O were my love yon Lilac fair, Wi’ purple blossoms to the Spring, And I, a bird to shelter there, When wearied on my little wing! How I wad mourn when it was torn By Autumn wild, and Winter rude! But I wad sing on wanton wing, When youthfu’ May its bloom renew’d.
O gin my love were yonred rose, That grows upon the castle wa’; And I myself a drapo’ dew, Into her bonie breast to fa’! O there, beyond expression blest, I’d feast on beauty a’ the night; Seal’d on her silk-saft faulds to rest, Till fley’d awaby Phoebus’ light!
makeh gayaan gall mukdii naahiin bhaaven sou sou jummay paRh aaee-ey Pilgrimage to Mecca is not the answer Even if we offer hundreds of prayers there
Ganga gayaan gall mukdii naahiin bhaaven sou sou go-te khaee-ey A visit to the Ganges is not the answer Even if we take hundreds of dips there
Gaya gayaan gall mukdii naahiin bhaaven sou sou sou sou panD paR aaee-ey Going to Gaya is not the answer Even if we go read hundreds of books
Bulleh Shah gall taaN hii o mukdii jadon mai nuu diloN gavaa-ee-ey Bulleh Shah, the end of the matter is only When the “I” is removed from the heart
naa mai pujaa paath jo kiittii te naa mai Ganga nahaaya I neither worshipped nor chanted nor did I bathe in the Ganga
naa main panj namaazaan paRiyaan te naa tasbaa khaRkaayaa I neither read the namaaz five times nor did I pray with the rosary beads
Bulleh Shah nuu murshid milleya ohne aeveiin jaa bakshaayaa
Bulleh Shah found a spiritual guide who just simply granted him forgiveness (or boons?)
PaR paR aalam faazal hoyaa Kadii apne aap nu paRayaa hii naiiN
Read and read and and became a scholar But never read himself
jaa jaa VaR daa mandir masiitaaN kadii man apne vich vaRyaa hii naiin Goes visiting temples and mosques But has never entered his own heart
aevaiin roz shaitaan naal laRdaan kadii nafs apne naal laRyaa hii naiin Fights with the devil every day just like that But never has fought with his own ego
Bulleh Shah asmaani uDadiiyaan phaRdaa jeRaa ghar baiThaa onnuu phaRyaa hii naiin Bulleh Shah grabs the flying things in the sky But doesn’t grasp the one sitting at home
sir te Topii te niiyat khoTii lainaa kii Topii sir dhar ke
If you wear a prayer cap, but harbour ill intent, What good is wearing a cap on your head?
tasbii phirii par dil naa phir-yaa, lainaa ki pher tasbii hath phaR ke If you move the prayer beads, but don’t move your heart, What good is holding prayer beads in your hands?
chill-e kitte par rab na milyaa lainaa kii chillyaan wich waR ke If you performed all the rituals, but didn’t find god What good are such rituals? Bullyaa! jaag binaa dudh naeo jamdaa bhaanwen laal huve kaaRh kaaRh ke
O Bulleh! You can’t set milk into curd without starter culture If you keep boiling it, it would only get red
Raanjha chaak na aakho kuRiyo aenuu chaak kehNdii sharmaawaan O friends, don’t call Ranjha a shepherd O I blush when I call him a shepherd
Mai jaii aan laakh Heeraan is nuu te mai kis gintii wich aawaan I am like a thousand Heers to him In which counting would I appear?
Takhat Hazaar-ay da eh maalik Te mai Heer sayaal sadaa waan He’s the ruler of Hazara’s thronea And I am forever the plain Heer
Bulleh Shah rabb kuuk sune te mai chaak dii chaak ho jaawaan Bulleh Shah may God hear my wail And I’ll become shepherded by the Shepherd
Ranjha JogiRaa aa ban aaya Ae ne anokhaa bhes waTaayaa Ranjha became Jogi and arrived He changed into a unique disguise
Ahdo-n Ahmad naam dharaayaa Nii mai jaanaa Jogi de naal He changed his name from Ahad (One God) to Ahmad (Prophet Mohammad) O I want to go with the Jogi
koii kis-e de naal koii kise de naal mai Jogi de naal naal Someone with someone, this one with that one I’m one with Jogi
JaduuN dii mai Jogi dii hoii Mai wich mai naa rah gayii koii Since I have become Jogi’s I have no “I” left in me
Jogi mere naal naal mai Jogi de naal naal nii mai jaanaa Jogi de naal Jogi is with me I am with Jogi I’m going along with Jogi
kan-nii mundaraaN paa ke math-e tilak lagaa ke After putting earrings in my ears and decorating my forehead with Tilak
nii ae Jogi naiiN koii ruup hai rabb daa O he’s not a Jogi He’s some form of God
bhes Jogi daa is nu phab-daa is Jogi meraa juuRaa khasyaa The form of Jogi suits him This Jogi has tightened my hair-knot
ae Jogi mere man wich wasyaa sach aakhaan mai qasm Quran hai This Jogi has come to stay in my heart I tell you the truth swearing by the Koran
Jogi meraa diin iimaan hai Is Jogi maenuu kiitaa rogii Jogi is my religion and faith This Jogi has made me sick
Nii mai is jogii hun hor naa jogii O I belong to him (I am worth him only) Now I’m not worth any one else (Now there’s no other Jogi)
tar gaii ve mai tar gaii loko akh Jogi naal laR gaii loko I’m floating, I’ve gone across, O people I have locked eyes with the Jogi, O people
Mae nuu jogan Jogi dii aakho Heer salaetii [?] mar gaii loko Call me Jogi’s devotee Heer is dead, O people
khere* karde guuRiyaan gallaaN Jogi de mehne mai sir te jhallan Kheras have deep things to say I will take the jibes for Jogi [Kheras are the family Heer was married off to]
hor kis-say nuu kujh naa jaanaaN jaanaaN te Jogi nuu jaanaaN I don’t know anything about anyone else If I know anything, I only know Jogi
is daa paayaa kis-se naa paayaa is daa hae do jag ut-te saayaa No one has attained what he has attained He provides shade to both worlds
is diyaan dhuummaN do jag dhummiyaan is diyaan juttiaaN arsh ne chummiaaN His fame is celebrated in both worlds His shoes are kissed by Heaven
Ae Jogi jogi matwaalaa hatth wich Ill’Allah dii maalaa This Jogi is full of wonders In his hand is the rosary of “There is Nothing But One God”
nii naam hae is daa Kamli-waalaa O his name is “the one with the blanket”*
(or shawl – reference to Mohammad)
je Jogi ghar aave mere muk jaavan sab jhagRe tere If Jogi comes to my home All your fights will end
[And here NFAK segues into akhiaan uDiik diyaan and other songs:
ghar aa jaa tere sadqe jaawaan akhiyaan uDiik diyaaN dil vaajaaN maar daa] aa jaa taenu akhiyaan uDiik diyaan
bhul gayiaaN khushiaan te rus gaye chaa ve aj pataa lagaa ke vichheRaa kii balaa hai
kaii kaii vaar chaRii koThe te te mai utrii kaii kaii vaarii naa dil chaen naa sabr akhiiN nuu te naa bhuldii suurat pyaarii ishq sataaii davaaN duhaaii te main kardii dil [?] aa jaa sajnaa naa jaa sajnaa..
and then segues into loye loye… and finally returns to Jogi de naal:]
je Jogi ghar aave mere muk jaavan sab jhagRe tere If Jogi comes to my home All your fights will end
nii mai laavaan siin-e de naal lakhaaN shagan manaa ke I will embrace him to my chest And celebrate millions of good omens
Bulleh Shah ik Jogi aayaa dar saade aynay dhuan paya Bulleh Shah a Jogi came To our door….(… ?… )
aenae luT laii Heer Sial aaya bhes vataa ke He stole away Heer of Sial He came in a disguise
Jogi luT laii Heer
sonii sonii shaqal dikhaa ke miim daa ghuuNghaT sir ut-e paa ke naam apnaa Ahmad kahvaa ke
By showing beautiful beautiful faces and using the veil of holiness on his head by calling himself Ahmad
jogi luT layii Heer miThii, miThii, miThii [panjhali?] di kuuk sunaa ke
मक्के ग्यां गल्ल मुकदी नाहीं, जिचर दिलों ना आप मुकाईए । गंगा ग्यां गल्ल मुकदी नाहीं, भावें सौ सौ ग਼ोते लाईए । गया गयां गल्ल मुकदी नाहीं, भावें कितने पिंड भराईए । बुल्हा स਼ाह गल्ल मुकदी ताहीं, जद मैं नूं खड़े लुटाईए ।
The matter is not finished by going to Mecca, so long as you do not finish off the self from your heart. Sins are not shed by going to the Ganges, even though you immerse yourself hundreds of times. The matter is not finished off by going to Gaya, no matter how many offerings you make to the dead. Bullhe Shah, the matter is finished when the ego is destroyed.
Doha 54
raati jaage kare ibaadat raatii jaagan kute tethon ute bhonkan band muul naa hunde jah roRii te sute tethon ute khasam apne da darr na chhaD de bhaaven vajjan jute tethon ute Bulleh Shah koi rakhat vihaj leh nahi te baazi leh gai kute tethon ute
You remain awake at night and perform your devotions. Also awake at night are dogs, better than you. They bark and in no way can they be stopped. They go and sleep on the dung heap, better than you. They do not leave their master’s door, even if they get beaten with slippers, better than you. Bullhe Shah, buy yourself something for the journey, or else the game will be won by the dogs, better than you
Unbiased at least he was when he arrived on his mission, Having never set eyes on this land he was called to partition Between two peoples fanatically at odds, With their different diets and incompatible gods. ‘Time,’ they had briefed him in London, ‘is short. It’s too late For mutual reconciliation or rational debate: The only solution now lies in separation. The Viceroy thinks, as you will see from his letter, That the less you are seen in his company the better, So we’ve arranged to provide you with other accommodation. We can give you four judges, two Moslem and two Hindu, To consult with, but the final decision must rest with you.’
Shut up in a lonely mansion, with police night and day Patrolling the gardens to keep assassins away, He got down to work, to the task of settling the fate Of millions. The maps at his disposal were out of date And the Census Returns almost certainly incorrect, But there was no time to check them, no time to inspect Contested areas. The weather was frightfully hot, And a bout of dysentery kept him constantly on the trot, But in seven weeks it was done, the frontiers decided, A continent for better or worse divided.
The next day he sailed for England, where he quickly forgot The case, as a good lawyer must. Return he would not, Afraid, as he told his Club, that he might get shot.
With Partition of this country, friends You have lost and we too have lost We may not say this but deep within You are lost and we too are lost Oh to be ruined by freedom! You too and us too There is some hope that we will find life You too have died, we too have died Living inside the jaws of death You were hurled inside, as we were hurled inside. Those who were awake robbed us to their heart’s content You too were left sleeping, as we were left sleeping The redness of the eyes says: We cried and you too cried.
is mulq dii vanD koloN yaaroN
is mulq dii vanD koloN yaaroN khoye tusii vii ho, khoye asii vii haaN bhaaveN muNhoN naa kahiye par vichoN vich khoye tusii vii ho, khoye asii vii haaN iNhaaN azaadiyaaN hathoN barbaad honaa hoye tusii vii ho hoye asii vii haaN kujh umiid hai zindagii mil jaayegii moye tusii vii ho moye asii vii haaN jyuuNdii jaan ii maut de muNh aNdar Dhoye tusii vii ho Dhoye asii vii haaN jaagan vaalyaaN rajj ke luTyaa hai soye tusii vii ho soye asii vii haaN laalii akhiyaaN di payii dasdii hai roye tusii vii ho roye asii vii haaN
इस मुलक दी वंड कोलों यारो इस मुलक दी वंड कोलों यारो, खोए तुसीं वी हो, खोए असीं वी हां। भावें मूंहंो ना कहीए पर विचों विच्ची, खोए तुसीं वी ओ खोए असीं वी आं। इन्हां आज़ादियां हत्थों बरबाद होणा, होए तुसीं वी ओ होए असीं वी आं। कुझ्झ उमीद ए जिन्दगी मिल जाएगी, मोए तुसीं वी ओ मोए असीं वी आं। ज्युंदी जान ई मौत दे मूंह अन्दर, ढोए तुसीं वी ओ ढोए असीं वी आं। जागन वाल्यां रज्ज के लुट्ट्या ए, सोए तुसीं वी ओ सोए असीं वी आं। लाली अक्खियां दी पई दसदी ए, रोए तुसीं वी ओ रोए असीं वी आं।
Juvenilia 