Anarkali’s Couplet
// January 15th, 2006 // All, Poetry
Having read about the couplet engraved in Anarkali’s tomb in Lahore allegedly composed by prince Salim (later to become Jehangir) the hunt to find the original farsi began in earnest.
I was despairing of my chances, when at long last, I found the ode to a woman who’s story has long been such an integral part of South-Asian folklore; and one which I’m not quite sure why, I’ve always found very facinating. To my mind, its certainly unsual as far as the many many stories of ruined love go – an urbane setting and a purposeful extinguishment in contrast to the rural force majeurs of the others.
A google should tell you more than I ever could about the story, but that which ye shall not find is this couplet:
?? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ??
?? ?? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??
t? qiy?mat shukr g?yam kardig?re kh?sh r?
?h! gar man b?z b?nam r?? y?r-e kh?sh r?
“Ah! could I behold the face of my beloved once more, I would give thanks to my God until the day of resurrection.”
Befittingly, its signed Majnun Salim Akbar. Majnun being the archetypal lover in South-Asian tradition, driven to distraction by his love or rather, Ishq (I suspect there is a distinction, probably because of the sullied reputation Love enjoys in the English) for his beloved.
The Supreme ishq album also sported a song on the subject, which was for a time very famous in Pakistan – if only for the fact it was the most expensive most video ever there video ever produced (and magnificently ruined by Shoaib Mansoor’s cringeworthy tawdriness*).
I found this on Google’s cache of: http://groups.msn.com/msnpakistan/general.msnw?
action=get_message&mview=0&ID_Message=46835&LastModified=
4675527638612698973
*not that some mindless Bollywoodesque ‘picturisation’ is always a bad thing ;)
The complete essay on the Tomb I’ve attached below
Anarkali (The pomegranate blossom)Anarkali Bazar (market) in Lahore was named after Anarkali, which was the title given to Nadira Begum, or Sharf-un-Nisa, one of the favourites of the harem of the Emperor Akbar.
The Emperor had suspicion about Anarkali and one day while seated in an apartment lined with looking glasses and beautiful Anarkali was attending him, he saw from her reflection in the mirror that she returned Prince Salim (afterwards Jahangir) a smile. Suspecting her of a criminal intrigue with his son, the Emperor ordered her to be buried alive. She was accordingly placed in an upright position at the appointed place, and was built round with bricks. Salim felt intense remorse at her death. On assuming sovereign authority, had an immense superstructure raised over her sepulchre. The sarcophagus is made of a block of pure marble of extraordinary beauty and exquisite workmanship.It is, according to Mr. Eastwich, “one of the finest pieces of carving in the world.” On the top are inscribed the 90 attribution of God, and on the sides is engraved the following Persian Couplet, composed by Jahangir, her royal paramour:-
“Ah! could I behold the face of my beloved once more, I would give thanks to my God until the day of resurrection.”
On the north side of the sarcophagus, below the ninety-nine attributes of the Deity, is the inscription:-
“The profoundly enamoured Salim, son of Akbar,” Salim being the name of Jahangir when a prince.
The inscription shows how passionately fond Salim had been of Anarkali, and how deeply her death had grieved him. It is the spontaneous outcome of a melancholic mind, the irrepressible outburst of an affectionate heart. The building was used as the Protestant Church in the eighteenth century, and known as St. James’s Church, Anarkali. When it was about to be utilized as a Church, the body was exhumed and buried under one of its turrets. The marble sarcophagus, which covered it beneath the central dome, was at the same time removed, and is now kept locked up in a side chamber.The date given in letters and in figures is 1008 A.H. (1599 A.D.), which refers to the death of Anarkali. On the west side of the sarcophagus above the words “In Lahore,” is another, date 1024 A.H. (1615 A.D.), which is the date of the building of the tomb. Akbar died on the 13th October 1605, and thus the building was completed ten years after his death.
The building is circular in shape and roofed with a vast and lofty dome, supported inside by eight massive arches, 12 feet 3 inches thick. It is a masterpiece of solid masonry work of early Moghal period, and is neatly and prettily fitted up. It measures 75 feet, 6 inches from east to west.
In the time of Mughal Emperors, extensive gardens surrounded this imposing mausoleum, and several beautiful buildings were attached to it, but not a vestige of them now remains. The Ravi then flowed under its walls. In the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh it was occupied by Kharak Singh, the heir-apparent, but was subsequently given to M. Ventura, the Italian officer of the Sikh government, who converted it into a private residence.
Today the place is surrounded by shops and the market is called Anarkali Bazar.
–
GIF removed and replaced with farsi script, found here: http://www.forumpakistan.com/anarkali-ishq-song-t12837.html
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