Grandiose theatre: Sufism casts its spell over audience

Theatre Wallay performs on mystic prose and poetry at Kuch Khaas

ISLAMABAD: When mystic literature is rendered in a foreign language, much is lost in translation. Still, it holds a universal appeal for its esoteric meaning and essence.

An evening of mystic prose and poetry was organised at Kuch Khaas on Monday evening by members of Theatre Wallay, a voluntary group, who narrated literary texts of mystic legends from around the world.



The group comprised Safeerullah Khan, Fizza Hassan, Rabia Pasha, Tajdar Zaidi, Hamid Shahid Khan and Hishaam Khan. Each presenter performed multiple texts in succession. The renditions were mostly in English while some Punjabi original texts were followed by English translations and one in Urdu.

Safeerullah, the founder of the group, explained the origin of the word sufi, which is derived from the Arabic word ‘safa’, meaning purity or purification.

Pasha started with one of the earliest known Sufi tales, ‘The Gates of Paradise’, which narrates the story of a man who falls short of entering paradise even after he had spent his whole life cultivating the qualities enjoined upon those who had reached paradise.

The man’s one shortcoming was his heedlessness which balanced out all the perceived goodness in him. She also performed kaafi by Shah Hussain, on his love for a Brahamin boy Madhu Laal. The two are referred to as singular, with a composite name of Madhu Laal Hussain.

Hisham rendered Hafiz’s poetry while Zaidi performed Basauday ki Maryam, a moving account by Asad Muhammad Khan which was reciprocated by the occasional grin and a grandiose of applause.

Hamid rendered Amir Khusro’s Persian, “Do not overlook your misery” that speaks of devotion, submission and endurance for the beloved.

Khan proceeded with the Punjabi mystic Sultan Bahoo’s Bulla kee jana mein kaun and the Sindhi mystic poet Sachal Sarmast’s Mera ishq vi tu, mera yaar vi tu.

Fatima Hassan rendered a story on The Merchant and his parrot by Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. She also rendered short poems by the female mystic Rabia al Basri and poetry of the Muslim-turned-Hindu mystic, Kabir Das, whose writing is considered an intersection between Islamic and Hindu philosophies. Poetry by Baba Ghulam Fareed was also rendered at the event.

Ali Syed, an audience member, said that he enjoyed the literary evening. “These were some beautiful texts and they were rendered in an eloquent manner,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2014.