Oh dyer of mine, Dear Dyer of mine,

Please reveal your secrets divine,

What concoction have you created dear,

Of your colors and godforsaken water!

My heart’s all blue in love so profound,

My cloak’s soaked in saffron unbound…

 

 

How am I to complain of my tale?

I like a stubborn asked you to color my veil,

Oh! Your colors penetrated my fabric, insane,

Deep within my heart ‘n soul everything’s dyed of your stain,

Color my heart away, Oh this feelin’…

 

 

Dyer, Are you so intoxicated on Opium!

Why ask me, what shade now to come undone?

Color and stains are your business of things,

You only know, what should you be coloring…

 

 

My beloved hue, My soul mate shade,

My spring , my autumn, my rainfall, you color all my seasons with your palette

A single drop of your love ingredient

Just a single drop of your romantic blend

Colors up my seven seas in a second,

 

 

Color me off limits, Color my boundaries,

Color me extreme, color my unceasing infinities,

My temple, My mosque, My entire world indeed

 

Oh dyer, why must we be separated by two different spaces,

Paint just one single shade to both worlds with your embraces,

 

 

Paint every moment,

The courtyards of my maternal and marital heavens

Drape in one single shade all my 24 sevens

Color my sleep, color my peace,

Color even the creases of my dreams,

 

 

Color my amazement of you,

Come paint the desires of my heart too,

Color away our union,

And if you can’t, forget not to paint our separation,

Even with the pain of being apart, i must live on,

Color my dare to carry on,

 

 

O dyer of mine,

What’s your own real color? Reveal your shine,

Oh you’re my lover, my resting ground is you,

My color and my colorful dyer too,

My sail, my center of ocean,

I sink in you, I come afloat under your beacon

Your every word is my supreme given

 

You are my owner and my dearest friend,

My breathing soul is in your able hands,

Oh my murderer, my justice giver

I’m clueless without you forever,

 

 

My journey, my travel mate in sight,

My riddance, My genesis, My guiding light,

My lord is you, my disciple too,

I found a sage and divine signs in you,

 

Where could I go without you,

Where could I go without you,

Where could I ever go without you,

Without you...

 

 

Oh dyer of mine, Dear dyer of mine,

Please reveal your secrets divine,

What concoction have you created dear,

Of your colors and godforsaken water!

My heart’s all blue in love so profound,

My cloak’s soaked in saffron unbound…

 

 

This stunning poetry is a translation of a Sufi song used in the film "Tanu weds Manu" (2011) titled "Rangrez" ("The Dyer"). This is the original translation made by the composer Krsna. The actual song is in a heavily Urdu laden Hindi. While I don't agree to the translated work in all places, the original is absolutely electrifying and the song sung by the famous Wadali Brothers in their traditional Quwali Style is simply amazing.

 

Sufism sees the world and its maker through the lenses of Love. Everything is reminiscent of love to them. They see God as the lover and human soul the beloved and vice versa. This is a very intimate relationship bordering on madness. The Dyer mentioned here is of course God and the color of saffron is the color of sacrifice, complete and utter surrenderance. The whole soulful manner of the poetry and beautiful metaphors make it a sumptuous meal. Even if you ignore the religious fervor, it is an excellent love poem on its own.

 

For those who are interested in the original: http://krsnamusic.com/lyrics/tanu-weds-manu-lyrics/tanu-weds-manu-song-rangrez-lyrics-english-translation-rangrez-meaning/