Fieldnotes on Humanity

Today, I got a chance to tweak Abdul Qadir Bidel's Wikipedia page . I corrected some of the references and added several others. I also entered that he was the greatest poet of Indian-Persian, next to Amir Khusrau, who lived most of his life during the reign of Aurangzeb, the sixth Mughal emperor. This is very close to historical reality than branding him based on cultural biases. I noticed some entries labeled him as a Persian poet from Khorasan or from the Indian subcontinent (though the later has a modicum of truth). The fact of the matter is, he was Indian, born and raised and eventually died there. He belonged to that geographical area, to that culture and people and he should be studied within that context. Removing him from this context is unjust and discriminatory.  I also added some other sections in his Wiki page, such as bibliography, notes, and works. I entered several bibliography entries, fixed some while redacted and retracted others. I hope others contribu...

Eid is arriving everyone is in preparation, Everyone is taking pleasure whether rich or poor But me, without you, I look at my state I see that Ramaḍān is still in distance. عید آمد و هر کس پی کار خویش است می نازد اگر غنی وگر درویش است من بی تو به حال خود نظرها کردم دیدم که هنوز هم رمضان در پیش است Eid āmad-o har-kas payī kār khish ast mināzad agar ghanī wa-gar darwīsh ast man bi-tu ba hāli khod nazarhā kardam dīdam ki hanuz ham Ramaḍān dar pish ast Poet: Mirza Abdul-Qadir Bidel (Trans. Nasim Fekrat, July 06, 2016) Ustad Sarahang has sung this lyrics in a very commendably touching sense. Here is the video that you can enjoy listening.

Dew evaporated as soon as the dawn’s veil was taken off Oh, companion! I just recalled my love, au revoir! Tā sahar bi-parda gardad, shabnam az khod rafta ast Al-widā' ay ham-nishīnān! delbaram āmad ba yād تا سحر بی پرده گردد، شبنم از خود رفته است الوداع ای هم نشینان! دلبرم آمد به یاد Poem by Mīrzā Abdul-Qādir Bidel (Trans. Nasim Fekrat, May 26, 2016)

Across ages, we are being amused at expressing worthlessness and we are the opener of pages of the stories of nothingness You could expect nothing from us, but name we are the messengers of the world of nothingness عمریست که سرگرم ِ بیان ِ هیچیم طومارگشای  داستان ِ هیچیم با نامی از آن میان، ز ما قانع باش ما قاصد ِ پیغام ِ جهان ِ هیچیم ’aumr î st k î sargarm-e bay â n-e heech îm tum â r gush â yee d â st â n-e heechim b â n â mi az â n m îy â n, zi m â qane ’a b â sh m â q â sed-e paigh â m-e jah â n-e heech îm                                                                       By Mirza Bidel                                   ...

هرکه رفت از دیده داغی بر دل ما تازه‌ کرد در زمین نرم نقش پا نمایان می‌ شود Harkî raft az dîdah dâghe bar dîl-e mâ tâzah kard dar zamîn-e narm naqsh pâ nomâyân meshawad whoever left us  ailed us,  like fresh wounds in our heart  And like the footprints left in the sand                                                                          Poem by Mirza Bidel                                                                       Translated by Nasim ...

O the consumer of the residue of imagination, blessing is something else You are being vain with illusion; the truth is something else The paradise that is adorned with gems and gold reflects your avarice -- the paradise is something else ای زلـّه کش ِ خیال! نعمت، دگراست مغرور توهّمی، حقیقت دگر است خـُلدی که به گوهر و زر آراسته اند مجموعۀ حرص تست، جنت دگر است   Ai zalla-kashî khiyâl, ne’mat digar ast maghror-e tawahumî, haqîqat digar ast kholdî ki ba gawhar wa zar ârâsta-and majmo’aee heers-e tust, janat digar ast                                                                             Poem by: Mirza Bidel                              ...

قناعت ساحل امن است افسون طمع مشنو مبادا کشتي درويش در کام نهنگ افتد qanā’at sāhīl amn ast afsūn-e tam’a mashnaw mabādā keshtīyi dervish dar kām-e nahang oftad Contentment is a safe shore; don't be bewitched by cupidity Lest the dervish’s ship fall prey to the whale.                                                                                   Poem by: Mirza Bidel                                     ...

You cannot quaff the ocean  if you are not a whale You cannot prance through mountains if you don't have the will of a tiger The sea of time and place, for you, is but one gulp  Oh, the patience of inspiration boundlessness is desired دریا نکشی، اگر نهنگی نکنی بر کوه نتازی، ار پلنگی نکنی یک جرعۀ تست، قلزم ِ کون و مکان ای حوصلۀ خیال تنگی نکنی Dary â nakash î, agar nahang î nakun î bar kooh nat âz î, ar palang î nakun î yak jur'a-e tust, qulzam-e kown wa mak ân ai hawsêla-e kh î y âl tang î nakun î                                                                                  ...

به هزار کوچه دویده ام، به تسلی نرسیده ام ز قد خمیده شنیده ام، که چو حلقه شد به دری رسد Ba hazār kūcha daw ī dam-am, ba tasallī narasidam-am Z ī qad khamida shin ī da-am, k ī chū halqa shud ba dar ī rasad Running into thousands of streets brought me no tranquility I heard from an elder that the one who turns to a ring reaches the door.                                                                                Poem by: Mirza Abdul Qadir Bidel                                                         ...

Bidel, the way to honor lies in humbleness This path has led the new moon to its totality بيدل دليل مقصد عزت تواضع است زين جاده، ماه نو به جهان كمال رفت Bidel, dalil-e maqsad-e ezat tawāz‘a ast zin jādeh, māhi naw ba jahān-e kamāl raft                                                                  Poem by: Mirza Abdul Qadir Bidel                                                                                  ...