Rosul Ashik: Rassul Mir’s Love Poems

Born in Doru, Anantnag in Kashmir, Rassul Mir lived and wrote in the late 19th century. He was a romantic poet who drew inspiration from metaphors of nature all around him. Given his surroundings, amidst springs, rivers, valleys and mountains in the Kashmiri countryside fabled for its flora and fauna, it is unsurprising that his poetry drew from all of these elements.

Little is known about his life with certainty and outside of folklore. The poet Mahmood Gami is said to have predicted a youthful death for Mir. He is said to have been in love with a Hindu maiden, and some of his poetry is attributed to his longing for her. Towards the end of his life, it is believed that he spent solitary time near the springs in his surrounding villages, pondering over the world and articulating his thoughts in verse. What we do know, for certain, is that the beauty of Kashmir lives in his floral, descriptive verses of love.

Rasul Mir chhuy Shahabad Durey,

aem chhu trovmut ashka dukan.

yiyiv ashkow cheyiv turi turaay.

me chu moorey lalvun naar.

//

Rasul Mir of Shahabad Doore,

Has opened shop of tears.

Come, lovers drink cupfuls away.

I have to nurture the fire of love everyday.

(translation by Shiban Kachru)

 //

he teh masval, bai yimberzal

barh gai tse kun vechaan

chesmh siyah rokh vozaelee

Jamh chetiyey latiyey

//

Jasmine, Iris and Narcissus too,

looking at thee have withered away.

Thine eyes are black, face is red,

And robes are of the whitest hue.

(translation by RL Kaul)

His poems are rooted in physical spaces and find mention of many surroundings, especially springs. One often finds place markers like this one:

Ver Nagay nerye ba aagiye,

Achhaval ki posh sharey lagiye.

grayi maran kot gachhakh kan duriye,

wolay kosturiye par mai trav neeriye

//

I will leave Verinag early to attend to you

And adorn you with flowers from Acchabal.

Swaying, where are you going the pendant of my ear?

Come, my love, do not stroll around idly.

(translation by Shiban Kachru)

His poems also transcend the geographic boundaries of Kashmir, drawing not only from metaphors of places far away, but also from mythologies foreign to Kashmir.

Aaftabe Bulgaar

Mahtaabe Qandahar

Cha deeshith mandachhanay

Chhakh jaan jaananay

Chani sati Kasheer

Janat taseer

Samsara nata gam khanay

Chhakh jan jananay

Rosul ashik,

Chay path bila shak

Roztas meherbanay

Chakh jan jananay

//

You are like the sun of Bulgar,

And like the moon of Qandahar.

Seeing you, both are ashamed.

You are my love.

It is because of you

That Kashmir is a paradise.

The world without you is full of gloom.

You are my love.

Rassul is your lover,

Doubtlessly; so.

Be kind to him.

You are my love.

There is mention too, of native myths, like Kashmir’s famed fable, Himal and Nagrai, in his poems.

laegith Nagrai buchhnas Himaal

shahmar zulfi pechana vyesye

asi kun yitan hiy tan naavas

kosturay ta zafrana vyesye

dar gul chhu panay bulbul bahanay

bulbul ta gulistan vyesye

panay chhu Yusuf panay Zulekha

panas chhu aashik pana vyesye

Rasul soze dil wana has bozina

Pathu bronth rozi afsaana vyesye

//

As Nagrai

He has stung Himal.

My curls are like poisonous snakes,

My friend.

If he comes,

I will bathe his jasmine body

With saffron and musk,

My friend.

He is with the flower,

Pretending to be the bulbul.

He is himself both bulbul and flower,

My friend.

He is both

Yusuf and Zulaikha

In love with himself

My friend.

Rasul would bare his heart,

If he would listen.

Finally all this will end as a tale,

My friend.

(translation by Shiban Kachru)

Much of Mir’s poetry is about love. In this verse, he mentions his beloved, who was rumored to be Hindu, and in her praise, he refers to has henzi-yaen (Hindu girl):

raza henzi-yani naaz kyah anzni garden

ya illa-hi chesma bad-a nishi rachhtan

gatsi kam kyah chani baargahi lo-lo

rinda poshamal gindi-ney dra-yi lo-lo

//

How graceful the swan’s neck of looks,

spare her from evil eyes, my Lord,

Thy bounty, that won’t lessen, O God.

Lo, the love goes on a frolic outing

Rassul Mir wrote on themes often seen as worldly, like love and nature. Although he didn’t specifically delve into the metaphysical and spiritual world, he did keep religious metaphor alive in his language.

chhus Kaba husnuk roae,

abroo taq bar taq.

dar rahi aashq sajda rava

don bumun aamai

//

That face is the Kaaba of beauty,

her lashes layered over and over.

In the path of love,

it is meant to bow to those two brows

 //

kad chon alif, laam zulf, meem dahn chhoe

por akli sabaq shakli alif laam nigaaro

//

You are tall like alif, thy locks are long like laam, and thy mouth is meem itself;

from thy form came all knowledge, in shape of alif-laam

 //

Rosul chhuy zaenith deen-o-mazhab

rokh te zulf chon.

koh zani kya gov

kufur to Islam nigaro

//

Rasul has conquered religion and faith,

Your face and your tresses.

What does he know about

Blasphemy and Islam, my love?

All translations by Kachru and Bhat