Haji Ali Dargah of Mumbai; Qawwali: Piya Haji Ali

Last updated on 10th Dec. 2016

Above pic is of Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai. Above pic courtesy: Haji Ali Dargah Trust. Note that this blog post is freely readable by anybody on the Internet and has no commercial angle whatsoever. That is why I have presumed that Haji Ali Dargah will not mind my putting up their photograph on this website. I mean, I would like to popularise it and also express my gratitude for all the Darshans (sights) and happiness I have had of/from Haji Ali Dargah.

Piya Haji Ali, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3KqaNzOxYI, 5 min 21 secs.

Great song about a very dear Muslim shrine in South Mumbai that Muslims as well as many people from other religions, revere. I cherish my memories of so many sights of Haji Ali, typically from one of Mumbai's BEST buses, but sometimes from a taxi, as the bus/taxi would drive along the Chowpatty road next to the sea (Marine Drive). The video clip has a passing glimpse of a red BEST bus and a yellow topped (& black body) Mumbai taxi. I also recall one visit of mine to Haji Ali when I saw & heard a proper Qawwali performance by devout Muslim singers which held me spellbound.

[Prior to that the Qawwalis that I was exposed to was romantic love affair between male-female type songs in Hindi films. Here's a famous one of them in the 1980s I guess, Parda hai Parda - Amar Akbar Anthony - Mohammad Rafi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBEUOZ1-_gE, 8 min 17 secs. The romantic ones were decent time-pass (as we would say in Mumbai). But nowhere close, IMHO, to the soulful and spellbinding power of the real Qawwalis sung about God/Allah.

The earlier video link is also from a Hindi film, I guess. But the song seems to be a proper Qawwali dedicated to God and Haji Ali.]

Lyrics and English translation of the (Piya Haji Ali) song is available here:
http://www.ardhamy.com/song/piya-haji-ali. [I have also given my attempt at capturing the Urdu lyrics and English translation of them, later on in this post.]

Some extracts from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haji_Ali_Dargah:

The Haji Ali Dargah is a mosque and dargah (tomb) located on an islet off the coast of Worli in the southern part of Mumbai. Near the heart of the city proper, the dargah is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Mumbai.

An exquisite example of Indo-Islamic Architecture, associated with legends about doomed lovers, the dargah contains the tomb of Sayed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari.
...
The Haji Ali Dargah was constructed in 1431 in memory of a wealthy Muslim merchant, Sayyed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari, who gave up all his worldly possessions before making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Hailing from Bukhara, in present-day Uzbekistan, Bukhari travelled around the world in the early to mid 15th century, and eventually settled in present-day Mumbai.
...
On Thursdays and Fridays, the shrine is visited by an enormous number of pilgrims. Irrespective of faith and religion, people visit the dargah to get the blessings of the legendary saint. Sometimes, especially on Fridays, various Sufi musicians perform a form of devotional music called Qawwali at the dargah.
--- end extracts from wiki ---

This seems to be the official website of the management of Haji Ali, http://www.hajialidargah.in/.


Lyrics & English translation - My attempt

My capture of Urdu lyrics and rough English Translation of the song Piya Haji Ali is given below in format Urdu : English.

Khuda apne valiyon se hota hai raazi  : God associates with/accepts his saints

Milegi yeh dar se hame sarfaraazi : From this door we well get progress/advancement

Yahan dil se maango yeh Haaji Ali hai : Ask here from the heart, this is Haaji Ali [Haaji Ali is both the name of this Islamic place of worship as well as the name of the person/saint whose tomb is in it - Haji Ali Shah Bukhari]

Khuda ke vali hai : (He) is a saint of God

Shah-e-samandar ibn-e-haidar : King of the Sea, son of a lion

Shah-e-samandar ek nazar : King of the Sea, [give us] one look/glance

Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Ho : Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, O Beloved! (2)

Tum samandar ke dhani : You are the wealth (or Lord) of the sea

Baba Haaji Ali : Father Haaji Ali! (3)

Tum samandar ke dhani : You are the wealth (or Lord) of the sea

Baba Haaji Ali : Father Haaji Ali! (2)

Hai tumhara dar dar mustafa dar murtaza (marhaba) : Your door is the chosen and holy (and welcome) door,  [mustafa and murtaza both seem to have meanings of chosen, acceptable; Very importantly, they are names/qualities/epithets of the Prophet Mohammad; marhaba is the word with which Prophet Mohammad was welcomed when he returned to Mecca/Makkah from Medina/Madina]

Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Ho : Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, O Beloved! (2)

Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali : Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali (2)

Yahaan Hindu Muslim Sikh Isaahi faiz paate hain : Here Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians find/get Grace (2)

Yeh samandar roz dar pe deta hai pehra : This sea gives guard everday at (your) door

Hai sarapa nuurwala aapka chehara : Your face is full of light

Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Ho : Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, O Beloved! (2)

Do Mohammad mustafa ke naam ka sadka, de do naam ka sadka : Give benevolence in the name of Muhammad the chosen, give benevolence in the name (2)

Koi bhi mayuus is dar se nahi lauta : Nobody has returned disappointed from this door

Baba koi nahin lauta : Father, nobody has returned (disappointed)

Kiske dil me kya chupa hain sab tumhe maalom hain : What is hidden in which/any person's heart, all is known to you (2)

Aapke faiz o karam ki arsh par bhi dhuum hain : Your grace and benevolence are glorified in the throne (of heaven) too

Baba Haaji Ali : Father Haaji Ali! (2)

Suno ham gareebon ki iltija ham par karam keeje : Listen to the pleas of us poor, shower your grace on us

Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Ho : Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, O Beloved! (2)

Aap par saari khudaai naaz karti hai, Baba naaz karti hai : All of the world (creation) is proud of you, Father, is proud of you

Bigdi kismat aapke dar par sanvarti hai, are kismat sanvarti hai : Bad destiny gets transformed (into good destiny) at your door, O! Destiny gets transformed (for the better)

Jab talak ummeed meri bhar na aayegi : Till my hopes are not fulfilled (2)

Zindagi dehleez par aansu bahaayegi : (My) life will shed tears at (your) doorstep

Baba Haaji Ali : Father Haaji Ali! (2)

Baba jo bhi aapka ho chuka uska (khuda) hoga : Father, whoever has become yours, (God) will become his

Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Haaji Ali, Piya Ho : Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, Beloved Haaji Ali, O Beloved! (2)

[I thank Haji Ali Dargah and wikipedia, and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extracts from their websites on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]