Shahnameh Firdausi in Urdu language

Abstract

This article is regarding to the Shahnameh Firdausi and it was versified by Mool Chand in Urdu language.  In the text of Shahnameh, Mool Chand writes the reason behind compiling this work and he says that his Shahnameh is based on the summary of Shahnameh Firdausi called Shamshir Khani written in prose by Tawakkul Beg.

Key words

Shahnameh Firdausi, Shahnameh Urdu, Mool Chand, Shamshir Khani

Introduction

Shahnameh Firdausi has been translated in several languages of the world. In India it has been translated and published in Hindi language by Nasera Sharma in 1990. This translation is a summary of Shahnameh and it has 196 pages. Dr. Ziaur Rahman has translated the story of Rustam and Sohrab in Hindi language three years ago.

 In the 19^th century, Tawakkul Beg had translated the Shahnameh Firdausi in prose. Tawakkul Beg was associated with the court of Shamshir Khan and for this reason he named his work as “Tarikhe Dilghushaye Shamshir Khani” and got famous by the name of Shamshir Khani.

Shahnameh Urdu versified by Mool Chand in the metre of Motaqarib in Urdu language in 1805 and it is based on Shamshir Khani by Tawakkul Beg. This Shahnameh has been decorated with pictures of kings and war. Shahnameh Urdu got published three times, first in 1883 by Rizvi press Delhi, second time in 1887 by Mumtazul Ma`ali press, Delhi and third time by Kishan Baal, machine press Agra. Shahnameh Urdu has been mentioned in the catalogue of Munshi Naval Kishore of 1896.

Article

Mool Chand initially named this book as “Qissaye Khusruwane Ajam” later got famous by the name of Shahnameh Urdu. In this book there are eight thousands six hundred couplets in the metre of Motaqarib, it is one fifth of Shahnameh Firdausi. Despite being summary of Shahnameh Firdausi, Mool Chand has not left any chapter of Shahnameh Firdausi. Munshi Mool Chand has started Shahnameh Urdu in Delhi and completed it in Lucknow. He dedicated this work to Nawab of Awadh “Nasr Khalili”. He praised Akbar Shah Saani in the very first and last chapter of this book. Shahnameh Urdu starts with these verses in the praise of God. He says that He is the only one who bestowed the kingship and He is the only one who destroyed the Jamshid and Sulayeman:

که هے کردگار غفور و رحیم	سفرنامه، حمد خدای کریم
بلندی ده خسروان، هے وهی	شهی بخش شاهنشاه هے وهی
کریگا جمشید کو وه تباه	کبهی دے فریدون کو وه دستگاه
سلیمان کو گاهی کرے مثل مور	کبهی نا توانوں کو بخشے وه زور

(Mool Chand, p 2)

Mool Chand wrote the ode in praise of Nasr Md. Moinuddin Md. Akbar Shah. He says that o king this writer is your slave, keep pouring your mercy upon this writer and in front of you mountain of knowledge is nothing:

کرم اُس په اپنا رکهو صبح و شام	یه منشی تُمهارا هے ادنی غلام
خدا دهد تاج و کلاه و سریر	جهاندار اکبر شه بی نظیر
خجسته شمایل فرشته سیر	همایون خصایل شه نامور
مروت هے اُسکو وفا کیش سے	محبت رکهی هے وه درویش سے
نهیں اُسکے همسنگ کوه گیان	حقیقت کردن علم کر اب بیان

(ibid, p 3)

After the ode of his patron, he writes the motive behind compiling of this work. Some couplets are being mentioned below in which writer says that one day there was a party and the discussion happened about poetry and history, it has been said that Shahnameh is the ultimate book and there was an educated person who translated and summarized the Shahnameh Firdausi in Urdu prose and which got fame by the name of Shamshir khani. Later he says that after the party I got the Shamshir Khani and started its translation in Urdu language:

که تها مثل نوروز به جهت فروز	عزیزان معنی شناس ایک روز
مُهیا تهی سامان عیش و طرب	محفل آرا تهی هنگام شب
هر اِک لحظه تها ذکر شعر و سخن	وه مجلس تهی رشک بهار چمن
تو پِهر هر کِسی نے بیان یوں کیا	تواریخ کا بهی جو مذکور تها
عجب نظم دلکش هے با آب و تاب	که هے شاهنامه تماشا کتاب
یه تاریخ فرخ نهیں هر کهین	ولی هر کِسی کو سیر نهین
کیا ترجمه اُس نے شه نامه کا	توکل که فرد سخن سنج تها
که احوال، معلوم هو سر به سر	رکها نثر میں نسخه مختصر
تمام اُس میں احوال مرقوم هے	به شمشیرخانی وه موسوم هے
سخن فهم و دانشور و نکته دان	یه سُنکر برادر میری مهربان
به خلق پسندیده مشهور و عام	که زورآور اُنکا جهان میں هے نام
تُم اب ریختی کر زبان میں لِکهو	یه بولے که ای منشی اِس نامه کو
به نام شهنشاه گردد آن جناب	کرو نظم ترتیب با آب و تاب
وهیں کرکے شمشیر خانی طلب	سُنا یه سخن جب تو با صد طرب
لِکهی نظم یه دلکش و نامدار	هُوا میں دل و جان سے مصروف کار
کیا فکر تب سال تاریخ کا	مرتب یه شهنامه جب هو چُکا
کها قصه خسروان عجم	تو پِهر هاتف غیب نے صبحدم

(ibid, p 4)

Mool Chand in his book, first mentioned the story of Kiyumirs and his war with satan Mar. Story begins with the following couplets in which he describes that Kiyumirs used to live in the mountain and he had nothing except the leather cloth and a son named Siyamak. Kiyumirs had an enemy with whom he wanted to fight:

یه کهتا هے زیر سپهر بلند	سخن گوی روشن دل و هوشمند
شه دادگستر کیومرث تها	هُوا پهلے جو کوی کشورگُشا
به جز چرم پوشاک تها کُچھ نهین	سدا کوه میں تها وه مسکن گزین
خردمند مثل پدر نامور	سیامک تها اُس شاه کا اِک پسر
اراده اُسے اُس سے تها جنگ کا	کیومرث کا دشمن اِک دیو تها

(ibid, p 35)

Mool Chand has versified the birth of Zaal and says that when Zaal was born his forehead was bright and when Saam saw him he became surprised:

تولد هُوا گلرخ و سیمبر	شبستان میں سام که اِک پسر
گئ دایه یه دیکھ کر پیش سام	سفیدی اُسکے اندام پر هو تمام
هُوا خوف و اندیشه اُسے	وهیں سام نے آکے دیکها اُسے
تعجب تها صورت پے اُس کے کمال	رکها اُسکا ماں باپ نے نام زال

(ibid,p 35)

This is quite obvious that in Shahnameh Firdausi, the story of Sohrab and Rustam is more famous in comparison to other stories. So it is important to mention here that how Mool Chand has versified this story. He writes that king gave his daughter to Rustam and after nine months she gave birth to a baby boy named him Sohrab and he was brave as his father:

رستم  کو دی شه نے دختر وهین	تو لا کر بجا شرط آیین دین
هوئ حامله وه بت دل ستان	هُوا اُس سے همخواب یکشب جوان
سو رستم نے اُس کے حوالے کیا	کوئ مهره سام و نریمان کا تها
اگر تُجهے هووے تولد پسر	کها یوں که اے دلبر سیمبر
اگر هووے دختر تو گیسو سے بانده	تو یه مهره تو اُسکی بازو سے بانده
رکها شاه نے اُس کا سهراب نام	جسیم و قوی پنجه مانند سام
لگی ڈرنے مردان شمشیر زن	هُوا جبکه ده ساله وه پیلتن

(ibid,p 45-46)

Munshi Mool Chand has glorified the war of Rustam and Sohrab through the following lines and says that the war between father and son was a destiny. You have heard a lot of about war, now come and see the war of Sohrab and Rustam:

کروں کیا میں سهراب کا اب بیان	یه کهتا تها اے بادشاه جهان
قد اُسکا هے مانند نخل بلند	جوان و قوی هیکل و زورمند
بعینه هے هم شکل سام سوار	تکلف نهیں اِس میں کُچھ زینهار
پدر و پسر میں هووے جنگ	یه چاهے هے اب چرخ فیروزه رنگ
پر اب سُنیۓ سهراب و رستم کی رزم	کُشتی اور دیکهے بهُت رزم و بزم

   (ibid,p 70)

Munshi Mool Chand has described the death scene of Sohrab and also mentioned the conversation between Sohrab and Rustam where Sohrab says that once my father would know about me he will kill you then Rustam asked Sohrab what is the name of your father he replied that my father`s name is Rustam, after listening it Rustam asked that have you any sign of him with you? Sohrab replied that come and see it as I can`t show you after being too much injured, it is here on my arms. Once Rustam saw it and started mourning and says that cut my hand I am the only father in this world who has killed his own son, couplets regarding this event as follows:

یه بولا که تِِهی بخت میری سیاه	وُه خسته جگر کهینچ کر اِک آه
که دیدار سے باپ کے هوں میں شاد	یهاں میں جو آیا تو یه تهی مراد
به ملک عدم جان واصل هوی	تمناے دل کُچھ نه حاصل هوی
کریگا هلاک آن کر ای جوان	مرا باپ تُجھ کو نه چُهوریگا دان
که هے نام رستم مرے باپ کا	کها، نام کیا اُس نے تب یوں کها
تو غمگین هوا رستم پیلتن	جب اُس خسته تن سے سُنا یه سخن
ترے پاس رستم کا کیا هے نشان	لگا کهنے اُس سے یه گریه کنان
جهان جِس کی آنکهوں هووے سیاه	که میں هی سیه بخت رستم هوں آه
که صد حیف ای گرد کشور گشا	یه سهراب نے سُنکر پاسخ دیا
که مهره هے بازو پے میری بندها	نشانی تو دیکھ اب ذرا آکر می وا
جو کُهولوں زره اور دیکهاوں تُجهے	نهیں زخم سے اب یه طاقت مُجهے
تو رستم نے پِهر شور و ناله کیا	وه مهره جو دیکها زره کر کے وا
تو کشته هوا هاتھ سے میری آه	یه بولا که اے جان من بی گناه
نهیں چاره زنهار، پیش قضا	یه سهراب بولا که کیا فایده
نشان مِٹ گیا نام آخر هُوا	که سهراب کا کام آخر هُوا
گیا نعش پر اُسکے زاری کنان	هُوا سُن کے رستم پیاده دوان
میرے هاتھ واجب هیں کرنے قلم	فغان کر کے کهتا تها یه دم به دم
جهان مین بهلا قتل کِس نے کیا	جگر گوشه کو اپنے، میرے سِوا

(ibid,p 75-77)

At the end of this book Mool Chand has shown the pleasure after completing this remarkable work and has prayed that may this work remain memorable in this world, lastly he praised his patron Abu Nasr Akbar in the following couplets:

بر آرنده آسمان و زمین	سپاس خداے جهان آفرین
هُوا بنده محنت سے آزاد دل	هویئ مشکل آسان، هُوا شاد دل
بر آیئ به زیر سپهر بلند	مرا دل منشی مستمند
هویئ به جهت و شادمانی نصیب	هُوا گوهر کامرانی نصیب
بخوبی هُوا شاهنامه تمام	غرض نظم دلکش نے پایا نظام
یه نامه جهان میں رهے یادگار	نهیں هے کِسی کو ثبات و قرار
که یه نامه جِس که هُوا نام پر	الاهی شهنشاه والا گهر
شه نامور بادشاه ز من	خرد پرور، قدردان سخن
جهاندار عادل رعیت نواز	سر تاج داران گردن فراز
جهان میں رهے جب تَلک هے جهان	ابو نصر اکبر خدیو زمان

(ibid, p 208)

Conclusion

Shahnameh Urdu its original name is Qissaye Khusrawane Ajam. This translation made the Shahnameh Firdausi more popular at that time as this translation is based on the prose translation and summary of Shahnameh of Mirza Tawakkul Beg named Shamshir Khani but at the time of reading, reader feels that this translation is from Shahnameh Firdausi directly. This is the talent of Mool Chand in the field of translation and the language of this book is very smooth which shows the hard work done by Munshi Mool Chand.

References:

1. Firdausi, Abul Qasim, Shahnameh, Tr. Mool Chand, Pub. Baal Kishan, Agra, no date.
2. Firdausi, Abul Qasim, Shahnameh, Tr. Nasera Sharma, Hind Pocket Books,1990
3. Firdausi, Abul Qasim, Shahnameh, Tr. Ramchandra Shrivastava and Shri Har Dayalu Singh, Pub. Gaya Prashad and sons, Agra, 1948
4. Firdausi, Abul Qasim, Shahnameh, Tr.Tawakkul Beg, Tarikhe Dilghushaye Shamshir Khani, Kolkata, 1842.
5. Firdausi, Abul Qasim, Shahnameh, Rustam and Sohrab, Tr. Ziaur Rahman, Pub. Vidya Pandit Prakashan, Delhi, 2017.
6. Qasmi, Sharif Husain, article, Shahnameh Dar Hind, Qandeparsi, Vol, 59-60, 1392.