Indian Antiquary Vol 51

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 368

88
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[DEOEMBER, 1922
With the aid of Shakerganj I have conferred this benefit on the world. Waris Shah, your name will be famous, if God be kind. O Lord I accept my humility. Dispel all my infirmities. Waris Shah has shed the light of his genius over all the faithful in the world. O God! this is always my prayer that I may lean always on Thy support. Let me depart from this world in peace and give me Thy grace in the end. Keep me in Thy love and take the load of trouble off my shoulders.
May he who reads or copies my poor efforts derive pleasure. May the Prophet be your intercessor and watch over you, past, present and future. O Almighty God I overlook the fault of poor Waris Shah. By the grace of God I have fulfilled the request of my dear friends. The story of true lovers is like the scent of a rose in a garden. He who reads it with love in his heart will be able to separate the trath from the false.
I have written a poem of much pith even as a string of royal pearls. I have written it at length and embellished it with various beauties. I have written it as a parable. It is as beautiful as a necklace of rubies. He who reads it will be much pleased and the people will praise it.
Waris ShAh is anxious to see God's face even as Hir longed for her lover. I make my request before the Holy Court of God, who is the Lord of Mercy. If I have let fall & word in ignorance may God forgive me. Without Thy justice I have no shelter. My safety depends on Thy grace. May my anxieties about my faith and the world vanish. This is my only prayer. May God pardon him who copies these words and give his bounty to those who recite it. May its readers enjoy the book. O God I preserve the honour of all men. Let every man depart from this world with his shortcomings hidden from the public. God give all the faithful faith, conscience and a sight of His presence in the Day of Judgment.
APPENDIX.
HR AND RANJHA OF WARIS SHAH, 1776 A.D.
(A Critical Analysis.)
BY MULTANI (C. F. USBORNE ). [This analysis is based on Piran Ditta's edition printed for Mian Muhammad Din. The moet oomplete edition of this poem is probably that lately published by the Newal Kishore Printing Works, Lahore, by L. Kashi Ram, 1332 A.H.=1915 A.D. (1000 copies). It profenges to be Muhammad Din's edition of Piran Ditta's text.]
The love story of Hîr and Ranjha is the most famous of all Panjabi tales. There have been at least twenty different versions of the story printed in the vernacular written at different times by different poets. As far as the European publio is ooncerned, the story WMA first bronght to their notice by Garoin de Tassy, the French scholar, who published in Pronoh a translation of Makbul's version. Next came Captain (now Sir Richard) Temple, who printed in his "Legends of the Panjab" two other versions, one from Jhang, the other from Patiala. Last came the Rev. Mr. Swyanerton, who gave an Abbottabad version of the story in his "Romantic Legends of the Panjab."