Surma Kiya Jo Barq-e-tajalli Ne Toor Ko — Khwaja Haidar Ali Aatish
Meaning
When the lightning of Thy manifestation ground Mount Sinai into fine kohl, it was because Thou desired this splendour to adorn a kohl-lined eye.
Explanation
This couplet draws on the famous story of Mount Sinai, where a flash of divine light struck the mountain. The poet offers a beautiful twist. That lightning of revelation, he says, did not destroy the mountain but applied kohl to it, like the dark powder people line their eyes with. Why? Because you, the beloved or the divine, wanted the mountain to behold your splendour. To see such a radiant vision, the mountain's eyes first had to be adorned and prepared with kohl. In short, the burning light was really a gift, a way of readying the mountain's sight so it could witness the dazzling beauty it longed to see.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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