Khabaram Raseeda Imshab Meaning – Album: Chain of Light by Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Some time ago, a new album of Ustaad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was released by Real World Records. They aptly named it “Chain of Light” from one of the album’s songs, where the words beautifully declare: “Every breath of mine is related to His chain of light.” This release feels like a gift to the listeners of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who long to hear some of his precious songs again and again.

Among these newfound treasures, was also a beautiful Persian piece by Amir Khusrow whose words coupled by Khan’s melody sent an instant spark through my soul. There was one small hitch, though—I am not a Farsi speaker. But since I know Urdu which has Persian as one of its roots, I could grasp fragments in the poem: some full words, some half-formed meanings, but not all.

My curiosity drove me to seek translations online. However, the interpretations varied, with the meanings often influenced by the translator’s perspective. This drove me further to find the exact meaning behind the Persian words in each line to understand Khusrow’s poetry for myself.  Because, after all, to truly feel a verse, one must first understand it.

So, here I invite you to join me on this journey of understanding these words of Ishq (love), first through their direct meaning, and then my interpretative translation. Let’s unravel the mysticism, beauty, and soul-stirring imagery of this poem, one verse at a time.

Understanding Ishq (love):

Before diving into Khusrow’s verses, let us first explore the concept of Ishq—a recurring theme that you would often find in Persian and Sufi poetry of South Asia. At its simplest, Ishq translates to love, but its etymology is what gives it a weight far beyond the ordinary. Some scholars trace it to the the Arabic word “ashaq” meaning to cling or stick—symbolizing love as something that clings to a lover’s heart. Others link it to the ancient Iranian word “Ish” from Avestan, meaning to wish, desire, or search. Either way, understand that Ishq isn’t merely love, but a consuming passion that becomes a person’s ultimate desire. In the Sufi context, love is a divine feeling—an unparalleled connection with God. Romantic love, love for humanity, animals, or even knowledge, are reflections or extensions of this divine bond.

It is important to understand this divine status of love because this is why you would so often see the concept of sacrificing one’s whole self for love in Persian, Urdu or Hindi poetry. In comparison with the love divine, nothing else hold any importance.

Now, with this understanding of Ishq in mind, we dive into the meaning and interpretation of this beautiful poem.

Verse 1: Tonight’s News – Anticipation and Love

Khabaram [News to me] | raseeda [arrived] | imshab [tonight] | ki [that] | nigaar [beloved] | khuaahī [will] | aamad [come]

sar [head] | -e-man [-of-mine] | fidaa [sacrifice] | -e-raah [-on-road] | ki [that (on which that)] | savaar [rider] | khuaahī [(you) will] | aamad [come]

Khabaram raseeda imshab ki nigaar khuaahī aamad
sar-e-man fidaa-e-raah ki savaar khuaahī aamad

Tonight I received the news, O beloved you will come,
My head be sacrificed upon the road on which O rider you will come,

The opening line carries a beautiful, indirect announcement that the beloved will come. I love the indirect nature of this verse. I think it points toward its ambiguous nature that still fills me with absolute hope and ecstasy, even though there’s no confirmation or evidence, that my beloved will come.

Here, Amir Khusrow uses the word “Nigaar”, meaning beloved. In Farsi, it also has another meaning: “beautiful,” symbolizing how love intertwines with beauty. Intriguingly, in Urdu, Nigaar also appears as a suffix in work tied to creative professions, like afsaana-nigaar (story writer) or khaaka-nigaar (sketch artist). I wonder if the two meanings are connected. Could this hint at act of creating beauty?

Coming back to the poem, since the idea of love is so exalted, it’s not just the beloved who is important, but even the simplest things connected to the divine become sacred. Why the road though? Isn’t it a bit of a stretch to say that I be sacrificed on that road? Consider it this way, it is that road which brings the divine beloved to me. It symbolizes a medium of reunion with the beloved, and for that, it deserves the ultimate devotion that I am ready to sacrifice my head on this road.

Verse 2: When Beauty Surrenders to Love

hama [all] | aahu(aan) [gazelle(s) – an Iranian gazelles species] | e-sehra [-of-desert] | sar [head] | -e-khud [-of-themselves] | nihaada [placed] | bar [upon] | kaf [hand]

ba-umeed [have-hope (hopeful)] | aan [that (ties to the hope)] | ki [that (ties to the day)] | roz(e) [day (on which)] | ba-shikaar [for-hunt] | khuaahī [(you) will] | aamad [come]

hama aahuaan-e-sehra sar-e-khud nihaada bar-kaf
ba-umeed aan ki roze ba-shikaar khuaahī aamad

All gazelles of the deserts have placed their heads on their hands,
Hopeful that one day, to hunt them, you will come,

Gazelle is a symbol of beauty in Persian and Urdu poetry. It’s an antelope species mostly found in the deserts of the Middle East and South Asia. A fun-fact, the word gazelle is actually derived from its Arabic name, “Ghazaal”. Some linguist claim that the word “ghazal” (a type of poem) is also linked to the gazelle. Gazelle has beautiful, big black eyes, elegant bearing, and swift movements to trick even the most vicious of the hunters. Many poems compare the beloved to a gazelle. In this verse, however, Khusrow flips the metaphor. Instead of evading its hunter, the gazelle places its head willingly in their hands—a profound act of submission.

Take special note of this point: The gazelles know that the one who will come is their hunter. Still, they, who are famous for their swiftness and graceful evasion of the hunter, have become easy prey for him. Wow, what beauty of my beloved upon whom the symbols of beauty are ready to be sacrificed. How exquisitely the poet has drawn this comparison! What brilliance in imagery!

Verse 3: Love’s Irresistible Pull – A Lover’s Hope

kashish(e) [allure (of)] | ki [that] | ishq [love] | daarad [has] | na-guzaardaat [not-allow] | ba-deen saan [in-this manner]

ba-janaaza [on-funeral] | gar [if] | na [not] | aaya [come] | ba-mazaar [on-shrine] | khuaahī [(you) will] | aamad [come]

kashishe ki ishq daarad na-guzaardaat ba-deen saan
ba-janaaza gar na-aaya ba-mazaar khuaahī aamad

Allure that love has will not let you remain this way,
Even if you won’t come to my funeral, on my shrine you will come,

“Kashish” means attraction or allure. What happens when you apply the force of attraction on something? It disrupts equilibrium and, ultimately, draws it closer towards you. Such a romantic interpretation of Newton’s laws! Here, Ishq is the catalyst that creates this force of attraction that disturbs the beloved’s equilibrium of life. My hope is in my love that it will bring the beloved to me. In Urdu, we say, “Main khincha chala aaya” (I was pulled towards you), capturing this irresistible pull.

Here is another beautiful and pure element in Sufi love. It defines love as selflessness instead of selfishness. The lover does not speak of the beloved as their possession or something they deserve or something they should have. Instead, the lover sees himself as blessed to even be considered worthy by the beloved. Here Khusrow beautifully describes this concept, saying it doesn’t matter if the beloved doesn’t come in my life. It even doesn’t matter if he doesn’t come in my funeral, but I have complete faith in my love that one day he will consider me worthy, even if only to bring him at my shrine.

Verse 4: Why Arrive When I’m Already Gone? An Innocent Question

ba-lab(am) [on-lips(my)] | raseeda [arrived] | jaan(am) [life/soul(my)] | tu [you] | biya [come] | ki [that/so] | zinda [alive] | maan(am) [remain/alive(I)]

pas [then] | az aan [from/after that] | ki [that/which] | man [read mun] [I] | na-maan(am) [not-remain/alive(I)] | ba-che [for-what] | kaar [work/do] | khuaahī [(you) will] | aamad [come]

ba-labam raseeda jaanam tu biya ki zinda maanam
pas az aan ki man na-maanam ba-che kaar khuaahī aamad

My soul has come up to my lips, come so I remain alive,
Then afterwards, what will you do when you come? (After I am dead, why would you come?)

Ironically, this verse contradicts the bold assertion of my previous explanation, LOL. But if you look closely at the tone of both verses, you’ll notice that while the last verse was a claim of confidence for Khusrow’s love, this verse is a pure and innocent enticement that he attempts toward his beloved. It’s like a child pleading with their mom, ‘If I don’t eat the ice cream now, what will I do with it when my tummy’s full?’ Khusrow, in his poetic plea, demonstrates a similar urgency and innocence.

I am about to die, I am just on the very edge of death. Your arrival is the only thing that can pull me back to life. If I am already dead, what will you do if you come then? There will be nothing for you to do then. So, just come now please.

Verse 5: The Lover’s Paradox: Yearning for More Yet Fearing It

ba-yak [on-one] | aamadan [arrival] | ruboodi [stole/took away] | dil-o- [heart-and-] | deen-o- [faith-and-] | sabr [patience] | -e-Khusrow [of Khusrow]

che [what] | shavad [would become] | agar [if] | ba-deen saan [in-this manner] | do-seh [two-three] | baar [times] | khuaahī [(you) will] | aamad [come]

ba-yak aamadan ruboodī dil-o-dīn-o-sabr-e-Khusrow
che shavad agar ba-deen-saan do-seh baar khuaahī aamad

(Just) one arrival (you) took away Khusro’s heart, faith, and patience,
What will happen if just like this, you come two to three times?

Oh my! What a beautifully fitting verse to end this ode of a lover’s dream. It is a rare sight to see the Dil (heart), Deen (faith), and Sabar (patience) all mentioned together in a verse. The essence of these words are very different from each other, yet they are closely tied as well. Heart symbolizes worldly life, and is the vessel of hopes and desires, deen symbolizes spirit, and is the faith that the lover possesses towards his spiritual dreams and desires. While patience is the virtue of a true lover who keeps his spiritual hopes and worldly desires alive through his strong faith. And just one arrival of the beloved stole the heart, the faith, and the patience of Khusrow, essentially taking away all the aspects that make up a lover’s life.

Yet Khusrow goes one step further and ends on a note of more humility, He expresses his hope that the beloved will come again and again. But also highlights his fear, that if just one visit took away his everything, what will it even look like if there are more visits like this. This paradox—of wanting more while fearing it—reflects the intensity of love, where the lover is simultaneously fulfilled but still left yearning. Khabaram Raseeda Imshab takes me on a journey through the heart of Sufi poetry and Qawwali, beautifully brought to life by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The connection only deepens with the understanding of its words. It begins with the excited anticipation of a lover, transcends into exclamation of the extent of his love, marvels at the beauty of the beloved, then boldly declares the allure of his love, humbly denounces his self, then innocently tries to entice his beloved, and ends on a note of humility that even though one visit has already taken everything, the I still yearns for more, knowing there is nothing left to lose. Yet, in this surrender, a flicker of hope endures—a desire to see the beloved again and again, endlessly.

A Final Reflection: Threads of Meaning, Woven Together

Khabaram Raseeda Imshab takes me on a journey through the heart of Sufi poetry and Qawwali, beautifully brought to life by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The connection only deepens with the understanding of its words. It begins with the excited anticipation of a lover, transcends into exclamation of the extent of his love, marvels at the beauty of the beloved, then boldly declares the allure of his love, humbly denounces his self, then innocently tries to entice his beloved, and ends on a note of humility that even though one visit has already taken everything, the I still yearns for more, knowing there is nothing left to lose. Yet, in this surrender, a flicker of hope endures—a desire to see the beloved again and again, endlessly.