Remembering Dr. Framroze on his 52nd Baj

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Roj Khorshed Mah Spendarmad, 1383 Yz.

Kadmi Khordad Sal

Dr. Saheb Framroze Sorabji Chiniwalla

Dr. Saheb Framroze Sorabji Chiniwalla

Today, Kadmi Khordad Sal is also the 52nd death anniversary of Dr. Saheb Framroze Sorabji Chiniwalla. A few years ago, I had written a series of articles on the amazing life of Dr. Saheb.

Today we, his students, remembered him with prayers, ceremonies, readings and great longing, I wish to share with readers of Frashogard a beautiful poem, in Persian, written by late Ervad Dosabhai Desai, the poet-laureate of Ilm-e-Khshnoom.

This poem was presented by Dosabhai at the 11th Baj of Dr. Saheb Chiniwalla at Albless Baug on 6th August 1973. Present on that day were Vada Dasturji Meherjirana, Seth Jehangirji Chiniwalla, Dasturji Mirza, Ervad K. N. Dastoor and many other notable persons.

By the grace of God, I managed to find an audio recording of this occasion in the spool tapes at late Vada Dasturji Meherji Meherjirana’s house in Navsari, which I have saved into MP3 version. Those of you who have never heard Ervad Dosabhai Desai can listen to his majestic voice reciting the couplets in Persian by clicking the play button given below.

The poem not only flows like a fast moving stream of water, its words are clear, concise and yet full of hidden meaning. To write a poem is difficult enough. To write a poem, by a Parsi, schooled in Gujarati and English, in Persian is even more difficult. But to include various facets of Khshnoom in the poem and do some justice to the colossus that was Dr. Saheb, is just phenomenal. Here are Dosabhai’s eternal words, with my free English rendering:

1. Darudo dua o hazar afrin

Baruhe Faramarze pakize din.

Thousands of blessings, benedictions and adoration to the Ruvan of Framroze of the pure religion.

 

2. Ke u bud buzorgvare aali tabar

Manash pakize o ravanash bidar

He who was a great man of high lineage, his mind ever pure and his Ruvan active.

 

3. Kalam hamchu shamshir, zabanash shakar

Tanash sarve sehi, khujeste chahar.

Whose pen was like a sword, whose tongue was sweet as sugar; whose body was tall and straight as a cypress and whose face was pure happiness.

 

4. Hazar babe mazhab kalam rande bud

Tavaazu darash binzir mande bud.

Whose pen wrote on thousands of topics of the religion, yet whose humility was without peer.

 

5. U bakshid jawahar be Ilm-e-Ata

Ke mar dine Zardushti raast mata.

Who gifted us many jewels of spiritual knowledge; which is the special gift of the Zoroastrian religion

 

6. Basi durr-e maeni ubar sufte ast

Basi garde galatfehmiha rufte ast.

Who spread many pearls of spiritual knowledge; who cleaned the dust and dirt of many misinterpretations.

 

7. Hamah kard azhare asrare Din

Za baug-e ulum bulbul-e magz chin.

Who revealed many mysteries of the religion; who extracted the essence from the Garden of Knowledge

 

8. Chun u dar zamane na bud hich kas

Ke Ustad-e u mehtarin bud o bas.

Who had no match in this age, since his Ustad was a Great Soul, and that was enough for him.

 

9. Za Saheb Dilan Ilm-e avorde khas

Za Kohe Demavand ura bad Kesash.

Who (the Ustad) got the special knowledge from the Saheb Dilan; because of his past connection with Demavand Koh.

 

10. Ke u martabe Din bar afrakhteh

Bahar bab-e Din agehi dashteh.

He exalted the stature of the Religion; he was aware of each and every topic of the Religion

 

11. Khuda ya tu aan mard-e pur noor Ravan

Za umede beh kun delash shaadman.

Oh Lord! May You gladden the heart of that bearer of the luminous Ruvan, with the Hope of everlasting Paradise!

Please click the play button below to hear Dosabhai Desai reciting the above poem.


What more can one add? In 1973, when this recording was made, I was but three years old! But hearing Dosabhai’s voice makes it feel like it was yesterday… you can feel his presence! They have all gone now, and we have to be content with just listening to their voices…

May the pious, luminous, radiant and ever-blazing Ruvan of Behdin Framroze Behdin Sohrab progress faster and faster through the realms of Chinvat and may it shower its resplendent blessings on those who remember him every day of their lives.

Ervad Marzban J. Hathiram

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