Sunday, June 15, 2008

O Lal Meri Pat - Dama Dam Mast Qalandar

This has been one of my favorite nos. I have been humming this for years now. It has been a hot favorite with all singers, notably qawwals and these days the reality show contestants. Some of the known names who have lent their voice to this - Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Abida Parveen, Madam Noor Jehan, Wadali Brothers, Reshma, Sabri Brothers, Jagjit Singh, Runa Laila, Lata Mangeshkar, bands like Junoon and this list endlessly goes on. Many college bands have attempted this giving a rock flavour. That, one song could be so popular amongst so many, I wondered, what this song is all about, what's its true meaning. This and last week I spent looking for all the versions and answers to my questions. What a fascinating and satisfying journey it has been.

This song is in the honor of Sufi mystic 'Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar'. Every word of his name has a meaning - he was known as Hazrat ( prophet of GOD ), Lal ( he wore red robes or mothers fondly call their kids as Lal ), Shahbaz ( Shah - King and Baz - Falcon, king of falcons and an Iranian GOD who led them to victory, a divine spirit ), and finally Qalandar ( a qalandari - a sufi saint, poet, mystic, noble man ). He settled in Serwan ( Sindh, now in Pak ) and tried bringing peace between Hindus and Muslims. Hindus regard him as GOD and reincarnate as well. You can hear many Punjabi singers, singing in his praise. He is also fondly called as Jhulelal.

So the song goes like this :

O laal meri pat rakhio bala jhoole laalan, Sindri da Sehvan da, sakhi Shabaaz kalandar, Dama dam mast kalandar, Ali dam dam de andar

(O the red robed, May I always have your benign protection, Jhulelal (as he was affectionately called ). O, the lord,the friend and the 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 )

Hind Sind ( some also sing Ghanan ghanan ) peera teri naubat vaaje, Naal vaje ghadiyaal bala jhoole laalan, O naal vaje, O naal vaje ghadiyaal bala jhoole laalan
Sindri da Sehvan da sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar, Dama dam mast kalandar, ali dam dam de andar, Dama dam mast Qalandar.

(Let your heroic name ring out in Hind & Sindh ( or lets the gongs bell loud ), Let the gong ring loud for your glory day and night by the people ( ghariyal - watchman, symbolism of night )

Har dam peera teri khair hove, Naam-e-ali beda paar laga jhoole laalan, O naam-e-ali, O naam-e-ali beda paar laga jhoole laalan, Sindri da sehvan da sakhi Shabaaz Qalandar, Dama dam mast Qalandar, Ali dam dam de andar

( O Lord, may you prevail everytime, everywhere, I pray of oyur well being, In the name of Ali, I pray to you to help my boat cross (the river of life) in safety)

After learning the meaning, the fondness for this song has grown multifold. I have attached clippings of various singers. You will thouroughly enjoy all the renderings. I have a special mention for the one from Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan from his young days and the young Abida Parveen.
------------

Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan – see music breaking religious barriers – See the Sikhs getting intoxicated with this music



Madam Noor Jehan – See the class



Reshma – See the simplicity



Abida Parveen - See the divinity



Abida Parveen – In her younger days - truly majestic



Band Junoon – See the contemporary



College of Wooster students – popular amongst students – hear the band wow



Shrine of Saint himself - Lal Shahbaz Qalandar



Sabri Brothers - favorite of qawwals



See this – awesome – Janice Miller an American singing for Jagjit singh – see even Jagjit singh dancing - what a video



Lord belongs to everyone - Sindhi dhamal gathering - lighter note



Qalandari Dhamal – Gulbahar Bano, Saraiki

113 comments:

Yugal Joshi said...

Great work bro. The good thing about Sufi music is that there is no one writer of the song. Different time different people keep on adding their own stuff. In fact many singers impromptu create lines and then sing. Thats what makes Sufi music majestic. For example "peera main tera peer sab da wali hei, naam-e-ali beda paar laga jhoole laala" .. is another form of "har dam peera teri khair howe naam-e-ali beda paar laga jhool-e-laalan". Sufi music is indeed the highest form of music.

Prashant said...

Thanks Ajit for such a wonderful post. I was looking for the transalation for quite a time.
Do you have an idea who has written this song?

Gowri said...

Gr8 post!!! I always loved to hear this song, now after knowing the meaning and listening to so many beautiful voices sing it, my liking has doubled. thanks ......

Unknown said...

lal meri pat actually means "Lal keep my integrity intact"...it had to do with Hindus asking God to help them preserve who they were and their religion and not get wrapped up in Islam since muslims at that time were pressuring Hindus to convert...so basically it is a song about Hindu's praying to keep their identity and not being swayed by Muslims to convert for the sake of keeping their land in Pakistan. This crisis led to a huge migration of Sindhis out the Pakistan region into India as refugees. If you don't believe this is true, you can look up the history on the partition and see how the Hindus were forced to convert, leave, or be killed.

Ajit Sharma said...

Dear Priya,

Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting on it. I, however don't agree with your view.

Your and my views don't take away the majesty of the song. So just savor it.

Regards

Unknown said...

I was searching for the meaning of this bhajan for almost 5 yrs. Is it possible for you to point me to the location where I could get information about the Lata Mangeshkar version of this song.

Thanks,
Yogi

Jitu said...

I liked the way you presented your favorite song. I'm a sindhi and I'm listening this song since my childhood at my home. This has been one of my favorite too.

Peter Farrell said...

Thank you for the info and the translation! A jazzy world music band calling themselves Lal Meri just did a new version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se4AFa0Vx9Q

Rajib Ahmed said...

The version of Runa Laila is also worth checking out, I think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIyrlTwEuYY

grooves said...

your blog was such a great find! .. ... i've always loved this song but never knew how meaningful it was! thank you!

Unknown said...

thank you for the translation Ajit..i've been looking for it since a long time..but u have not translated the whole song...please do so...i'd love to know the entire meaning...thanks...

Unknown said...

I suggest adding one from Hans Raj Hans as well. Great song, great rendering...

garykumar said...

This was a favorite of mine since childhood days.. I rediscovered and downloaded this and started humming..I wanted to know the meaning..and I got it through your blog

Saritha said...

Thanks a ton! I absolutely love this song and I got to hear a lot of versions on your blong, not to mention finally understood the meaning. Did you translate it yourself?
Saritha

lateefx said...

Wonderful post ... thanks for the translation Ajit - and also for the videos - I love Abida Parveen's take on the song... Also, a very well done version is Falu Shah's

Rshandilya01 said...

Thanks for sharing this, Ajit! I had been hoooked to the song too and wanted to know the meaning ... great work here!

Naresh said...

In writing most of your text in this post, you have copied the words from the comments posted by 'science220' in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMbe_xYpDRc&feature=fvw and passed them in a way for people to believe them as your words.

Plagiarism is easily caught in an increasingly connected and digital world. One should always credit the original source.

Good work in bringing all the videos together though!

Best wishes,
Naresh

Unknown said...

Great post. I would also like to feature this video in your post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evMYzq-8ZHU

Thanks,
Shekhar

vd said...

hey really very good
may god bless u i was searching for the correct meaning to tell ma lil brother about teh song
thanks a lot
is tarah wo zayada jaldi samjega
take care

Unknown said...

See you holy saint hazrath shabaaz khaland (R A) is not prophet of god please dont write any thing like that first know about the sufi go and research ..

Khuda Hafiz

Ajit Sharma said...

Was going through the comments after a very long time. So let me reply to some of points raised.

I haven't translated this myself. Like many of you, I was interested in meaning of this song and researched on it for couple of weeks and wrote what was most appropriate. I don't think this is a serious work of research/writing and should not be viewed that way.

It has been written for pleasure and my own satisfaction. I do see that some of you have benefited and thats good enough.

Thanks

komal said...

hello ajit,
Nice post...i just love that song.
thanks to u when ever i'll sing that i mind the meaning..

Unknown said...

I wanna reply to Priya. This song is ollllddd Priya much older than the India Pakistan partition story. never would have the Hindus dreamt that their faith would be in any danger back then. Ur reasoning is twisted

Amir said...

O' my red pearl
Keep my honor
Dancing with mysticism
Ali is in every breath of mine
O' mystic, you are everyone's friend
Your name is Ali
Take my boat across troubled waters
King of the stars hugged you
Colored you with the colors
That you could take away troubles
Your name is Ali
Pls. waken my sleeping fate
I've come to your shrine
Holding your trellis with my desires
Your name is Ali
Pls. hear my prayers
I'm dying with griefs
Nobody belongs to me except you

Unknown said...

hey can anyone tell me a link to the lyrics of the sindhi song-"keehan rijhayan tokhe"..i love this song but cant get it lyrics just by listening.i surfed the net bt with no success..

Unknown said...

hey can anybody tell me a link to the sindhi song-"keehan parchayan tokhe"..its a fab song but i cant get the lyrics just by listening.i surfed the net but with no success.

Neeraj said...

Hi Ajit, Thank you so much for this fantastic post. I recently read Nine lives and read about this durgah. It is a wonderful place of Sufism at its best. It is a paragon of religious fusion. From what I read, Serwan is under attack from extremists now. I pray for the safety of this durgah from the extremists.

Neeraj said...

Hi Ajit, Thank you so much for this fantastic post. I recently read Nine lives and read about this durgah. It is a wonderful place of Sufism at its best. It is a paragon of religious fusion. From what I read, Serwan is under attack from extremists now. I pray for the safety of this durgah from the extremists.

vivekritu said...

Thank you. You have explained it beautifully.

Unknown said...

I ma sindhi too...listening to this on almost every occasion.
Well, I agree with Priya's post...
Good Work Done..Thank you

Unknown said...

Dear friend, I'm from Turkey and I LOVE!!!! Qawwali. We also have Sufi music here but it's usually not as lively like the Qawwali.

Although I can understand some common words, I've been looking for the English translation of Dam Mast lyrics. Today finally found it.

THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!

Unknown said...

hold it everyone !!!!

"ali dum dum de ander"
new version says
"ali da phela number"

how is this song hindu if we support shias on ali being the first caliph.

i am a hindu and sindhi and respect muslims but sunnis not shias

so why are sindhi hindus supporting muslim shias ?

hindus all over the world stop creating demi gods and concentrate on vishnu and shiva

AJ... said...

Hi Ajit,
Chanced upon this post as I was looking for a translation to this song.
Thanx for this amazing post. Loved the collection of videos too.
With Warm Regards,
Ajith

Unknown said...

I request you all to check out an amazing performance of this song by Shweta Subram at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evMYzq-8ZHU.

Please join her fan page at www.facebook.com/shwetasubram

Regards

The Great One said...

Sir,
Great work, but I am afraid the song is about two lals of sindh ... Jhulelal the hindu community god of sindh and mast qulander ..the sufi saint.
They are not the same as mentioned in ur blog.

Ravneet said...

Thanks for this. For me this version by Sabri brothers is truly magical. Raw but so so powerful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuMNuhpXnc0

3rdworldfunk : A bridge to many worlds - TANIM QUAZI said...

here's an interesting version, amazing how many versions there are):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPnnYpA7DeI&feature=related

Unknown said...

AMAZING!! was just searching for the meaning of the song and came across your blog and could get all my answers !! a great work,, really appreciable !! I always loved to hear this song, now after knowing the meaning, my liking has doubled. Thank You!!

Puneet Mehta said...

Great work...one more qawali in English,hindi,punjabi..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvKbGVgLKrQ

Unknown said...

good translation, and excellent compilation of videos.
2 points
1. This is a sindhi folk lore song and one of the word is mis interpreted. laal/lal in sindhi- can be translated to beloved/dearest
2. I concur with priya's interpretation.
Try it out with those interpretations.
Yes it is your blog and your viewpoint.
but you have it open for people to post their comments and view points, so there is no need to make this a forum for dialog by responding.

Anonymous said...

thanx 4 such good blog, can u plz explain the words in more way

Anonymous said...

It would have been a great pleasure if you could bear the pain of posting the song sung by eminent singer Runa Laila. If you haven't heard her singing this song yet, I would suggest that you should listen soon, she's simply awesome !

MBK said...

Thanks for your work, I was listening to this great song since my childhood, but never knew what the real meaning was. Today I came to know about it.... A Great Work :)

Rijoo said...

You may like this one too.. thanks for posting the meaning :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOyU_Ig1rWk

vvr said...

well past is past and we have to live in present with out squabling about the physical history of the song ...... just see the soul and the way the song involves you is truly mysticism getting into you ...just close your eyes and not enjoy but get involved in the song...thanks for posting so many versions vvr

vvr said...

well past is past instead of squabbling about the history see the soul of the song and the way it involves you drags you in to it ... thats the greatness of the song ...thats what keeps it alive with somany versions ...for the believers it is the true mysticism at work ...just close your eyes and listen to the song with your heart ... thanks for posting so many versions

Ash Hossain said...

Nicely done Ajit.. Love the song even more now, sitting on the other side of the world. Thank you so much for enlightening another traveling soul. Might I suggest that you also add Komal Rizvi's souldful version of this song to your blog?

Ashraf

Unknown said...

Thank you!

Roli said...

Whatever is the meaning of this bhajan, it's compilation and music makes me forget all barriers.. race, religion... and just dance.. ekdum magan hoke :) love this post.. Thanks for sharing!

at a loss said...

thank you for the translation!!! you are right! The meaning of the song immensely increases one's liking for it.The song induces a certain sense of relief that is hard to explain. Great work !

RAM H. DARYANI said...

Hi Ajit - Today I happened to see your Blog while searching for the origin of the song Dama Dum ...
It was a great pleasure and a surprise to see your blog. Very scholarly. I am a person who believes in Sufism. In fact I am born and brought up in a family of Sufi believers.
I will be reading your blog one by one. I am sure it is going to be a great pleasure.
I am writing a blog too. Please do visit my blog http://yogavashisht.blogspot.in/
Once again I must compliment you for doing such a great job. My regards .... Ram

Unknown said...

Thanks Ajit,

This post is priceless.

A great collection of all the versions of this amazing song, which is more like an experience.

Thanks.

Unknown said...

Thanks Ajit.

This post is priceless.

The collection of all these performances at one place is a real treat.

Thanks again.

Pratyush Garg said...

I have listened to this song so many times, and in so many voices that I don't even remember. But never had I felt the way I am feeling right now after learning the literal meaning of the same. Thanks for sharing this knowledge.

Pratyush Garg said...

I have listened to this song so many times, and in so many voices that I don't even remember. But never had I felt the way I am feeling right now after learning the literal meaning of the same. Thanks for sharing this knowledge.

AK Sharma said...

HI AJIT,
I TOO LIKE THIS SONG BY APPRECIATED SANAM MARVI AND YOU REVEALED THE MEANING, SO ITS GOOD ONE OF YOUR'S.

AND GUYZ WHO TOOK THIS SONG WRONGLY, I WOULD LIKE TO INFORM YOU THAT THIS IS A SUFI PRAY SONG. ITS LIKE LOVE WHICH HAS DIFFERENT COLORS OF SAME SOURCE. SO NEED OF DIFFERENTIATING OR PARTITIONING

Hitesh said...

Thanks..Being a Sindhi, I never knew the meaning of this song as I now know after reading your post.. thanks for the enlightenment...

hitesh.tulsani@gmail.com

Hitesh said...

Thanks a ton!! Being a Sindhi (by mother tongue), no one ever taught me the meaning of this song..After reading the post, I definitely know the meaning of this song deeply..

Thanks for the Enlightenment!

hitesh.tulsani@gmail.com

Unknown said...

i came across ur blog while searching for this song.....i belong to sindhi community and this song was originated in sindh n it is sung for hindu god JHULELAL and not for muslim king.so get ur facts rite b4 posting

Unknown said...

I believe that some of the information mentioned in your blog has not been researched well. For example, you say "He is also fondly called as Jhulelal". No one called him "Jhulelal" out of fondness. A bit of online researching would clearly prove that Jhulelal was the teacher of Shabaz Qalandar. Jhulelal, or Dariyalal or Jinda Pir is the Hindu Ishta Dev of Sindhi people. His birthday Cheti Chand which falls on the second day of the Chaitra month is auspicious for Sindhis and is celebrated all over the world with traditional pomp and gaiety. Therefore, the song refers to Jhulelal (the teacher) and Shabaz Qalandar (the muslim disciple).

Mohammed Owais Sayed said...

Sir, Good research, thanks for the post.

tycoon said...

The original song was written in honour of Sufi saint Hazrat shah qualander by Amir Khusro.The original song is in Punjabi.Later on it was modified and word Jhulelal is also added at different places by Sindhi saint Bulleshah so that the whole Sindhi(hindu and muslim) culture start reflecting from this song.It is then sung by various singers,Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Abida Parween being the two famous versions.

Unknown said...

Ajitji, heart-felt thanks for providing the meaning of this song. Its an all-time favourite and thanks again for uploading many videos of this spell-binding rendition from many an artists.

THE SALESMAN said...

Thanks for an excellent translation. Having a Sindi Hindu friend I know that Jhule Lal was a Sindi Hindu saint and as all Sindi contributors will vouch I believe the Sindis always greet each other by me mentioning Jhule all.
This song has a very deep meaning and as some one mentioned it is meant to convey a message of love of all humanity.

Vaibhav said...

great work ajit. i wanted to know the meaning of this great song and your blog seems fantastic.

LP said...

It is really great to find the translation in simple words. You have a done a fantastic service for putting this translation in your blog. However, as mentioned earlier, and admitted by you, it is not your translation, and you should have mentioned that in your blog, or you should mention it now in clear words. Not acknowledging this fact diminishes your hard work. Once again, a wonderful post and a great service.

Unknown said...

Actually your information is highly flawed this bhajan was written for jhullelal a hindu god of sindhi people he was a reincarnation of wayuh devta then the great sufi poet added into it the name of hazrat lal shahbaz to make hindus and muslims closer so that both of them can revere to their gods through the same bhajan. Jhullelal was a god or we can say saint who was revered by hindus and muslims both that is why bulle shah retained his name

Unknown said...

I read a re search book on the subject.It reduces Jhulelal,Shahabaz, Qualadar,saki,peera,Ali,Beda paar,char chirag,serwan into historical prospective. Jhulelal, or Dariyalal or Jinda Pir has something to do with a river god either located on a river island or on the banks of mighty sind(indus)river.The probability of it being in today's sind is high since the river starts to deltaise hence river islands.Historically sind was known as Bud, because Buddhism was most practice religion.Possibly river people living on fish could not have embraced Buddhism. Sindis would have seen Jhulelal standing on a fish. char CHIRAG- To remember the dead the burial place including of brave men till date in punjab and northern sind is lit by terracotta lamps, known as chirag.Something like amar jawan joyti .The word chiragh is derived from the Syriac shrag or shragh, meaning lamp.So tradition of lamp lighting though old in temples has acquired a new name because of syriac or sufi influence.Bade par- The term is indicating the fears of fisher men in a group or traders in a group to cross the river or navigate the river.Some local language dialects name the river sind (indus)as an ocean .Qualadar,PEER , shah baz,Ali,are influences of sufis who came to sind as a routine or along with military groups or part of general migration. It is common knowledge that one group does exert influence of religious views on others but this particular song signifies metamorphoses of a liberal popular place of worship.
The song is popular, melodious,historical ,traditional and makes us think what nonsense can a man do to an ocean like river .I believe now it can be crossed by wading through in dry months.

RitaRonita said...

It was great to find such an informative post about one of my all-time favourite songs, also liked reading the various opinions and comments. Thanks Ajit !
Rita Ronita

Anonymous said...

Hi, Ajit, first of all, the work done by you in bringing all the videos is amazing and commendable.

Secondly, the song is actually talks about both, The ishtdeva of Hindu Sindhis, Lord Jhoolelal and, most revered saint of Sindhi Muslims, Lal Shahbaz Kalandar.
Spiritualy speaking, that is the beauty of the song that has made it the most listened, most recreated an, the consummate song. It is a true depiction of secularism and interreligious respect.

Unknown said...

Ajit u forgot one thing ..that who wrote this beautiful kalaam..it is kalaam by sufi saint baba bullay shah in the honour of sufi saint hazrat laal shahbaz qalander..

Unknown said...

Ajit - Wonderful work!
Priya - What nonsense! Can't you enjoy sufism without any religious bias? God is the same for all creatures on this planet and even others. Give up your shit! And for your kind information - I am a Hindu, who as read our scriptures well, along with Quran Shareef and guru Granth Sahib and at the basement they all are the same!

Ramesh yadav said...

hi im aryan yadav i love song O Lal Meri Pat - Dama Dam Mast Qalandar"

Sandeep said...

I find the philosophy of yoga also in this song. The concept of Pancha Agni and the vicious circle of punarjanam.

Dinesh Sud said...

This is also one of my all time favorite and getting to know the meaning has enhanced its appeal many fold. A song true to great Sufi tradition in soul and spirit. A thousand thanks for meaningful translation and different renditions. Dinesh Kumar Sud, Mumbai

Dinesh Sud said...

The song is also my all time favorite. It invokes true Sufi spirit of unity through music. A thousand thanks for rendering meaningful translation; now I can enjoy it even more. Thanks also for providing renditions by different artists. What about song by Runa Laila>

Saurabh said...

Great work man!!

Unknown said...

Very nice blog! some more information ppl this guy made the current day famous tune:

http://www.dawn.com/news/1100498

Lokesh said...

Thanks Ajit. Good work. However I am surprised as the way Priya has been receiving negative comments.Stating facts does not mean that you hate a religion.I think there hardly has been any other place other than Sindh and few other regions in pre Independent India where Hindus and Muslims have co existed togather with such unity and respect. Although all this started with forceful convertions but ended with learning to co-exist togather and respect each other. I think we should not jump to conclusions, some times things seem to look like what they are not.

Seydou Kone said...

Wonderful work. Thanks for all. I "knew" Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for years and I'm discovering others versions. Listen to Komal Rizvi singing...

Saikat said...

Thanks a lot, a song is much more if you know the words and its message. Fell in love with this song in my childhood, took your effort to know what it means.

sarpakuplix said...

Thanks Ajit. You did a good job compiling everything and it is obviously a labour of love. I too love this song and am happy to learn the meaning of the words.

Unknown said...

I highly appreciate your work Ajit and yes to all those reading & writing the comments pls don't degrade priya, she wrote what's true to history, yes Hindus were forcibly being converted into Muslims when 40 days prayer called Chaliyah were done and bhagwan Jhulelal incarnate from river sindh and a communal harmony was established. Despite our counterparts in pak are suffering a lot till date as we had in history but our existence is only by and for making the communal harmony and peace, so let's maintain it as peace has no alternative.

Ashutosh said...

This post will explain the real origins of this song and the difference between Jhulelal and Shahbaz Qalandar. Worth reading, but read with an open mind..

http://ajitvadakayil.blogspot.in/2013/12/dama-dam-mast-qalandar-prayer-to-sindhi.html

Unknown said...

Thanks for the post. Great!

Ali said...

This song has lasted this long because of love. The love in this song is evident if you truely listen, and that is what appeals to one and all, regardless of background. Forget your religion, forget your history, forget all you have been taught or learnt. You do not matter, you are alive today and may be dead tomorrow, be dust in another 50 years and in a hundred years will only be remembered from pictures. No one will know who you were as a person. They will only remember what you did, if you did something memorable.
As I said forget Ram, Raheem, Jesus, Moses, Allah and all the rest. Imagine a God that loves you, that does not need anything from you, that does not care whether you pray, do good or bad, just loves you like you would your kids, unconditionally...except more. Love that God with your whole being. Do not fear for good or bad or what'll happen later. Do not hope for heaven, hell or rebirth. This is the one life you know about and in this life, love that maker, open your heart and live free.
Everything else will fall into its own place.

Unknown said...

Awesome!!!!!!
Thank you for sharing this....

Madhurima said...

Great post . Thanks

Rambunctious Ramifications said...

Nice to find your blog as tje first result thrown up by Google when I searched for the meaning of this song. I too have heard this song since my childhood. While I found the tune catchy and fast, it was only today while I suddenly started humming the song that I decided to look up its meaning. Great job Ajit. Thanks and wish you the very best in all ykur endeavours.

Arghya said...

Many thanks for the information!!

Unknown said...

how can i found urdu translation

Anonymous said...

I couldnt control my eyes....it were always running with tears.. I just addicted to this song...:)

Anonymous said...

This is simply great... God bless you dear brother... :)

sweta said...

thank you

Unknown said...

Many thanks for the post and enlightening comments too, allow me to share my thoughta:

1. Around what is now referred to as the province of Sindh, the Sudi rhought bloomed, flowered.

2. Mansur, Ibn Arabi, Mian Mir, Sarmad, and later Latif, Sarmast and others - all are connected with Sindh.

3. This song, originally dedicated to Mystic Sain Lal Shahbaz Qalandar has over the time got associated with Udero Lal, the Mysterious Saint who appeared to save the Hindus from the clutches of oppressor ruler adamant to converr them.

Both Shahbaz and Udero Lal are also referred to as Jhulelal, and both were contemporaries.

Hence, the confusion among some of the commentators. For Sindhis however, there is no confusion, for Shahbaz who was not native to Sindh also propagated the same message of love.

There are many more versions by, for instance, Bhagwanti Panjwani, where Udero Lal is more prominent than Shahbaz, and yet, they can interchange and assimilate very easily.

Indeed, many pple do not see any difference between the two.

To this day (at least until early 90s) the flag on top of the tomb of Shahbaz is od oranve color and many of the disciples wear orange, colour associated with sanyas, and nor the traditional green.

Jhulelal Bedaa Paar - Haqq Moujud

Jattitude said...

Agree Ali. Dama Dam Mast Qalandar, Ali dam dam de andar. If only we all could be like Shahbaaz Qalandar. Every breath of ours having only God's name and hence his eternal love. NOTHING else matters. As my Guru says, We are the waves of the same Ocean. Thank you Ajit for taking the time to post this blog. THIS song touches all our Hearts as we can plainly see by all the comments here. You just brought all of us together. Joy to you All.

Prasad Shrivatsa said...

Great post, great comments. I am Hindu. I have been listening to this praise song every since my childhood. Thanks for translating it into English. I like it a lot more now that I know what it means.

Unknown said...

Hazrat amir khusrow written it and later modified by hazrat bulleshah

Unknown said...

My love grows by leaps and bounds for my language and motherland everytime i hear this song. My favourite sufi song.
Laal ja jathi chau Jhulelal

Avril said...

thank you so much for posting this!! beautiful song that is reflective of religious and cultural harmony that existed..... how i wish we could be one great nation again!! all the singers' versions are great!!

Vinod said...

Many thanks dear for such a great information

Unknown said...

Accidentally read this post and loved it. You are such a nice guy with such refined taste and ability to think above the bias and bigotry that is rampant in our modern times where hatred at any pretext seems to be the norm. I have always had great respect for the legendary Indian spirit of peace, love and tolerance and this post gives me hope and encouragement that we will learn from nice people like you and be able to shed bias and hatered.
love from Pakistan for you and the great parents who teach their children these values
Atif

Fiza said...

Duma dum mast qalandar.Ali dam de andar. Ali ka pehla number.

Kiran Gohar Habibullah said...

Behtareen job done.

Kiran Gohar Habibullah said...

I've searched the internet back and forth multiple times but I just can't find the translation or even jotted down lyrics for infamous Kalam "Daman Lagiyan Muala" which is attempted by Abida parveen in all its glory and divinity.If I may get the help with the said lyrics I'll be very thankful.

B.S.V. Prasad said...

Thank you so much sir. Thanksto you south Indian like me can now understand the true magnificence of this composition. And thanks for all the video clips too!

Unknown said...

Priya's interpretation may be considered much rational than the blogger. That way the lyrics sounds more meaningful. Though the song may date way back from Indian partition but the problem of conversion itself is much older than it. Further expression of views and facts can not be necessarily considered as hate. Neither it mean demeaning the song itself. For me more than the lyrics the beauty of the song lies in its rhyme. It's rhyme and music of the song that had made it evergreen and immortal.

Ajit Pardeshi said...

It was written by Amir Khusrow

Unknown said...

Thanks everyone for inputs and additional information on this song. I recently heard this version which is also addictive.
https://youtu.be/eoz9gr9QYes
- Vasu

Unknown said...

Amazing work bro

Kalingakulam said...

Thank you

AnjoreAP said...

Thank you for posting this naat with various versions.
In Madam Noorjahan's, there is something like 'laqbaq sulla/bulla', what does that mean? Also, couldn't find Lara's rendition but Asha Bhosle's is there.
Thank you again.

Ghazala Zaidi said...

This was great attempt. However you have completely committed reference to Maula Ali and his importance. One gives 'waasta' of a superior being. Here Maula Ali is also designated as first and foremost. Please add his importance to complete the translation and lend to unity of humanity.

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