidpur: Khawaja Khizar in Islamabad
2008-03-25 03:23:00 Mast Qalandar People often describe Islamabad as a city without a soul. Actually, Islamabad’s soul is not to be found in the city itself, but on the fringes of the city. In the little hamlets and hills. Fauzia Minallah, an Islamabad based artist, has recently published a delightful coffee-table book titled ‘Glimpses into Islamabad’s Soul’. She describes ...
A Sunny Winter Day In Islamabad
2008-03-05 18:40:00 Mast Qalandar It was one of those cloudless, crisp and beautiful winter days that one sees after a spell of rain in Islamabad. The pall of dust that usually hangs over the city and the hills during the early winter months had lifted. The rain had washed the dust and everything looked bright, fresh and clean. ...
Emperor Ashoka in our Backyard - Part II
2008-02-29 23:27:00 Mast Qalandar When I wrote the post on Ashoka’s Rock Edicts I had made a suggestion at the end of the post to the department concerned, which was to put up a proper and readable translation of the edicts at the site — both in English and Urdu. To my pleasant surprise, I discovered the other ...
Emperor Ashoka in our Backyard: Deciphering the Rock Edicts and the Law of
2008-02-03 07:36:00 Mast Qalandar If you think it was the MMA who tried to introduce the “law of morality” in the Frontier province of Pakistan (NWFP), think again! A “law of morality” was first introduced in the region much, much before the MMA or the Taliban appeared on the scene. Even before Pakistan, before the British and before the ...
GEO is Back in Pakistan: Writing on the Wall?
2008-01-23 02:15:00 Mast Qalandar Geo News is back on cable TV in Pakistan! It was banned along with two other popular TV channels on November 3 last year when Emergency was imposed in the country. We don’t know on what conditions the channel has been allowed to operate again. We also don’t know how much dent the 77-day ban ...
Heer-Ranjha: The Story of Punjab?s First Feminist
2008-01-02 01:00:00 Mast Qalandar Of all the folk tales of Punjab, Waris Shah’s Heer is the most widely read, recited (actually, sung), commented upon and quoted love story. People have even done Ph.Ds on it. It is a very long poem, written in the Punjabi baint meter, comprising of 630 odd stanzas of 6 to 12 or more ...
Political Quiz
2007-10-30 12:23:00 Mast Qalandar Proliferation of private TV channels in Pakistan has, among other things, brought the politicians to our living rooms. We often see them and hear them in talk shows. And we judge them, not only on what they have to say but how they say it — and also on how they look. The following ...
Mirza Ghalib: Peshawari Turban and Humor
2007-07-30 01:50:00 Mast Qalandar We recently had a post on Ghalib by Adnan Ahmad. I believe we can never have enough of Ghalib. Adnan’s post was mostly about Ghalib, the poet. This one is about Ghalib, the person. When we think of Ghalib as a person, invariably the picture that comes to mind is that of an old man, rather ...
ATP Commenters: Birds of Feather ?
2007-07-21 18:04:00 Mast Qalandar (MQ) This post is about the “posters”, that is, the people who regularly post comments on ATP. In other words, my mental sketches of the persons I come across on the ATP discussion board. One of the things I do early in the morning, after checking my e-mail and the news updates, is look up ...
Panja Sahib: The Miracle that Refused to Happen
2007-06-29 05:15:00 Mast Qalandar This story was meant to be a part of the post on Panja Sahib that appeared on these very pages early this year. But I had left it out lest I make the post too lengthy. The post on Panja Sahib stayed on the Discussions Board for a day or two and then disappeared, ... |
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