#Abi Sampa #CovidLockdown #Qawwali #SoulfulRespite
This performance was recorded with remote instances during Covid Lockdown and pieced together as an amazing Qawwali (Sufi devotional music) performance. I loved listening to this during the isolation time of Lockdown 2020. Thank you to the brilliant artists who enabled this amazing memory 🙂 🙏
Background to the lyrics: Amīr Khusro was a poet and historian, considered one of India’s greatest Persian-language poets. He wrote this poem upon returning to his mother from a visit to Nizamuddin Auliya. He talks about how he has found the ideal spiritual “guru” or teacher. This poem expresses the speaker’s intense joy and devotion upon finding their beloved and spiritual guide. The repetition of “rang” (color) and “sajan milavra” (I have found my beloved) creates a rhythmic and incantatory effect, emphasizing the transformative power of the speaker’s experience.
The language is simple and direct, with colloquialisms like “hey maan” (Oh mother) creating a sense of familiarity and intimacy. This simplicity contrasts with the profound emotions conveyed, suggesting that the speaker’s love and devotion transcend conventional language.
Compared to Amir Khusro’s other works, this poem stands out for its emotional intensity and its focus on personal experience. While Khusro is known for his use of elaborate imagery and philosophical themes, this poem is more introspective and heartfelt.
The poem also reflects the Sufi tradition of love and devotion, which emphasizes the transformative power of the divine. The speaker’s love for Nizamuddin Aulia is presented as a spiritual rebirth, bringing light and color into their world.
The poem’s simple yet effective language and its sincere expression of love and devotion make it accessible to readers across time periods and cultural backgrounds.
Source: allpoetry.com