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Australian composer and keyboard artist Graeme Revell brings the words of the mystical Sufi Rumi to the groove, assisted by vocal artists from all over the world. As Enigma mixed Gregorian chants and sexuality in their ambient dance MCMXC A.D., so does Revell with Rumi’s esctatic poetry. Similar albums are Richard Souther’s Vision I and Illumination, both using the works of Hildegard von Bingen. Deep Forest used pygmy songs in the grooves. The familiar dance beats can be trance-inducing by themselves, and on Vision II, these are often morphed with gutsy Middle Eastern rhythms; seldom does Revell chose the more heady, yet stately, Sufi dance cadence.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the world’s prime exponent of qawwali, sings passionately on three tracks. Noa, an Israeli vocalist, sings a liquidy lullaby on “The Ocean,” which she translated into Hebrew. Lori Garson speaks the poems in the now-obligatory sexy voice and British accent (she is from the U.S.). Is the blatant orgasmic breathing necessary on “The Breath (The Color of Dying)”? On the plus side, this album offers many incredible performances and trippy tracks. Surely, it will serve to introduce a new audience to the works of Rumi and the notion of ecstatic spirituality. Great lyrics, after all.

(Review by: Carol Wright, All Music Guide)

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Tracks:

1  Seek in Your Heart (5:11)

2  Don’t Go Back to Sleep (4:130)

3  The Ocean (3:43)

4  Eye Goes Blind (Aya) (4:20)

5  The Breath (The Color of Dying) (3:56)

6  The Center (2:03)

7  Lovers/At Night We Fall (3:26)

8  Nine Layers of Illusion (0:43)

9  Desert Dusk (3:14)

10 Don’t Go Back to Sleep (Reprise) (7:20)

11  The Great Mystery (1:35)

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http://www.amazon.com/Vision-II-Spirit-of-Rumi/

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Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

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Shad Bashay

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Maqam-e-Hoo

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Na man behooda girde kocha
Wa bazaar megardam
Mazaj-e-ashiqee daram paye
dildar megardam

Khudaya rahm kon bar man
Pareeshan waar megardam

Khata karam gonahgaram
Ba hale zaar megardam

Sharabe showq menosham
Ba girde yaar megardam

Sukhan mastana megoyam
Walay hooshyaar megardam

~ Rumi

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Translation:

by Farah Aziz

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No I am not roaming aimlessly
around the streets and bazaar
I am a lover searching for his beloved

God have mercy on me
I am walking around troubled

I have done wrong and sinned
and am walking around wounded

I have drunk the wine of desire
and am strolling around beloved

Though I may seem drunk
I am quite sober

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Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

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Part 1

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Part 2

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Farid Ayaz Qawal

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Mohmmed Nasir

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Part 1

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Part 2

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

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It’s all in One contained.
Understand the One and forge the rest.
Shake off your ways of an apostate pest
Leading to the grave to hell and to torture
Rid your mind of dreams of disaster
This is how is the argument maintained
It’s all in One contained.

What use is it bowing one’s head?
To what avail has prostrating led?
Reading Kalma you make them laugh
Absorbing not a word while the Quran you quaff
The truth must be here and there sustained
It’s all in One contained.

Some retire to the jungles in vain
Others restrict their meals to a grain
Misled they waste away unfed
And come back home half-alive, half-dead
Emaciated in the ascetic postures feigned
It’s all in One contained

Seek your master, say your prayers and
surrender to God.

It will lead you to mystic abandon
And help you to get attuned to the Lord
It’s the truth that Bulleh has gained
It’s all in One contained

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Another Translation:

by Suman Kashyap

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At this one point,all talk ends.

Hold tight to this point, forget your calculations,
Leave the miserable state of unbelief,
Do not torment yourself with the fear of death and hell,
For these are imaginary fears.
Only into such a house will the truth enter.
At this one point, all talk ends.

For no reason you abrade your forehead on the ground,
You display reverence at the mehraab,
You recite the Kalma to entertain a listener.
But knowledge does not enter your heart.
Can the truth ever remain hidden?
At this one point, all talk ends.

Many return from Mecca as hajjis,
Blue shawls across their shoulders.
They profit from the merit earned by haj.
Who can admire such behavior?
Can the truth ever remain hidden?
At this one point, all talk ends.

Some withdraw to the forest,
Eat a single grain a day.
Bereft of understanding, they exhaust the body,
And return home in bad shape,
Their life sucked dry with useless fasting and prayer.
At this one point, all talk ends

Hold fast to your murshid
Become a devotee of all creation,
Intoxicated, carefree,
Without desire, indifferent to the world.
Let your heart be fully clean.
Bulla asks, can the truth then be stopped?

At this one point,all talk ends

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Abida Parveen

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Translation:

I have learnt a secret
A secret I’ve learnt

He is the same
From this end to that.
It’s only we
Who fuss like a brat

I have learnt a secret
A secret I’ve learnt

To win over Sass
He comes as Punnun
I am wedded to Innayat
Who cares not for caste.

I have learnt a secret
A secret I’ve learnt

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Abida Parveen:

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

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There is a thief in the folds of my arms.
Whom shall I tell?

There is a thief in the folds of my arms
He has, of late, escaped on the sky
No wonder there is a stir in the sky
And the world there is a hue and cry.
Whom shall I tell?

The Muslims are afraid of fire
And the Hindus dread the grave
Both of them have their fears
And keep on sharpening their staves.
Whom shall I tell?

Ramdas here and Fateh Muhammad there
This has kept them emitting spleen
Suddenly their quarrel came to an end
When someone else emerged on the scene.
Whom shall I tell?

There was furore in the flushed sky
It reached Lahore, the capital town
It was Shah Inayat who crafted the kite
It’s he who moves it up and down.
Whom shall I tell?

He who believes, he alone has known
Everyone else id floundering
All the wrangling came to an end
When Bulleh came to town.
Whom shall I tell?

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Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

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Abida Parveen

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Yes, that’s what I’m rolling into- a calmer phase of life. The last few weeks/months/years have been the most hectic time of my life. I’ve done a lot and missed out on a lot in this time. For now, I’ll just update on the past few weeks. Post Indore Marathon, I had yet another challenge as the head of Creative and Design Vertical of ahvan ‘09, the Annual Management Summit of IIM Indore (previously called IRIS). My team’s work in ahvan will take another blog post which will come soon too *fingers crossed*. It was one hell of a roller coster ride. An experience I’d never miss for my life even if I’ve to relive the days all over again. The appreciation by the batch was well worth the efforts. But about that later. Right now, I’m almost done with most of my extra-currics here. I’m again in the creatives team of “Mridang”, the maiden cultural fest of IIM Indore to be held in January, but I’m not heading it this time. Harish is taking over all the headache. As a member, I hope to get some respite, and a badly needed break lest I run out of my already depleting creative brainwaves. :p

So basically, now I have some time at hand. I say this in the light of the fact that my second year academics aren’t that rigorous. Sessions for five of the nine courses for this trimester are over. End term exams for a few of them are also done. Remaining courses will have some classes/assignments/projects/presentations to keep me busy, but I think I’ll be able to handle them quite well, specially after the rigor we were made to go through in the first year. Besides this, I’ve a market research industry project from CavinKare to work on. Data collection is done. Analysis and recommendations remain. Even that shouldn’t take much time. Though all this might seem like some work already, I’m pretty relaxed cuz these stopped mounting up stress on me long time back.

Also, I’ve this Malaysian trip coming up in december immediately as my term ends. But before that, I also have a 2 day workshop here at campus by Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. Excited to meet him in person and actually learn something from him first hand.

Since I’m already deriving how much time I’m now gonna have at hand, let me also add that I’ve only one trimester left before I pass out from this Institute. That’ll run from 22nd December to 27th February. Fortunately, I’ve covered most of my credits in my first 5 trimesters by taking a huge pile up of subjects in each. So I’ll be needing to cover ONLY 8 credits in the third term (compare that to 28 credits this term) . I’ve taken 3 courses for the last term (4+2+2). These include:

1) Personal Growth Lab (4 credits): Now this course is absolutely AWESOME. Don’t believe me?? Here is how the course description goes:

1. You learn practices and principles that enable you to enjoy a new level of Well Being and higher levels of energy. You can manage stress better and remain calm and be peaceful.
2. You learn techniques to let go of the baggage of the past and tools to let go of emotions (such as anger, regrets, upsets, resentment, fears etc.) that may be overwhelming or weighing you down. As a result, you will have access to being more relaxed, being more open and being more productive.
3. You learn communication techniques that enable you to be effective even in challenging situations.
4. You learn meditation techniques that enable you to be more aware and centred.
5. You have an opportunity to reinvent yourself, develop your sense of humour and widen your horizon

4 modules (spanning over 20 sessions)
Module1: Wellbeing
Module2: Freedom and Happiness
Module3: Reinventing yourself and Compassionate Communication
Module4 Presentation on ‘My life: Vision and Mission’

Now you may think I took it up coz it was a ‘light’ course with no exams/assignments (which is actually one of the motivations to be honest) but I do believe that such courses are a necessity to prepare you for the ‘dog-eat-dog’ corporate world out there. Plus, the course apparently includes meditation too. I anyways used to sleep in lectures. Now I’ll even get credits for that. #awesome

2) Building Creative Potential (2 credits): This is yet another awesome course. It involves workshops (no exams/assignments again :]). Well the course objectives read like this:

• To facilitate harnessing of participants’ creative potential and develop an understanding of creativity and creative thinking
• To develop creative capabilities and creative problem solving skills for application in everyday work and organizational settings

5 workshops (spanning over 10 sessions)
Workshop 1: Introduction to creative thinking and building creative potential in organizations
Workshop 2: Lateral thinking
Workshop 3: Ideation
Workshop 4: Morphological Analysis
Workshop 5: Synectics

With my involvement in creatives of festivals, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. :]

3) Rural Marketing (2 credits): The only ‘true-management-type’ subject in my third term. Makes sense to know how to tap the would-be biggest consumer market in the world (including both India and China). Though personally I wouldn’t like to work in a rural setting but will help in the strategies of any company planning to tap into rural markets.

So you see how much free time I’m gonna have in the coming days. Well, placements will be there in Jan end/ Feb start. I should be worried about them but frankly speaking I’m not. Not cuz I’m in an IIM and I’m sure of getting a placement or something (that’s just an urban myth) or cuz I’m well prepared with stuff but only cuz if IIM Indore has taught me one thing, it is to LIVE every moment of my life and not barely survive it like the rest of the crowd is doing. Money/Job Profile/Brand name matters but only to an extent. It would sound far fetched but now I see more clearly than ever how world is getting into one big rat race. I prefer to call it a rat marathon. And honestly, I don’t intend to be a part of it. Maybe I’ve been a part of it by trying to achieve maximum in the minimum time frame all my life, but no more. I’m pretty clear about one thing: Money or no money, I’m gonna do what I like doing the most. I don’t exactly know what I’d like to do for the rest of my life. But the moment that strikes me, I’m gonna give it a shot leaving whatever I’m doing, no strings attached. I guess I owe a lot of this confidence to the brand name of IIM. With that and some basic intelligence, I think finding a job for surviving will never be a problem. Life’s rolling by and I want to spend it doing what I want to do and not what everyone expects me to do. So there…

Meanwhile, in the free time that I now have I plan the following things:

• Read as much as I can
• Finish off revamping my room
• Complete drawing life size Calvin and Hobbes (I bought the biggest sketch-color packet available and the biggest white sheets available at the stationary store for the purpose *excited*)
• Find appropriate place and stick the gazillion large stickers that I got of Batman, Spiderman, Pooh bear, Kung-fu Panda, Spongebob Squarepants (yeah, I’m still 5 :p)
• Update myself with whatever is happening around the world and in different sectors (will help in placements too)
• Learn/Play guitar even more often
• Blog more often and write more articles
• Eat a lot and gain more weight (I’ve no idea why I don’t gain weight even though I eat so much. It’s kinda good I guetss)
• Be regular at gym again and redistribute the gained weight (if any) in proper places :p
• Video blog starting the Malaysian trip or maybe before that

Will add more later…

For now, a sumptuous breakfast awaits me!!
Signing off,
Sadaf

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

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Gharyal diyo nikal ni
Aaj pe ghar ay nikal ni
Sack the gon-gman
My love has come home today

Gharri gharri gharyal bajavey
Rain wisal di piya ghatawey
Merey man di baat jey pawey
Hathoon chasey gharyal ni

He strike the gong time and again
And shortens my night of dance and song
If he were to listen to me
He would throw away the gong

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Gharyal diyo nikal ni
Sack the gong-man

Ikahd baja bajey sohana
Matrab sukhrra maan sohana
Bhlla soam, salat, dogana
Mudh piyalla deen klaal ni

Here is the unstruck melody
With a master player and a colorful hue
I’ve forgotten, my prayers and fasts
The barman offering cups of brew

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Gharyal diyo nikal ni
Sack the gong-man

Dukh diledar uth gaya sara
Mukh dekhaan tey ajab nazara
Rain wadhi kuch karo pasara
Din aggey dharo diwal ni

Seeing him is an enchanting sight
One forgets all aches of life
Let the night spread out long
And the morn wait a strife

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Gharyal diyo nikal ni
Sack the gong-man

Toneey kaman kesey batry
Sehrey aaye wadey wadeerey
Taan jani ghar aya merey
Ranh likh warehey is naal ni

I have indulge in magic a lot
With necromancers and many a seer
Now that he has comeback home
We’ll live together a million years

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Gharyal diyo nikal ni
Sack the gong-man

Bulleya shah di seej pyaari
Ni main taar noharey tari
Kiweain Kiweainmeri aai waari
Hin wichran hoya mhaal ni

He has saved me from many a hazard
Bulleh’s bed is cosy and warm
After much wait my turn has come
No happenstance may do us harm
Sack the gong-man

Gharyal diyo nikal ni
Aaj pe ghar ay nikal ni
Sack the gong-man
My love has come home today

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Abida Parveen

[ Download MP3 ]

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

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Ilmoun bas kari oo yaar
Eko Alif terey darkar

Enough of learning, my friend!
An alphabet should do for you

Ilm n awey wich shumar
Jandi umer, Nahi aytebar
Eko Alif terey darkar
Ilmoun bas kari oo yaar

To it there is never an end
An alphabet should do for you
It’s enough to help you fend.
Enough of learning, my friend!

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Ilmoun bas kari oo yaar
Enough of learning, my friend!

Parh parh, likh likh ladain dher
Dher kitabaan, cho pheyr
Kerdey chanan, Wich unheyr
Pecho: “Rah?” tey khabar n satar

You’ve amassed much learning around
The Quran and its commentaries profound
There is darkness amidst lighted ground
Without the guide you remain unsound

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Ilmoun bas kari oo yaar
Enough of learning, my friend!

Parh perh shekh mashaikh khawein
Ultey masley gharoon bata dein
Bey ilmaan noon lut lut khawein
Jhotey Sachey karain aqrqr

Learning makes you Sheikh or his minion
And thus you create problem trillion
You exploit oyhers who know not what
Misleading them with wild opinion

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Ilmoun bas kari oo yaar
Enough of learning, my friend!

Parh parh nafal namaz guzarien
Achian bangaan changha mari
Manber tey chaRRh waaz pukarein
Keeta teeno ilm khawar

You meditate and you say your prayers
You go and shout at the top of the stairs
You cry reaching the high skies
It’s your avarice which ever belies

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Ilmoun bas kari oo yaar
Enough of learning, my friend!

Jed main sabaq Ishq da parhaya
Derya dekh Wahedat da warria
Ghuman gheraan dey wich uRRia
Shah Inayat laya paar

The day I learnt love’s lesson
I plunged into the river of devine passion
An overwhelming gale. I was confused and lost
When Shah Inayat cruised me across

Ilmoun bas kari oo yaar
Enough of learning, my friend!

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Shazia Manzoor

[ Download MP3 ]

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Junoon

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Sain Zahoor & Noori

[ Download MP3 ]

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Bahar Aai To Jaise Yak Baar

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Bahar aai to jaise yak baar
Llaut aaye hain phir adam se
Wo khwaab saarey, shabaab saare
Jo tere honton pe mar mite the
Jo mit ke har baar phir jiye the
Nnikhar gaye hain gulaab saare
Jo tere yaadon se mushk-bu hain
Jo tere ushshaaq kaa lahu hain

Ubal paRe hain azaab saare
Malaal-e-ahwaal-e-dostaan bhe
Khumaar-e-aaghosh-e-mahwashaan bhe
Gubaar-e-Khaatir ke baab saare
Ttere hamaare
Ssawal saare, Jawaab saare
Bbahaar aai to khul gaye hain
Naye sire se hisaab saare

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It Is Spring Again

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English Translation by Agha Shahid Ali

It is spring, And the ledger is opened again.
From the abyss where they were frozen,
those days suddenly return, those days
that passed away from your lips, that died
with all our kisses, unaccounted.
The roses return: they are your fragrance;
they are the blood of your lovers.
Sorrow returns. I go through my pain
and the agony of friends still lost in the memory
of moon-silver arms, the caresses of vanished women.
I go through page after page. There are no answers,
and spring has come once again asking
the same questions, reopening account after account.

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Tina Sani

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

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Ishq dee naween naween bahar
Love is ever new and fresh

Jaan main sabq Ishq da parhya
Masjid kolon jeyorra darya
poch poch thakur dowrey warrya
Jithey wajdey naad hazaar

The day I learn the lesson of Love
I was scared of the mosque and dreaded fasts
I looked around and entered a temple
Where sounded many a drum-blast

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Ishq dee naween naween bahar
Love is ever new and fresh

Ved, Quran parh parh thakey
Sajdey kardiyaan ghis gaye mathey
Na Rab Tayrath, na Rab Makkeh
Jis paya tas nur anwaar

Tired of reading the Vedas and Quran
Kneeling and prostrating my forehead shorn
At Mathura or Mecca He does not dwell
He who has found Him, only he can tell

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Ishq dee naween naween bahar
Love is ever new and fresh

Phok musaleh, bhun sat lota
Na parh tasbeh, aasa, sota
Ashiq kehndey dey dey hoka
“Tark hlaalon, kha murdar”

Burn the prayer mat, break the water pot
Quit the rosary, threw away the staff
Lovers say at the top of their voice
Leave the kosher and eat the shot

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Ishq dee naween naween bahar
Love is ever new and fresh

Heer Ranjhey dey hogaye meeley
Bholi Heer dhondi beley
Ranjhan yaar baghal wich kheyley
Surt na rahya, surt sanbhaar

Heer and Ranjha have already met
In vain she looks for him in the orchard
Ranjha lies in the folds of her arms
Having her love, she has gained him hard

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Shazia Manzoor

[ Download MP3 ]

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Sain Zahoor

[ Download MP3 ]

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

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Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa
Your love has made me dance like mad

Tere Ishq ne dera mere andar keeta
Bhar ke zeher payala main taan aape peeta,
Jhabde wahudi tabiba nahin te main mar gaiyaan
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa

Falling in love with you
Was like taking a sip of poison
Come my healer, forsaken, I am sad.
Your love has made me dance like mad

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Chupp giyah ve suraj bahar reh gayi laali
Ve main sadqey hova, Devein murrjey wikhali
Peera main bhul gaiyaan tere naal na gaiyaan
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa

The sun has set, its flush only is left
I’ll give my life for a glimpse of you
My fault I came not when when you bade
Your love has made me dance like mad.

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Ais Ishq de kolon mainu hatak na maaye
Laahu jaandre berrey kehrramorlaya
Meri aqal jun bhulli naal mhaniyaan dey gaiyaan
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa

Dissuade me not from the path of love
Who can hold the boats on the move?
Stupid, I joined the boatman’s squad
Your love has made me dance like mad

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Ais Ishq Di Jhangi Wich Mor Bulenda
Sanu Qibla Ton Qaaba Sohna Yaar Disenda
Saanu Ghayal Karke Pher Khabar Na Laaiyaan
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa

A peacock calls in the grove of passion
It’s Qibla, It’s Kaaba where lives my love
You asked not once after you stabbed
Your love has made me dance like mad

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Bullah Shah na aounda mainu Inayat de buhe
Jisne mainu awaye chole saave te suhe
Jaan main maari aye addi mil paya hai vahaiya
Tere Ishq nachaiyaan kar key thaiyaa thaiyaa

Bulleh Shah Sits at Inayat’s door
Who has dressed me in green and red
And caught me the instant I flew from the pad
Your love has made me dance like mad

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Abida Parveen

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Shazia Manzoor

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Wadali Brothers

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Riaz Ali Qadri (Dir: Shoaib Mansoor)

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Sona Mohapatra

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

Bas ker jee hun bas ker jee
Ek baat asaan naal hans ker jee
Enough is enough
Talk to me with smile

Tusi dil wich merey wasdey-o
Aywein sathoon door kion nasdey-o
Naaley ghaat jadoo dil khasdey-o
Bas ker jee hun bas ker jee
You live in my heart
And yet you me beguile
I am charmed with your name on my lip
You try as usual and give me a slip
Enough is enough

Tusi moyiaan noo maar mukadey se
Naat khaddoon wang kuthandey se
Gal kardia da gala gutheey se
Hun teer lagaya kas ker jee
Bas ker jee hun bas ker jee
You killed the ones who was already dead
Tossed like a ball with your baton on head
You choked my words in my throat
Your arrow hit the quarry and smote
Enough is enough

Tusi chupdey-o asan pakrrey-o
Asaan naal zulf dey jukrrey-o
Tusi ajey chupan toon takrrey-o
Hun jaan na milda nas ker jee
Bas ker jee hun bas ker jee
Trying to hide, I’ve caught you
Tied you with the lock of my hair
You are yet trying to flee
This time I’ll allow no plea
Enough is enough

Bulleh Shah mai teri bardi-aan
Tera mukh wekhaan noo mardi-aan
Nit so so mintan kardi -aan
hun beth hijr wich dhas ker jee
Bas ker jee hun bas ker jee
Says Bulleh, I am your slave, my Master
I long to have a glimpse of you
I plead with you time and again
Make ky heart your shell of an oyster
Enough is enough

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Wadali Brothers

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

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Uth gaye gawandon yaar
Rabba hun ki kariye
There goes my Love!
What do I do, my Lord?

Uth chaley hun rahinde nahin
Hoya saath tiyar
Rabba hun ki kariye
He’s already made a move
His staying back is hard
With his wayfarers all packed
What do I do, my Lord?

Dhandh kaleje bal bal uthdi
Bin dheke deedar
Rabba hun ki kariye
My heart is afire
Like half-backed shard
What do I do, my Lord?

Bulle Shah piyare bajhon
Rahe uraar na paar
Rabba hun ki kariye
My love having gone
I am in midstream hauled
Wwhat do I do, my Lord?

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Barkat Sidhu

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Translation:

by Kartar Singh Duggal

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Aa mil yaar saarley, Meri jaan dikhaan ney gyheri
Come my love take care of me,
I am in great agony.

Ander khawab vchora hoya, Khabar na payndi teri
Soni ban wich luti saiyaan, Soor palang ney gheyri
Ever separated, my dreams are dreary,
Looking for you, my eyes are weary.
All alone I am robbed in a desert,
Waylaid by a bunch of way words.

Mullan Qazi rah batawaan, Deen dharam dey pherey
Aye taan thag jugat dey jhaar, lawaanjaal chufereey
The Mullah and Qazi show me the way,
Their maze of Dharma that is in sway.
They are the confirmed thieves of time,
they spread their net saintly crime.

Karam sharo dey dharam batawan, Sangal pawan pereen
Zaat mazhab yeh ishq na pochdaa, Ishq shara da weri
Their time-worn norms are seldom right,
With these they chain my feet so toght.
My love cares not for caste or creed,
To the rituals faith I pay no heed.

Nadioon paar aye mulk sajan da, lehar lobh ney gheri
Satgor beri perhi khalotey, ten kion lai aweri
My Master lives on yonder bank,
While I am caught in the gale of greed.
With boat of anchor, He stands in wait,
I must hasten, I can’t be late.

Bulleh Shah sho tenoon milsi. Dil noo dey dileyri
Pritam pass tey tolna kis noon? bhlioon shaker dopheri
Bulleh Shah must find his love,
He needn’t have the last fright.
His love is around, yet he looks for Him,
Misled in the broad daylight.

Aa mil yaar saarley, Meri jaan dikhaan ney gyheri
Come my love take care of me,
I am in great agony.

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Surinder Kaur

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Sain Zahoor Ahmed

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Naal kusangee sang na karee-e,
Kul noon laaj na laaee-e hoo.

Timme mool tarbooz na honde,
Torh makke lai jaaee-e hoo.

Kaan de bachche hans na theende,
Pae motee chog chugaaee-e hoo.

Kaurhe khooh na mitthe hunde,
Sai manaan khand paaee-e hoo.

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Shun the company of the ill-reputed,
Lest it should discredit your family.

Never will a bitter melon turn sweet,
Even if you take on a pligrimage to Mecca.

Never will the offspring of a crow grow into a swan,
Even if you nourish it on pearls.

Never will the water of a bitter well turn sweet,
Even if you pour tons of sugar into it.

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Nit asaade khalle khaandee,
Ehaa duneeaa zishtee hoo.

Jainde kaaran baih baih rovan,
Sheikh, mushaaikh, Chishtee hoo.

Jinhaan andar hubb duneeaa dee,
Gharq unhaan dee kishtee hoo.

Tark duneeaa dee kar toon Baahoo,
Khaasaa raah bahishtee hoo.

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This foul, ugly world For which priests and leaders of religion shed tears
Is rebuffed and rebuked by the lovers of God.

If you are ambitious for the world,
You will drown midstream in the ocean of life.

Let us renounce the world, O Bahu,
And adopt the invaluable path to God.

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Nafal namaazaan kamm zanaanaa,
Roze sarfaa rotee hoo.

Makke de val soee jaande,
Gharon jinhaan tarotee hoo.

Uchcheeaan baangaan soee devan,
Neeat jinhaan dee khotee hoo.

Keeh parvaah tinhaan noon,
jinhaan Ghar wich laddhee bauhtee hoo.

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Formal prayer and prostration are feeble pursuits.
Fasting has little merit, other than to save food.

Only they go on pilgrimage to Mecca
Who are not wanted at home.

Only they pray loudly, professing their devotion,
Who are deceptive of intent.

But those who have found God’s Name in their hearts
Care not to fast nor prostrate themselves in formal prayer.

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Na oh Hindu na oh momin,
Na sajdaa den maseetee hoo.

Dam dam de wich wekhan Maulaa,
Jinhaan qazaa na keetee hoo.

Aahe daane bane divane,
Zaat sahee vanj keetee hoo.

Main qurbaan tinhaan ton Baahoo,
Ishq baazee jin leetee hoo.

-

Not Hindu’s no Muslims-
Free of religious ties, lovers don’t pray in temples;

But they never take a break from their devotions
And are always in communion with the Lord within.

Absorbed in the essence of the Lord,
They feign ignorance to conceal their wisdom.

I sacrifice myself to anyone, O Bahu,
Who eneters the arena of love and wins its game.

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Na Rabb arsh mu-alla utte,
Na Rabb khaavve Kaabe hoo.

Na Rabb ilm kitaabeen labbhaa,
Na Rabb wich maihraabe hoo.

Ganga teerath mool na miliaa,
Painde be-hisaabe hoo.

Jad daa murshid pharhiaa Baahoo,
Chhutte sab aazaabe hoo.

-

God doesn’t live in the highest heaven,
Nor can he be found in the holy shrine of Ka’ba.

No one ever found him through learning
Or by knowing the scriptures.

I never met him through bathing in holy waters-
I roamed far and wide in a fruitless search.

But I was rid of all my despair and anguish
When I put myself in my Master’s hands, O Bahu.

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Na koee taalib, na koee murshid,
Sab dilaase mutthe hoo.

Raah faqr daa pare parere,
Hirs duneeaa dee kutthe hoo.

Shauq Ilaahee ghaalib hoiaa,
Jind marne te utthe hoo.

Jain tan bharhke bhaah birhon dee,
Maran tirhaae bhukkhe hoo.

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There aer few genuine disciples.
People purporting to be Masters Perpetuate themselves with false promises.

They exploit their followers to satisfy their greed;
They have no inkling of the exaltation of the mystic path.

But when their hearts are touched by God’s love,
They willingly sacrifice their lives on this path.

People who burn in the fire of worldly passions
Will die hungry and thirsty for the world.

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Na main jogee na main jangam,
Na main chillaa kamaaiaa hoo.

Na main bhajj maseetee varhiaa,
Na tasbaa kharhkaaiaa hoo.

Jo dam ghaaril so dam kaafir,
Murshid eh farmaaiaa hoo.

Murshid sohnee keetee Baahoo,
Pal wich chaa pahunchaaiaa hoo.

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I am not a yogi, I am not a jangam.*
I don’t do forty-day retreats.

I have never escaped to a mosque,
Nor have I ever rattled the beads of a rosary.

My Master has taught me a precious lesson:
The moment you have forgotten to remember God
Is the moment you have spent in denial of God!

O, what a marvel my Master has performed-
In no time has he transported me to the Lord!
*
(A kind of Hindu mendicant with matted hair and bells; a worshiper of Shiva)
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Na main ser na paa chhataakee,
Na pooree sarsaahee hoo.

Na main tolaa, na main maasaa,
Gal rattiaan te aaee hoo.

Rattee hovaan rattiaan tullaan,
Oh bhee pooree naahee hoo.

Wazan tol pooraa tad hosee,
Jad hosee fazal Ilaahee hoo.

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I am neither a seer nor a pao.*
I am not a chhatak nor quite a sarsahi.

I am not a tola nor indeed a masha.
I must now weigh myself against a ratti.

But I find I am even less significant
Than a ratti, the smallest measure of weight!

I will only assume my true worth
When the Lord showers his grace on me!
*
(A sser is a weight measure, slightly less than a kilogram. Bahu takes seer as the standard representing a spiritually mature person. He mentions other weight measures (give in italics) in their descending order-right down to ratti, the smallest measure. This bait is on humility and self abnegation, inferring that we are totally worthless; that it is God’s grace alone that can invest our couls with value)
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Na main Sunnee, na main Sheeaa,
Dohaan ton fil sarhiaa hoo.

Mukk gae sabh khushkee painde,
Jad dariaa wahadat varhiaa hoo.

Kaee mantaare tar tar haare,
Koee kinaare charhhiaa hoo.

Sahee salaamat paar gae,
Jinh murshid daa larh pharhiaa hoo.

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I am neither a Sunni nor a Shia:
Both make me sick; both cause me heartburn.

The arid part of my journey ended
When I turned away from both
And plunged into the ocean of oneness.

Many dived into that ocean ill-prepared,
And drowned- Only the rare one who was able to swim across!

But those who held fast to their Master’s hand
Safely landed ashore.
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Na main aalim, na main faazil,
Na muftee na qazee hoo.

Na dil meraa dozakh te,
Na shauq bahishteen raazee hoo.

Na main treehe roze rakkhe,
Na main paak namaazee hoo.

Bajh wisaal Allaah de Baahoo,
Duneeaa koorhee baazee hoo.

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I am neither scholarly nor virtuous;
I am not a priest, Nor am I an expounder of Qur’anic law.

I crave not heavenn, I fear not hell.

I have never fasted for the thrity days of ramzaan,
Nor have I been a devout worshipper in a mosque.

This world is but a false drama
Unless union is attained with God, O Bahu

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Naheen faqeeree jhalliaan maaran,
Suttiaan lok jagaavan hoo.

Naheen faqeeree vaihndeeaan nadeeaan,
Sukkiaan paar langhaavan hoo.

Naheen faqeeree wich havaa de,
Sajjaadaa thairaavan hoo.

Naam faqeer tinhaan da,
jehrhe Dil wich dost tikaavan hoo.

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Spiritual life does not consist Of loud prayers and frenzied dancing-
They only upset the peace and quiet of early morning.

Walking on water is not spirituality

Nor is praying on mats suspended in mid air.

They alone may be called mystics, O Bahu,
Who have enshrined the Friend in their hearts.

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Nerhe wassan door daseevan,
Vehrhe naaheen varhde hoo.

Andar dhoondan vall na aaiaa,
Baahir dhoondan charhhde hoo.

Door giaan kujh haasil naahin,
Shauh labbhe wich ghar de hoo.

Dil kar saiqal sheeshe vaangoon,
Door theevan kul parde hoo.

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The Lord lives nearby but seems so far away:

You don’t know how to look for him within!

Nothing will be achieved by looking outside-
He lives right in your own backyard!

All the veils will be lifted, O Bahu,
When you remove all the coverings of dirt,
And your heart shines like a mirror.

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Wahadat de dariaa uchhalle,
Jal thal jangal reene hoo.

Ishq dee zaat maneende naaheen,
Saangaan jhall tapeene hoo.

Ang bhabhoot maleende ditthe,
Sai javaan lakheene hoo.

Main qurbaan tinhaan ton,
jehrhe Hondee himmat heene hoo.

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The river of oneness has surged,
Quenching the thirst of the deserts and wastelands.

If you don’t nurture God’s love in your heart,
You will be dry and parched like those deserts-

I have seen many a young ascetic smeared with ash.

I sacrifice myself to anyone, O Bahu,
Who humbles himself in his youth and power.

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Wahadat de dariaa ucchalle,
Hik dil sahee na keetee hoo.

Hik butkhaane waasil thee-e,
Hik parhh parhh rahe maseetee hoo.

Fazil chhadd fazeelat baithe,
Ishq baazee jaan leetee hoo.

Hargiz Rabb na mildaa,
jinhaan Trattee chaurh na keetee hoo.

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The ocean of oneness overflowed with love,
But still people went thirsty- They didn’t open their hearts.

Some merged with the Lord through idol worship;
Others wasted their time with scriptures in mosques.

But when their hearts were touched by God’s love,
These scholars denounced their learning.

You will never be worthy of meeting God, O Bahu,
If you have not sacrificed your all for him.

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Wahadat de dariaa Ilaahee,
Aashiq lainde taaree hoo.

Maaran tubbeeaan kaddhan motee,
Aapo-apnee vaaree hoo.

Durr-e-yateem lae lishkaare,
Jion chann laataan maaree hoo.

So kion naaheen haasil bharde,
Jo naukar sarkaaree hoo.

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The Lord is an ocean of oneness
In which lovers swim as they please, free of care.

In their own turn, they appear in the world
To dive deep into that ocean, to gather pearls.

Among the pearls is a gem- Unique in value, unmatched in lustre-
That shines like the moon.*

We are all in the employ of the Lord, O Bahu;
Let us pay homage to him through our paryers.
*
(A pearl of unique value signifies the Word of God, or Kalma)

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Vanjan sir te farz hai mainoon,
Qaul qaalu balaa kar ke hoo.

Lok jaane mutfakkar hoeeaan,
Wich wahadat de varh ke hoo.

Shauh deeaan maaraan Shauh vanj laihsaan,
Ishq tullaa sir dhar ke hoo.

Jeeondiaan Shauh kise na paaiaa,
Jain laddhaa tain mar ke hoo.

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Ever since the Lord ordained the Creation,
I have been pledged to return to my original home.

People know, from my quest for unity in God,
That I am as anxious as I am eager to merge with him.

I shall bear the blows of destiny as I pursue him,
While I am ferried across to him on the boat of his love.

No one ever found the Lord while living, O Bahu,
exept those who found him By dying while living.

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Vaih vaih nadeeaan taaroo hoeeaan,
Bambal chhorhe kaahaan hoo.

Yaar asaadaa rang mahalleen,
Dar te khale sikaahaan hoo.

Na koee aave, na koee jaave,
Kain hath likh munjaahaan hoo.

Jekar khabr jaanee dee aave,
Kaleeon phull theevaahaan hoo.

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Water flows in streams, like life in the river of time.
The reeds have blossomed again-
Another season of life has passed!

I still tarry on my Lord’s doorstep-
Waiting for the nod to enter his glorious palace.

I see no one going in, no one coming out-
How can I get my heart’s message to him?

The bud of my heart would unfurl into a flower
Were I to receive his Word, Were I called to his presence.

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Hardam sharm dee tand tarorhe,
Jaan eh chhodak bulle hoo.

Kichrak baalaan aqal daa deevaa,
Birhon anheree jhulle hoo.

Ujarh giaan de bhet niaare,
Lal jawaahar rulle hoo.

Dhotiaan dagh na lainhnde,
jitthe Rang majeethee dullhe hoo.

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My deep sighs have raised such a storm
That the restraining cords of shyness have snapped.

How long will the sickly flame of reason
Hold against the storm of yearning that rages in my heart?

Precious like rubies and diamonds in our own Home,
Now we live like destitute aliens-deserted and helpless.

Once you are dyed in the crimson of God’s love
The colour will never wash off,
For such is the hue of his love-deep and fast!

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Hassan de ke rovan lioee,
Dittaa kis dilaasaa hoo.

Umar bande dee ainven gaee,
Jion paanee wich pataasaa hoo.

Saurhi saamee sutt ghatesan,
Palat na saksain paasaa hoo.

Saahib lekhaa mangsee Baahoo,
Rattee ghatt na maasaa hoo.

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Banished from my home of bliss and happiness,
I was cast out to this vale of tears.
No one came to lend a hand; No one consoled my ailing heart.

Pointless was my existence:
I vanished from the scene Like a sugar cube tossed into the ocean!

Finally I was lowered into that narrow hole in the ground
Where I couldn’t even turn on my side.

To crown it all, O Bahu, the Lord now demands
The full settlement of my account-to that last farthing!

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Hik jaagan, hik jaag na jaanan,
Hik jaagdiaan hee sutte hoo.

Hik suttian jaa waasil hoo,
Hik jaagdiaan hee mutthe hoo.

Keeh hoiaa je ghuggoo jaage,
Jo laindaa saah aputthe hoo.

Main qurbaan tinhaan ton Baahoo,
Jinh khooh prem de jutte hoo.

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Some people are awake, Some don’t know how to wake up,
Some are awake only in their dreams.

A few get robbed in their seeming wakefulness,
While others merge in God as they sleep to the world.

Just as owls hoot using the in-breath,
So do some people repeat God’s name with the in-breath.
But they are blind to Reality, just as owls are to daylight.

I make myself a sacrifice to anyone, O Bahu,
Who toils hard at realizing God’s love.

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Hik dam sajjan, lakh dam vairee,
Hik de maare marde hoo.

Hik dam pichhe janam gavaaiaa,
Chor bane ghar ghar de hoo.

Laaeeaan dee oh qadar keeh jaanan,
Maiharam ho na sirr de hoo.

Oh kion dhakke khaavan,
jehrhe Taalib sachche dar de hoo.

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There is but one moment in your life that is a friend,
Against the millions that are your foes. *
That one moment is so charged with power That it surmounts
The effect of those millions of adversaries.

Anyone who misses that moment wastes his entire life,
Like a theif shifting from house to house.**

How can those who don’t know the mystery of God
Know the value of love?

If you anchor your hopes in your true Home,
You will never be driven from house to house.
*
(The particular moment in the life of a seeker when he is initiated by a Master into the secrets of God. The foes are those moments that are spent in worldly pursuits that take one away from God)
**
(From house to house’ is to shift from body to body in the cycle of transmigration)
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Hik hik peer ton aalam kooke,
Lakh aashiq peerh saherhee hoo.

Dhain, rurhhan jith khatree hove,
Kaun charhe us berhee hoo.

Aashiq naik salaahee charhde,
Taar kappar wich bherhee hoo.

Jith ishq tulendaa naal rattee de,
Aashiq lazzat nakherhee hoo.

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People howl and cry over the slightest of discomforts,
While lovers gladly embrace a million torments.

Who would risk his life boarding a ship
If the waves were hitting it hard And the shore collapsing?

Lovers joyously board the ship of God’s love-
Even though their souls are pitched Against the vortices of life.

Unsurpassed is the joy of lovers in the court of the Lord,
Where love is weighed in the smallest measure, O Bahu!*
*
(where every single moment devoted to the remembrance of God’s Name is credited to the soul’s account)

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Hor dawaa na dil dee kaaree,
Kalmaa dil daa kaaree hoo.

Kalma door zangaar karendaa,
Kalme mail utaaree hoo.

Kalmaa heere, laal, jawaahar,
Kalmaa hatt pasaaree hoo.

Ethe othe doheen jahaaneen,
Kalmaa daulat saree hoo.

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Kalma cures the ailment of the heart-
No other medicine works.

Kalma removes all rust from the mind;
Kalma washes all stains form the soul.

Kalma is more precious than diamonds and rubies.

Kalma is the alchemist’s shop, O Bahu;
Kalma is real wealth in this world and the next.

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Hoo daa jaamaa paihan karaahaan,
Ism kamaavaan zaatee hoo.

Kufr Islaam, maqaam na manzil,
Na uth maut hayaatee hoo.

Shaah-rag theen nazdeek ladhose,
Paa androone jhaatee hoo.

Oh asaan wich, aseen unhaan wich,
Dorr rahee qurbaatee hoo.

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Mystics live in this world as Hu personified;
They practise the Name that is the essence of God.

They live in Hu- Beyond religion,
Beyond belief and unbelief, Beyond life and death.

If you explore the path within yourself,
You will find God nearby, through the Royal Vein.

He now lives in me and I in him, O Bahu:
Not only distance from him But even nearness to him Has become irrelevant!

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Yaar yagaanaa milsee taan je,
Sir dee baazee laaen hoo.

Ishq Allaah wich ho mastaanaa,
Hoo hoo sadaa alaaen hoo.

Naal tasawwur Ism Allaah de,
Dam noon qaid lagaaen hoo.

Zaate naal je zaat rale,
Tad Baahoo naam sahaaen hoo.

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You will only meet the unrivalled Beloved
If you offer your head on the altar of his love.

Then, in an ecstasy of love,
You will repeat the Name of Hu constantly,

Devoting every breath of your life
In contemplation of him.

Only when your soul merges in the essence of the Lord
Will you deserve the name ‘Bahu’.

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English translation: http://www.hazratsultanbahu.com

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Gujjhe saae saahib waale,
Naheen kujh khabr asal dee hoo.

Gandam daanaa bahutaa chugiaa,
Gal paee dor azal dee hoo.

Phaahee de wich main paee tarhpaan,
Bulbul baagh misal dee hoo.

Ghair dile theen sutt ke Baahoo,
Rakhee-e aas fazal dee hoo.

-

Unknown to me now are the mysteries of my Lord-
My origin I have all but forgotten!

The temptation to eat the forbidden fruit
Put the noose of destiny around my neck.

Once I sang like a nightingale in my Lord’s garden-
Trapped in this mortal cage, I now flutter with pain.

Discard love for everything else from your heart,
And pray only for his grace to call you back, O Bahu.

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Godarheeaan wich laal jinhaan dee,
Raateen jaagon addheeaan hoo.

Sik maahee dee tikan na dendee,
Lokeen dende badeeaan hoo.

Andar meraa Haqq tapaaiaa,
Khaleeaan raateen kaddhiaan hoo.

Tan theen maas alaihdaa hoiaa,
Sookh jhulaare haddeeaan hoo.

-

People with rubies in their ragged bundles*
Wake up in the dead of night to meditate on Kalma.

Their intense longing to meet the Beloved Permits them no rest,
While the ignorant hurl abuse at them.

Many nights have I stood in prayer and supplication;
My heart burns in the fire of longing for the Lord.

My grief has soaked up my blood And shrivelled my loosened skin,
Making my bones rattle in this skeletal frame-
Such is the depth of my separation from the Beloved!
*
(Rubies in a ragged bundle is an expression meaning a person outwardly poor but gifted with rich inner qualities. Rubies, in the present case, signifies Kalma within the ragged bundle of the body)

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Gia eemaan ishqe de paaron,
Ho ke kaafir rahee-e hoo.

Ghat zunaaur kufar daa gal wich,
Buttkhaane wich bahee-e hoo.

Jis jaa jaanee nazar na aave,
Sajdaa mool na daee-e hoo.

Jaan kar jaanee nazar na aave,
Kalmaa mool na kahee-e hoo.

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When love of God enters you heart,
Religion will fall by the wayside And you will be left in infidel.

You should then wear The sacred thread of idol worshipers
And live in the idol house [of your heart].

For futile is prostration Where the Beloved is not manifest;

Pointless the repitition of the Kalma
Where the Beloved is not seen face to face.

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Laam-laahoo ghairee dhande,
Hik pal mool na raihnde hoo.

Ishq ne putte rukh jarhaan theen,
Hik dam haul na saihnde hoo.

Jehrhe patthar vaang paharaan,
Loon vaangoon gal vaihnde hoo.

Ishq je saukhaa hundaa Baahoo,
Sab aashiq ban baihnde hoo.

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When you attach yourself to the Lord Alla’hu
All your worldly involvements are at once ended.

Love has pulled out huge trees of worldly attachment
By the root- Where before, even the worst storm Wouldn’t dislodge a leaf.

Love has dissolved huge rocks of carnal passion
As though they were salt.

Love is not child’s play, O Bahu!
If it were, everyone would have become a lover of God.

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Laayuhtaaj jinhaan noon hoiaa,
Faqr jinhaan noon saaraa hoo.

Nazar jinhaan dee keemeeaa hove,
Oh kion maaran paaraa hoo.

Dost jinhaan daa haazir hove,
Dushman lain na vaaraa hoo.

Main qurbaan tinhaan ton, Baahoo,
Jinh miliaa nabee sahaaraa hoo.

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Lovers who completely renounce the world
Become contented and free from want.

They need practise no alchemy,
For they can, with but one glance, Turn base metal into gold.

Their enemies have no chance against them-
Their Friend is always by their side.

I sacrifice myself to the one, O Bahu,
Who makes his Master the mainstay of his life.

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Likhan sikhion likh na jaataa,
Kaaghaz keetaa zaaiaa hoo.

Katt qalam noon maar na haanen,
Kaatib naam dharaaiaa hoo.

Sabh islaah eh hosee khotee,
Jaan kaatib hath aaiaa hoo.

Sahee islaah tinhaan dee,
jinhaan Alif te meem pakaaiaa hoo.

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You learned to write in a beautiful hand,
But what to write you didn’t learn-
The whole exercise was a waste of paper.

You call yourself a calligrapher
When you can’t even shape a writing pen!

When your script is examined by the real Scribe
All your efforts will prove to have been worthless.

Only when you repeatedly write Ali and Meem*
On the tablet of your heart, will you pass his test.
*
Alif stands for Allah; meem (M) stands for Murshid (Master)

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Lok qabar daa karsan chaaraa,
Laihad banaawan deraa hoo.

Chutkee bhar mittee dee paasan,
Karsan dher ucheraa hoo.

De darood gharaan noon vanjan,
Kookan sheraa sheraa hoo.

Wich dargaah na amlaan baajhon,
Baahoo hog naberha hoo.

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Eventually your grave will be dug
And your body slid into the lahad.*

Your loved ones will throw handfuls of dust
And raise a mound of earth over you.

They will say the death-prayer for you soul’s benefit,
They go home wailing and weeping at your sad demise.

But even after death there is no relief from pain
Other than through good deeds done while living-
Which alone count in the court of the Lord, O Bahu.
*
(A lahad is a side-extension at the bottom of a grave that provides room for the dead body. The grave is filled up with earth but the lahad remains hollow, providing ‘breathing space’ for the body)

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Lohaa hoven piaa kuteeven,
Taan talwaar sadeeven hoo.

Kanghee caangoon piaa chireeven,
Zulf mahboob bhareeven hoo.

Mehndee vaangoon piaa ghuteeven,
Hath mahboob rangeeven hoo.

Vaang kapaah piaa pinjeeven,
Taan dastaar sadeeven hoo.

Aashiq saadiq hoven Baahoo,
Taan ras prem daa peeven hoo.

-

Like a piece of iron that is to be forged into a fine sword,
You must bear the Blacksmith’s unrelenting hammer blows,

Like a comb you must be finely sawn
Before you can caress the Beloved’s locks.

Like henna leaves you must be ground into powder
Before you can adorn the Beloved’s palms.*

Like cotton you must endure being carded
Before you are woven into a turban for his head.

You will only taste the nectar of divine love
When you become a true lover of God, O Bahu.
*
(In india, women use a paste of powdered henna leaves to decorate the palms of their hands, sometimes even the soles of their feet, at their weddings and on various other festive occasions)
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Maal te jaan sab kharch karaahan,
Karee-e khreed faqeeree hoo.

Faqr kanoon Rabb haasil hove,
Kion keeje dilgeeree hoo.

Duneeaa kaaran deen vanjaavan,
Koorhee sheikhee peeree hoo.

Tark duneeaa theen Qaadir keetee,
Shaah Meeraan dee meeree hoo.

-

Sell everything you have-spare not your life,
And purchase the wealth of devotion to God.

Why carry the burdens of life on your soul
When, through devotion, you can merge in the Lord?

False prophets sell their souls to the world
And mislead seekers with a pretence of spiritual guidance.

Sheikh Qadir Jilani truly renounced the world;
He was indeed a king among mystics.

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Mazhabaan de darwaaze uchche,
Raah Rabbaanaa moree hoo.

Pandit te mulvaane kolon,
Chhup chhup langhee-e choree hoo.

Addeeaan maaran, karn bakherhe,
Dardmandaan de khoree hoo.

Baahoo chal uthaaeen wasee-e,
Daahvaa na jith horee hoo.

-

Lofty are the portals of religion;
Hard to find is the narrow path that leads to God.

Walk along it unnoticed,
Stealing past the priests.

They protest, they obstruct,
They persecute people who really love God.

Let us go and live somewhere, Bahu,
Where no one but God holds supremacy.

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-

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Murshid oh saherhee-e jehrhaa,
Do jagg khushee wakhaave hoo.

Paihale gham turke daa mete,
Vat Rabb daa raah sujhaave hoo.

Kallar waalee kandhee non chaa,
Chaandee khaas banaave hoo.

Jis murshid ith kujh na keetaa,
Koorhe laare laave hoo.

-

You should only choose someone as your Master
Who bestows the blessings of both worlds on you.

First he will drive the wolf from your door,
Then reveal to you the path to God.

He will transform the barren ground of your heart
Into fertile soil, so the seed of God’s Name can grow.

If a Master has not accomplished this for you
In this very life, You can be sure he is feeding you false promises.

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Murshid baajhon faqar kamaave,
Wich kufar de budde hoo.

Sheikh mushaaikh ho baihnde hujre,
Ghaus-qutab ban udde hoo.

Raat andhaaree mushkil paindaa,
Sai sai aavan thudde hoo.

Tasbeehaan napp baihan maseetee,
Jion moosh bahe varh khudde hoo.

-

If someone practises devotion without a Master,
He will drown himself in the mire of atheism.

He will drown himself up as a sheikh in a mosque
Or acquire other religious titles to boost his ego.

Little does the poor fellow realize That the night is dark,
the path steep, And the journey is plagued with untold pitfalls.

With a rosary in hand he may sit in his cell
Like a mouse, sticking his head out of his hole.

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-

Murshid makkaa, taalib haajee,
Kaabaa ishq banaaiaa hoo.

Wich huzoor sadaa har wele,
Karee-e hajj savaaiaa hoo.

Hikk dam maithon judaa na hove,
Dil milne te aaiaa hoo.

Murshid ain hayaatee Baahoo,
Loon loon wich samaaiaa hoo.

-

The Master is the Mecca, his love the shrine of Ka’ba;
The disciple is a pilgrim set out on the holy voyage.

As for me, my pilgrimage is always complete-
For I am constantly in the presence of my Master.

He doesn’t part company with me even for a moment,
As my heart always yearns to see him.

My Master is to me my very life, O Bahu;
He has permeated every pore of my being.

-

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Murshid hai shaahbaaz Ilaahee,
Raliaa sang habeebaan hoo.

Taqdeer Ilaahee chhikkeeaan doraan,
Milsee naal naseebaan hoo.

Kohrhiaan de dukh door karendaa,
Kare shafaa mareezaan hoo.

Har ik marz daa daaroo toon hain,
Ghatt na vass tabeebaan hoo.

-

My Master is a bird of paradise;
He only flies with his own kind.

Through great good fortunes you will have his vision-
If the Lord pulls the strings of destiny in your favor.

He cleanses the lepers of their leprosy;
He removes the deformities of the spiritually crippled.

You hold the panacea for all ills, my Master!
Pray, do not leave Bahu to the care of physicians.

-

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Murshid mainoon hajj makke daa,
Raihmat daa darwaazaa hoo.

Karaan tawaaf davaale qible,
Hajj hove nit taazaa hoo.

Kun faikoon jadokaa suniaa,
Dittha oh darwaazaa hoo.

Murshid sadaa hayaatee waalaa,
Oho Khizr te Khwaajaa hoo.

-

A visit to my Master is, for me,
Like a devout Muslim’s pilgrimage to Mecca.
My master is indeed the gateway to God’s mercy.

Like a pilgrim circling the shrine of Ka’ba,
My life revolves around my Master-
Thus is my pilgrimage ever renewed;
This is my love ever rejuvenated.

Ever since the Lord ordained the Creation,
Ever since I last saw that gateway to his court,

My Master has lived forever, Bahu-
As the Khizr who has conquered death,
As the Creator who lives in human form.

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Murshid vaang suniaare hove,
Ghat kuthaalee gaale hoo.

Paa kuthaalee baahar kaddhe,
Bunde gharhe yaa vaale hoo.

Kanneen khoobaan tadon suhaavan,
Jad khatte paa ujaale hoo.

Naam faqeer tise daa,
jehrhaa Dam dam dost sambhaale hoo.

-

Just as a goldsmith melts gold And purifies it in his crucible,
The Master melts and purifies the disciple’s soul.

To mould it into beautiful ornaments-
Be they studs or earrings.

Only after they have been sculpted and polished
Are they considered fit to adorn the Beloved’s ears.

Only the one who enshrines the Friend in his heart,
And remembers him with every breath Deserves the name ‘faqir’, O Bahu.

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-

Murshid wasse sai kohaan te,
Mainoon disse nerhe hoo.

Keeh hoiaa butt ohle hoiaa,
Wasse oh wich mere hoo.

Alif dee zaat sahee jis keetee,
Rakkhe qadam agere hoo.

Nahun aqrab labh leeose,
Jhagrhe kul naberhe hoo.

-

A thousand miles away is my Master’s abode,
But I always see him nearby.

It’s of little consequence if he’s physically out of sight;
My heart is his real home.

Whoever realizes the oneness of God
Will always progress on his spiritual journey-

He finds the Lord nearby, through the Royal Vain;
He puts an end to the problems of life forever.

-

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Murshid haadee sabaq parhhaaiaa,
Parhhion bina parhheeve hoo.

Unglaan wich kannaan de ditteeaan,
Sunion bina suneeve hoo.

Nain nainaan wal tur tur takde,
Dithion binaa diseeve hoo.

Har khaane wich jaanee Baahoo,
Kin sir oh rakheeve hoo.

-

My Master has taught me a lesson:
It repeats itself-without me repeating it.

When I plug my ears with my fingers,
Without learning, I hear its melodies.

My eyes are longing for a glimpse of him:
Without seeing, I see his radiant face.

In every heart abides the Beloved, O Bahu,
In countless forms he reveals himself to me.

-

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-

Mootoo waalee maut na milsi,
Jain wich maut hayaatee hoo.

Maut wisaal theeose hik jad,
Ism parhheeve zaatee hoo.

Aain de andar aain theeose,
Door hove qurbaatee hoo.

Hoo daa zikr sarhendaa Baahoo,
Deehaan sukh na raatee hoo.

-

If you die by practising God’s real Name,
Death will become synonymous with merging in him.

There is no other way you can die the death
That promises dying while living.

When the soul merges in the Lord,
Nearness changes into oneness with him.

I am restless, O Bahu, in my longing to merge in Hu!
Day and night my heart burns in his remembrance.

-

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Main shaahbaz karaan parvaazaan,
Wich aflaak karam de hoo.

Zabaan taan meree kun braabar,
Morhaan kam qalam de hoo.

Aflaatoon, Arastoo varge,
Main agge kis kam de hoo.

Haatim varge lakh karorhaan Dar,
Baahoo de mangde hoo.

-

I am a bird of paradise that flies high
In the heavens of God’s blessing.

In my word is hidden the Command of God;
In my will lies the power to reverse destiny.

Trivial before me is the wisdom of Plato and Aristotle;

Millions like Hatim, unmatched in their generosity,*
Are but beggars at Bahu’s door.
*
(Hatim Tai: a legendary philanthropist of Yemen)

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Main kojhee meraa dilbar sohnaa,
Kion kar usnoon bhaanwaan hoo.

Wehrhe saade varhdaa naaheen,
Lakkh vaseele paavaan hoo.

Na sohnee na daulat palle,
Kion kar yaar manaavaan hoo.

Dukh hamesh eh raihsee Baahoo,
Rondee hee mar jaavaan hoo.

-

Impeccable is my Beloved. Awkward and ungainly am I-
How can I ever win his heart?

Despite the countless pleas I make to him,
He does not enter the courtyard of my heart.

I have neither beauty nor wealth-
How am I to please my Beloved, O friend!

Am I destined to live with this torment, Bahu?
Or perhaps I will die of crying in pain!

-

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-

-

English translation: http://www.hazratsultanbahu.com

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Ghaus qutb han ure urere,
Aashiq jaan agere hoo.

Jehrhee manzil aashiq pahunchan,
Ghaus na paavan phere hoo.

Aashiq wich visaal de raihnde,
Laamakaanee dere hoo.

Main qurbaan tinhaan ton,
jinhaan Zaato zaat basere hoo.

-

The ghaus and qutb trail behind;
The goal of lovers is far ahead.

The leaders of religion can never reach the stage
To which the lovers of God have easy access.

Lovers are always united with the Beloved;
They abide in realms beyond time and space,

I shall sacrifice myself to anyone, O Bahu,
Whose spirit rests in its own Essence.

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Fajreen wele uth savele,
Aan karan mazdooree hoo.

Kaanvaan illaan hiksee gallaan,
Treejee ralee chandooree hoo.

Maaran cheekhaan karan mushaqqat,
Put put kadh angooree hoo.

Saaree umar pitendiaan guzree,
Kadee na paeeaa pooree hoo.

-

They rise early; they get to their work fast:

Like crows and vultures they create a racket-
Reading their sermons like the mimicking chandoor.*

They spend their lives like this-
Talking gibberish, shooting prayers into the air

And distorting the message of the scriptures-
Because their hearts are never moved by God’s love.
*
(Chandoor or chandol is a mimicking bird. It imitates sounds, including spoken words – obviously without knowing their meaning, in much the same manner as priests recite and quote the words of Saints without realizing their underlying message)

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Qalb na hilliaa taan keeh hoiaa,
Hoiaa zikr zabaanee hoo.

Qalbee, roohee, makhfee, sirree,
Sabhe raah hairaanee hoo.

Shaah rag ton nazdeek ho raihndaa,
Yaar na miliaa jaanee hoo.

Naam faqeer tinhaan da,
jehrhe Wasde laamakaanee hoo.

-

If only done with your tongue and not your heart,
The repetition of God’s Name is in vain.

Using the various kings of zikr*-with the heart, the soul,
And other secret methods-only leads to confusion.

These methods give no clue of the Beloved
Who is nearby and only to be found through the Royal Vein.

Only the one whose spirit abides in realms beyond space
Deserves to be called faqir, O Bahu.
*
(At the highest level, Sufi mystics used the term zikr for the inner remembrance or simran. The term was also used for many kinds of repetition practices pertaining to the lower centers of the body and lower spiritual regions)
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Kaamil murshid aisaa howe,
Jo dhobee vaangoon chhatte hoo.

Naal nigaah de paak kare,
Na sajjee saaban ghatte hoo.

Maile noon kar dendaa chittaa,
Zarraa mail na rakkhe hoo.

Aisaa murshid hove,
jehrhaa Loon loon de wich vasse hoo.

-

A perfect Master scrubs his disciples
As a washer-man rubs and beats dirt out of clothes.

But unlike the washerman who needs soap,
The Master purifies with his glance,

Removing all traces of dirt from the disciple’s soul.

Let the one who can permeate every pore of my being Be my Master, O Bahu!

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Kalme dee kal tad piose,
Jad kal kalme vanj kholee hoo.

Kalmaa aashik parhhde,
jithe Noor nabee dee holee hoo.

Chaudaan tabq kalme de andar,
Keeh jaane khalqat bholee hoo.

Kalmaa saanoon peer parhhaaiaa,
Jind ose ton gholee hoo.

-

You will only know the marvel of Kalma
When it has opened the window of your heart.

Lovers practise Kalma within their hearts,
Lit by the Master’s radiance.

All fourteen realms are within the Kalma-
How can the uninitiated comprehend this secret?

As for me, my Master initiated me into the Kalma.
Since then I have dedicated my soul only to him.

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Kalme dee kal tadaan paee,
Jad murshid kalmaa dassiaa hoo.

Saaree umar kufr wich jaalee,
Bin murshid de dassiaan hoo.

Shah Alee Sher-Allaah waangan,
Vaddh kufr noon suttiaa hoo.

Dil saafee taan hove je kar,
Kalmaa loon loon rasiaa hoo.

-

Only when my Master initiated me into the Kalma
Did I truly understand its meaning.

Only then did it dawn on me.
That I had wasted my earlier life as a non-believer.

But now, in the manner of Hazrat Ali, the lion of God,
Kalma has slain the demon of my non-belief.

Only when the Kalma has saturated every pore of your being
Will your heart be purified, O Bahu.

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Kalme lakkh karorhan taare,
Walee keete sai raaheen hoo.

Kalme naal bujhaae dozakh,
Jith agg bale azgaaheen hoo.

Kalme naal bahishteen jaanaa,
Jith niaamat sanjh subaaheen hoo.

Kalme jehee na niaamat Baahoo,
Andar doheen saraaeen hoo.

-

The Kalma has ferried millions across the ocean.
In countless ways has it transformed Ordinary mortals into Saints.

Through Kalma is pacified the raging fire of hell;

Through Kalma is attained heaven,
The realm of everlasting bliss.

There is no treasure like Kalma, O Bahu,
In this world and the next.

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Kalme naal main nhaatee dhotee,
Kalme naal viaahee hoo.

Kalmaa meraa parhe janaazaa,
Kalme gor suhaaee hoo.

Kalme naal bahishteen jaanaa,
Kalmaa kare safaaee hoo.

Murhan muhaal tinhaan noo jinhaan,
Saahib aap bulaaee hoo.

-

In the nectar of Kalma I bathed and purified myself;
To the Kalma I was joined in marriage.

It was Kalma that, in the end, performed my last rites.
It was Kalma that adorned my grave.

With the Kalma I will go to heaven;
Through the Kalma I will be cleansed of my sins.

Those who are called by the Lord himself
Find it hard to turn their backs on Kalma.

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Kund zulmaat andher ghubaaraan,
Raah nen khauf khatar de hoo.

Aab hayaat munawwar chashme,
Saaye zulf ambar de hoo.

Mukh mahboob daa khaanaa kaabaa,
Aashiq sajdaa karde hoo.

Misal Sikandar dhoondan aashiq,
Palak aaraam na karde hoo.

Khizr naseeb jinhaan de Baahoo,
Ghutt othe jaa bharde hoo.

-

Utter dark and fearsome is the path,
Leading to the shining pool of the water of life-

Like the Beloved’s radiant face,
Hidden under his locks, dark and fragrant.

The Master’s face is the holy Ka’ba,
To which lovers prostrate themselves in obeisance.

As Alexander sought the water of life in the world,
So lovers relentlessly search for this nectar within.

But only fortunate souls
Blessed with a Master’s guidance Drink from that pool of nectar.

-

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Kun faikoon jadon farmaaiaa,
Asaan vi kole haase hoo.

Hikke zaat sifaat Rabbe dee,
Hikke jag dhundiaase hoo.

Hikke laamakaan asaadaa,
Hikke butt wich phaase hoo.

Nafs shaitaan paleetee keetee,
Asal paleet taan naase hoo.

-

When God ordained the Creation,
we were with him;

We possessed his qualities, we were of his essence.
Separated, now we wander around searching for him.

Once we lived in the realm of pure spirit;
Trapped in physical bodies we now cry in pain.

We were unsullied in our native state-
It was our satanic ego that defiled us all, O Bahu.

-

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-

-

Kook dilaa mat Rabb sune chaa,
Dardmandaan diaan aaheen hoo.

Seenaa meraa dardeen bhariaa,
Andar bharhkan bhaaheen hoo.

Telaan baajh na balan masaalaan,
Dardaan baajh na aaheen hoo.

Aatish naal yaraane laa ke,
Bhambat sarhan keeh naaheen hoo.

-

Cry, my heart – perhaps the Lord wil hear
The cries of a lover in torment!

My heart burns, filled with grief
And with the pain of separation.

No more can a heart sigh without grief
Than a torch burn without oil.

If, like a moth, you make friends with fire,
Like a moth, O Bahu, you must perish in its flames.

-

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-

-

Keeh hoiaa butt door giaa,
Dil hargiz door na theeve hoo.

Sai kohaan te wasdaa murshid,
Wich huzoor diseeve hoo.

Jainde andar ishq dee rattee,
Bin sharaabon kheeve hoo.

Naam faqeer tinhaan daa Baahoo,
Qabr jinhaan dee jeeve hoo.

-

It matters little if I am physically a long way off-
My Master is never far from my heart.

He may have gone a thousand miles away to live-
I always find him present in my heart.

Those who have even an iota of love in their hearts
Remain intoxicated with the wine of that love- They need no other wine.

Only they may be called faqirs, O Bahu,
Whose very graves breathe Life.

-

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-
English translation: http://www.hazratsultanbahu.com
-

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Aashiq daa dil mom braabar,
Maashooqaan dil kaahlee hoo.

Tu’amaa wekkhe tur tur takke,
Jion baazaan dee chaalee hoo.

Baaz vichaaraa kionkar udde,
Paireen pios dawaalee hoo.

Jain dil ishq khareed na keetaa,
Dohaan jahaanon khaalee hoo.

-

A lover’s heart melts like wax,
But slow in response is the Beloved.

Like a hawk, the lower eyes the Beloved’s heart
And seeks it out.

But tied down to earthly strings,
How can the poor hawk fly?

The heart that has not purchased love
In the marketplace of life, O Bahu,
Will go empty-handed-in this world and the next.

-

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Aashiq parhn namaaz piram dee,
Jain wich harf na koee hoo.

Jehaa kehaa neet na sakke,
Uth dardmand dil dhoee hoo.

Akheen neer te khoon jigar daa,
Wuzoo paak keetoee hoo.

Jeebh na hille, honth na pharhkan,

Khaas namaazee soee hoo.

-

A lover offers his prayer in an unspoken language.

It is not for everyone-
Only the aching heart of a lover can know this prayer.

He purifies himself by doing his wuzoo
With tears from his eyes, blood from his heart.

Only a rare devotee knows the prayer for which
The tongue does not move, lips do not flutter.

-

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Aashiqa hik wuzoo jo keetaa,
Roz qiaamat taaeen hoo.

Wich namaaz raku sajoode,
Raihande sanjh sabaaheen hoo.

Ethe othe doheen jahaaneen,
Sabh faqar deeaan jaaeen hoo.

Arshaan ton sai manzil agge,
Paindaa kam tinhaaeen hoo.

-

A lover purifies himself just once-with Kalma;
His wuzoo will hold till the day of judgement.

Day and night he prostrates himself
And keeps his head bowed in supplication.

The faqirs are at home in this world and the next,

But a thousand stages beyond paradise Lies their real Home!

-

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Aashiq raaz maahee de kolon,
Hon kadee na theevan vaande hoo.

Neend haraam tinhaan te,
jehrhe Zaatee Ism kamaande hoo.

Hik pal mool aaraam na aae,
Raat dine kurlaande hoo.

Jinhaan alif sahee kar parhiaa,
Waah naseeb tinhaan de hoo.

-

Lovers are always engaged
In inner contemplation of the Beloved.

They even deny themselves their nightly sleep-
So absorbed are they In their practise of God’s real Mane.

They are restless day and night;
They cry in the pain of their separation from God.

Bahu hails the good fortune of those devotees
Who rightly devote themselves To the lesson of Oneness.

-

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Aashiq soee haqeeqee jehrhaa,
Qatal maashooq de manne hoo.

Ishq na chhorhe, mukh na morhe,
Pae talvaaraan khanne hoo.

Jit wal wekhe raaz maahee daa,
Lagge ose banne hoo.

Sachchaa ishq Hussain Ali daa,
sir dae raaz na bhanne hoo.

-

A real lover is one who bows his head
Before the Beloved’s sword.

He will never forsake his love,
Never turn his back on the Beloved-
Even if he were cut into pieces with the sword of love.

He will put his heart and soul into his endeavour
To find a clue to the Beloved’s secrets.

The love of Hussain and Ali was true, O Bahu.
They sacrificed their lives,
But not their love for God and the Prophet.

-

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-

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Aashiq Shauh de dil kharhaaiaa,
Aap bhee naale kharhiaa hoo.

Kharhiaa kharhiaa valiaa naheen,
Sang mahboobaan raliaa hoo.

Aql fikr deeaan sab bhull gaeeaan,
Ishqe naal jaan miliaa hoo.

Main qurbaan tinhaan theen,
jain wich Ishq javaanee charhiaa hoo.

-

A lover lost his heart to the Beloved;
And with his heart lose, he himself was lost.

Being lost, he never turned back,
But ventured onward to join the Beloved.

In his love he merged in the Beloved,
And his reason and intellect were all but forsaken.

I make myself a sacrifice to anyone in whose heart
Love has so blossomed, O Bahu!

-

-

-

-

Aashiq ishq maahee de kolon,
Phiran hameshaa kheeve hoo.

Jeende jaan maahee noon dittee,
Doheen jahaaneen jeeve hoo.

Shamaa chiraagh jinhaan dil roshan,
Oh kion baalan deeve hoo.

Aqal fikr dee pahunch na othe,
Faanee faiham kacheeve hoo.

-

Lovers remain completey intoxicated
In the ecstasy of their love for the Beloved.

They offer their souls to the Beloved while still living
And thus immortalize themselves In this life and the hereafter.

Why should anyone Whose heart shines with the light of God
Burn candles in temples?

Grossly limited are reason and intellect, O Bahu!
They have no access to the realm of love.

-

-

-

-

Aashiq nek salaaheen lagde,
Kion ujaarhde ghar noon hoo.

Baal mavaataa birhoon daa,
Na laande jaan jigar noon hoo.

Jaan jahaan sab bhull gio ne,
Luttee hosh sabar noon hoo.

Main qurbaan tinhaan ton,
jinhaan Khoon ditta dilbar noon hoo.

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Had these lovers heeded the good advise of the world,
They would not have deserted their homes.*

They would not have burnt their hearts and souls
In the fire of longing for the Beloved.
They are oblivious of both themselves and the world.

Their love for the Lord has robbed them
Of their patience and their awareness of themselves.

I make myself a sacrifice to anyone
Who has surrendered his life for the Beloved, O Bahu.
*
(Deserting the home: Withdrawing at will the life consciousness from the physical body)

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Aashiq ho te ishq kamaawe,
Dil rakkheen vaang pahaarhaan hoo.

Sai sai badeeaan, lakh ulaahme,
Jaaneen baagh bahaaraan hoo.

Chaa soolee Mansoor dittaa,
Jo waaqif kul asraaraan hoo.

Sajdoin sir na chaaee-e Bahoo,
Kaafir kaihan hazaaraan hoo.

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Become a lover,
and let your heart be like a rock.

If people hurl abuse at you,
consider it as a blessing.

Even Mansur, who knew all the secrets of God,
Was sent to the gallows.

Once you have bowed you head in prayer,
Do not lift it again, O Bahu,
Although the multitude may brand you an infidel.*
*
(The Muslim prayer, namaaz is offered in verying postures like standing, bowing, kneeling, in a given sequence, as directed by the prayer leader. But once a lover has bowed his head in prayer, he forgets his surroundings, even his own body. ‘The faithful’ brand him infidel because he does not join them in their set pattern of ritual prayer)
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Ishq asaanoon lissiaan jaataa,
Baithaa maar pathalla hoo.

Wich jigar de sanh chaa laaeeas,
Keetas kam avallaa hoo.

Jaan andar varh jhaatee paaeeas,
Ditthaa yaar ikallaa hoo.

Bajhon murshid kaamil Baahoo,
Hondi naheen tasallaa hoo.

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Considering me a weakling,
Love has settled itself like a squatter in my heart.

It has forced its way in through a secret opening-
What an act of daring trespass!

When I went within myself to investigate,
I found my Love sitting alone-waiting!

Without my perfect Master, O Bahu,
None can ever realize the goal of life.

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Ishq asaanoon lissiaan jaataa,
Karke aave dhaaee hoo.

Jit val wekhaan ishq diseeve,
Khaalee haa na kaaee hoo.

Murshid kaamil oh miliaa,
Jis dil dee taakee laahee hoo.

Main qurban us murshid ton,
Jis dassiaa bhet Ilaahee hoo.

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Love considers me a weakling;
Unrelenting, it charges at my heart.

Overwhelmed by its onslaughts,
I see nothing but love wherever I look;
I can find no place that is bereft of love.

I was blessed to meet a perfect Master
Who opened the sealed window of my heart.

I make myself a sacrifice to the Master, O Bahu,
Who has revealed to me the secret of God.

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Ishq asaanoon lissiaan jaataa,
Latthaa mall muhaarhee hoo.

Na sauven, na sauvan deve,
Jeeven baal rihaarhee hoo.

Poh maagheen kharbooze mange,
Main kith laisaan vaarhee hoo.

Aqal fikr deeaan bhull gaeeaan,
Jad ishq vajaaee taarhee hoo.

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Considering me frail and helpless,
Love has entrenched itself at my door.

Like a spoiled child, it won’t sleep,
Nor will it let me have any rest.

It demands the impossible of me:
It wants summer fruit in the dead of winter- Where can I find such a thing?

When love decides to call you, O Bahu,
Reason and logic are completely forgotten.

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Ishq jinhaan de haddeen rachiaa,
Raihan oh chup chupaate hoo.

Loon loon de wich lakkh zabaanaan,
Kaan oh gungee baate hoo.

Karde wuzoo Ism Aazam daa,
Dariaa wahadat nahaate hoo.

Tadon qabool namaazaan Baahoo,
Jad yaaraan yaar pachhaate hoo.

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Devotees, whose hearts are saturated
With the love of God, keep their lips sealed.

Every pore of their bodies has a million tongues
With which to repeat the Name of God-
Their silence speaks for their eloquence.

They have done their wuzoo with the holy Name;
They have bathed themselves in the ocean of oneness.

Only when your soul identifies with its divine Source
Will your prayer be accepted, O Bahu.

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Ishq chalaaiaa taraf asmaanaan,
Farshon arsh wakhaaiaa hoo.

Rauh nee duneeaa thag na saanoon,
Saadaa jee ghabraaiaa hoo.

Aseen musaafir watan duraadaa,
Koorhaa laalach laaiaa hoo.

Mar gae marne theen pahle,
Tinhaan Rabb noon paaiaa hoo.

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Love has inspired me to explre the heavens:
From earth it has raised me to the worlds of Spirit.

Be gone, foul world, beguile me no more!
I am already in anguish about my stay here.

I am a wayfarer, my home is far away,
And you have enticed me with false promises.

Only if you forsake the world and die while living
Can you find the Lord, O Bahu.

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Ishq muhabbat dariaa de wich,
Thee mardaanaa tarree-e hoo.

Jitthe paun ghazab deeaan laiharaan,
Qadam uthaaeen dharee-e hoo.

Aujharh jhang balaaeen bele,
Wekh wekh na daree-e hoo.

Naam faqeer tad theendaa Baahoo,
Wich talab de maree-e hoo.

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Be brave and swim across the ocean of love,
Plunging straight Into its fierce waves, its deadly whirlpools.

And don’t be frightened At the sight of the dense forests

Or threatening inner waste lands,
On your way to the country of love.

Only when you sacrifice your life In your love for God
Will you deserve the name ‘faqir’, O Bahu.

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Ishq dee baazee har jaa khedee,
Shaah, gadaa, sultaanaan hoo.

Aalim, faazil, aaqil, daanaa,
Kardaa chaa hairaanaan hoo.

Tamboo khot latthaa wich dil de,
Laaees khilwat khaanaan hoo.

Ishq ameer faqeer manende,
Keeh jaane begaanaan hoo.

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Everyone from king to beggar
has played the game of love-

It equally astounds the intellectual,
the scholar and the wise.

Love has firmly entrenched itself within me,
Establishing its private chamber in my heart!

Love has touched the hearts Of the rich and the poor alike;
How can an outsider-who had never tasted love-
Realize its bliss and splendour?

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Ishq dee bhaah haddaan daa baalan,
Aashiq baih sikende hoo.

Ghatt ke jaan jigar wich aaraa,
Wekh kabaab talende hoo.

Sargardaan phiran har wele,
Khoon jigar daa peende hoo.

Hoe hazaaraan aashiq Baahoo,
Ishq naseeb kaheende hoo.

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Lovers warm themselves On the fire of love in their hearts-
Ignited and def with the fuel of their bones.

They carve out the flesh of their hearts
And roast it on this fire.

Distraught in love, they wander listlessly,
Quenching their thirst with their own blood.

Thousands have claimed to be lovers, O Bahu;
Rare is the one who is blessed with true love!

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Ishq dee gall avallee jehrhaa,
Sharaa theen door hataave hoo.

Qaazee shhorhe qazaaee jaan,
Jad ishq tamaachaa laave hoo.

Lok ayaane matteen devan,
Aashiq mat na bhaave hoo.

Murhn muhaal tinhaan noon jinhaan,
Saahib aap bulaave hoo.

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Curios are the ways of love-
It weans you away from religion.

When smitten by love,
Even priests would forsake their priesthood.

The ignorant preach against love,
But lovers shun their advise.

Those who are called by God himself,
Find it onerous to return to worldly life.

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Ishq samundar charh giaa falkeen,
Kit jahaaz kacheeve hoo.

Aqal fikr dee daundee noon,
chaa Paihale poor boorheeve hoo.

Karhkhan kappar paun laiharaan,
Jad wahadat wich varheeve hoo.

Jis marne theen khalqat dardee,
Aashiq marke jeeve hoo.

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Waves on the ocean of love rise to the skies;
Even large and sturdy ships cannot survive.

The fragile boat of intellect and reason Has little chance.

It will sink in its first attempt to cross
Because fierce whirlpools roar, deadly waves crash,
When a ship prepares to enter the port of Unity.

The death that strikes terror in people’s minds
Brings joy to a lover’s heart:
In death he finds everlasting life.

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Ishq maahee de laaeeaan aggeen,
Laggee kaun bujhaave hoo.

Main keeh jaanaan zaat ishq,
jo Dar dar chaa jhukaave hoo.

Na saunven na sauvan deve,
Suttiaan aan jagaave hoo.

Main qurbaan haan usde jehrha,
Vichhrhe yaar milaave hoo.

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My heart is ablaze with the fire of love.
Who will quench the flames?

How was I to know what this love was like?
It has made me bow my head at every doorstep.

It is always awake, and it always keeps me awake;
It doesn’t allow me a wink of sleep.

O Bahu, I sacrifice myself to anyone,
Who will reunite me with my long-separated Friend.

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Ishq muazzin dittiaan baangaan,
Kanneen sad peeose hoo.

Khoon jigar daa kadh karaahaan,
Wuzoo paakh sezeeose hoo.

Sun taqbeer fanai walee,
Murhan muhaal theeose hoo.

Parh takbeer theeose waasil,
Taaheen shukr keetose hoo.

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When love gave the call to prayer,
My heart responded:

I purified myself-I performed my wuzoo*
With the blood of my heart!

When the cry “God is great” inspired me
To merge in that great Lord,
I found my heart unwilling to turn back.

When I myself proclaimed Allah’s greatness,
I merged in him and thanked him
For relieving me of my long suffering.
*
(Wuzoo refers to the Muslim practise of cleaning oneself by washing on’es face, hands and feet with water before namaaz, the ritual prayer)

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Aqal fikar dee jaa na kaaee,
Jit wahadat sirr subhaanee hoo.

Na uth mullaan pandit joshee,
Na uth ilm Quraanee hoo.

Jad Aihmad aihad wikhaalee dittaa,
Taan kul hove faanee hoo.

Ilm tamaam keetone haasil,
Thapp kitaab asmaanee hoo.

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Intellect and wisdom find no foothold
Where the secrets of unity in God are revealed.

Priests are no help there
Nor is any knowledge of the scriptures.

You can only merge your self in the
Absolute When the Master reveals the divine secret.

You can only acquire ultimate knowledge of God
After you put away the scriptures.

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Ilmon baajh je faqar kamaave,
Kaafir mare deewaanaa hoo.

Sai variaan dee kare ibaadat,
Allaah theen begaanaa hoo.

Ghaflat theen na khulsan parde,
Dil jaahil butkhaanaa hoo.

Main qurbaan tinhaan ton,
jinhaan Miliaa yaar yagaanaa hoo.

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If you meditate on God without guidance,
You wll die faithless and lost.

Even if you worship like this for hundreds of years,
You would still be unfamiliar with God.

The veil will not be lifted without knowledge of the Way-
The heart will stay dark like a house of idols.

I sacrifice myself to anyone, O Bahu,
Who has found the Master without peer.

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English translation: http://www.hazratsultanbahu.com

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Sabri Brothers

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(Kalam-e-Iqba: Shikwa, Jawab-e-Shikwa)

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Part 1/6

Part 2/6

Part 3/6

Part 4/6

Part 5/6

Part 6/6

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Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

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(Kalam-e-Iqbal: Shikwa, Jawab-e-Shikwa )

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Part 1/ 8

Part 2/ 8

Part 3/ 8

Part 4/ 8

Part 5/ 8

Part 6/ 8

Part 7/ 8

Part 8/ 8

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Translation:

By Dr. M.A.K. Khalil

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Whatever comes out of the heart is effective
It has no wings but has the power of flight

It has holy origins, it aims at elegance
It rises from dust, but has access to the celestial world

My love was seditious, rebellious and clever
My fearless wailing rent through the sky

On hearing it the sun said, “Somewhere there is somebody!”
The planets said, “At the ‘Arsh-i-Barân there is somebody!”

The moon was saying, “No, it is some inhabitant of the earth!”
The milky way was saying, “Somebody is concealed just here”!

If someone understood my  Remonstrance Riîw«n did
He understood me as the Man turned out of the Paradise !

Even angels exclaimed in surprise “What could this voice be!
Unknown even to the ‘Arsh’s keepers what the secret could be!

Is the mankind’s reach really even to the ‘Arsh?
Has this pinch of dust also learned flight?

How ignorant of good manners the earth’s denizens are!
How bold and insolent these denizens of the low are!

Is he so insolent that  even  angry  with God he is?
Is he the same Man who once worshipped by angels was ?

He is the knower of Kamm , and of the enigmas of Kaif
But, he is unacquainted with the secrets of modesty

Mankind are proud of the power of their rhetoric
These ignorant people are incapable of talking”!

A voice came “Very pathetic is your story
Full of restless tears is your wine-measure

Your ecstatic clamor pervaded the celestial world
How bold in speech is your Loving heart !

You sweetened the Remonstrance with elegant graces
You established intercourse between God and His people

We 5 are inclined to Mercy, but there is no one to implore
Whom can we show the way ? There is no wayfarer to the destination

Jewel  polishing is common, but there is no proper jewel
There is no clay capable of being molded into ÿdam

We confer the glory of Kai on the deserving
We confer even a whole new world on those who search!

Arms are feeble, hearts are accustomed to apostasy
The ‘believers’ are a source of disgrace to the Prophet

Idol-breakers have departed, the rest are idol-makers
Though the father was Ibr«hâm8 the sons are ÿzar

The wine-drinkers, the wine, even the decanters are new
The sanctuary of the Ka‘bah, the idols, even you are new

There was a time when this alone was the source of Beauty
The wild tulip was the pride of the season of spring

Whichever Muslim there was, the Lover of God he was
A while ago your beloved this very Unfaithful was

Make the covenant of fealty now with some local one
Make the Ummah of the Holy Prophet a local one!

How difficult for you is waking up at the dawn!
You have no Love for Us, sleep is dear to you

Ramaî«n’s restriction is irksome to your  free nature
You tell us ! Is this the appropriate rule of fidelity?

A nation exists on the din, you cease to exist if the din does not exist
Without mutual attraction the assembly of stars does not exist

You are the ones who do not know any art in the world
You are the nation which does not care for its nest

You are the harvest which harbors the lightning
You are those who sell their ancestors’ graves

As you have earned a good name by selling graves
Will you not sell if idols of stone you get?

Who effaced false worship from the face of the world?
Who rescued the human race from slavery ?

Who adorned my Ka‘bah with their foreheads in Love?
Who put my Qur’an to their breasts in reverence?

They were surely your ancestors, but what are you ?
Sitting in idleness, waiting for tomorrow are you !

What did you say? “For the Muslim is only the promise of houri
Even if the Remonstrance be unreasonable decorum is necessary

Justice is the Creator of Existence’ custom since eternity
When the infidel adopts Muslim ways he receives  houris and palaces

Not a single one among you is longing for houris
The Effulgence of  ñër exists but there is no Mës«

The gain of this nation is one, also the loss is one
Only one is the prophet of all, dân is one, ¥m«n is one

The Holy £aram is one, God is one, Qur’«n also is one
Would it have been very difficult for Muslims to be one

Sects abound somewhere and somewhere are castes!
Are these the ways to progress in the world?

Who is the renouncer of the laws of the Holy Prophet?
The criterion for whose actions is expediency of time ?

Who is enamored with the customs of the enemies
Whose thinking is disgusted with ancestors’ ways?

No warmth is in the heart, no feeling is in the soul
There is no respect for the message of Muéammad in you!

If some array themselves in mosques, it is the poor
If some endure the discomfort of fasting it is the poor

If some are reverent to Us it is the poor
If some hide your faults it is the poor

The rich in their arrogance of wealth are negligent of Us
The Millat-i-Baiî« is alive on the strength of the poor

That mature thinking of the nation’s preacher is gone
That natural lightning is gone, fiery speeches are gone

The ritual of adh«n has persisted, the spirit of Bil«l13 is gone
Philosophy has persisted, the teaching of Ghaz«lâ14 is gone

Mosques  are lamenting that the reciters of prayers are gone
That is those with attributes of £ij«z’ people are gone

Clamor is that Muslims have disappeared from the world
We ask whether the Muslims were present anywhere?

In fashion you are Christians, in culture you are Hindus
Are these Muslims !  Who put the Jews to embarrassment!

Sure, you are even Saiyyid, Mirza and Afghan also
You are all these, say whether you are Musalmans also?

During speech the candor of the Muslim was fearless
His justice was strong, undefiled by consideration of bias

The tree of Muslim’s nature was watered with modesty
In valor he was an incomprehensible existence

Internal warmth was the essence of his wine’s quality
To empty itself was the custom of his decanter

Every Muslim was a lancet for the vein of infidelity
Activism was the polish to the mirror of his life

Whatever trust he had, on his own strength  it was
You are afraid of death, he afraid of God alone was

If the art of the father not well-known to the son be
How can the son worthy of the heritage of the father be!

Everyone is intoxicated with the wine of indulgence
Are you Muslims? To you is this the way of Islam?

You have neither the faqr of  Haidar nor the wealth of Uthman
What spiritual relation between you and your ancestors exists?

They were respected in the world by being Muslims
And you became disgraced by abandoning the Qur’«n

You are indignant to each other, beneficent they were
You are guilty and prying into guilts, forgiving and merciful they were

Though everybody wants to reach the zenith of  Thurayyah
Every body must first cultivate that kind of affable heart

The throne of Faghfër was theirs, the crown of  Kai  also
Is this all mere empty talk or you have that ardor also?

You are self-destructive, zealous and self-respecting they were
You flee from brotherhood, lovers and brotherhood they were

You are head to foot talk, action incarnate they were
You tantalize for flower-bud, with garden in their lap they were

Even now nations remember their story
Impressed on existence’s sheet is their fidelity!

Like stars on the nation’s horizon you appeared also
In the Indian idol’s love you became a Brahman also

In the love for flying you became separated from the nest also
Indolent were the youth already, became suspicious of dân also

They have been freed from every restraint by ‘civilization’
Having been brought from Ka‘bah, they have been settled in the temple

Qais may not continue enduring hardships of seclusion in the wilderness
May stroll in the city, may not remain wandering in wilderness

He is insane, he may or may not in the city remain
It is necessary the Lailah’s veil may not remain

Let there be no wailing against ‘tyranny’ or complaint of ‘injustice’
Love is free, why should not the Beauty be free also?

The new age is a lightning, consuming every barn is
Safe from this no wilderness and no rose-garden is

Of  this new fire old nations are the fuel
The Ummah of the last Prophet is set afire

If the ¥m«n of Ibrahim is acquired even now
Fire can create the garden’s norm even now

The gardener should not be upset by seeing the garden’s state
Branches are about to appear from the bunches of buds

The garden will be cleared soon of the waste and trash
The red of the martyrs’ blood will be producing rose buds

Look a little the color of the sky somewhat red is
This the glowing of the horizon by the rising sun is!

Some nations in the existence’s garden benefited from their labors are
And some deprived of fruits and even destroyed by autumn are

Hundreds of trees deteriorated and hundreds flourishing are
Hundreds still even concealed in the bosom of the garden are

The tree of Islam a model of flourishing is
This the fruit of eons of gardening efforts is

Your skirt is undefiled by the dust of homeland
You are the Yësuf18 for whom every Egypt is  Kan’«n19

It will never be possible to destroy your caravan
Nothing except the ‘Clarions’s Call’ are your chattel

You are a candle-like tree, in its flame’s smoke your roots are
Your thoughts free from the care of the end are

You will not be destroyed by the destruction of Iran
Wine’s ecstasy is not connected with its container

It is evident from the story of the invasion of Tatars
That  Ka‘bah got protectors from the temple

You are the support of the boat of God in the world
The present age is night, you are a glimmering star

This tumult of Bulgaria’s invasion which is afoot
Is the message of awakening for the negligent

You think this is the plan for hurting your sentiments
This is a test of your sacrifice and your self respect

Why are you afraid of the hooves of the enemies’ horses ?
The enemies’ blows will be unable to extinguish the light of the Truth

Your potential is still hidden from the world’s nations
The assembly of existence still has need for you

The whole world is kept alive by your warmth
Your Khil«fah is the star of the possibility’s destiny

There is no time for leisure, there is work to be done
Completion of the light of Tawéâd is still to be done

Like fragrance you are contained in the flower-bud, become scattered
Become the chattel traveling on the wings of the breeze of the rose-garden

If you are poor, changed from speck to the wilderness be
From the melody of the wave changed to tumult of the storm be

With the Love’s power elevate every low to elegance
With Muéammad’s name illuminate the whole world

If there is no flower nightingale’s music should also not be
In the world’s garden smile of flower-buds should also not be

If there is no cup-bearer, wine, and decanter should also not be
Tawéâd’s assembly in the world and you should also not be

The system of the universe is stable by this very name
The existence’ pulse is warm with this very name

In the wilderness, on the mountain-side, in the plains it is
In the ocean, in the lap of the wave, in the storm it is

In China’s city, in Morocco’s desert it is
And concealed in the ¥m«n of the Muslim it is

The world’s eyes should witness this sight till eternity
The Elegance of the grandeur of “Rafa‘n« Laka Zikrak” should see

The majority people, that is the non-white world
The world which would nurture your martyrs

The world reared by the sun, the crescent’s world
What the people of  Love call the Bil«l’s world

Is agitated like mercury by this name
Is diving in Light like the Beloved

Intellect is your shield, Love is your sword
My dervish ! Your viceregency is world-conquering

Your Takbâr like fire for Godlessness is
If you are Muslim your prudence your destiny is

If you are loyal to Muéammad we are yours
This universe is nothing the Tablet and the Pen are yours

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Farah Hussain

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Raah faqar daa tad ladhosee,
Jad hath pharheeosee kaasaa hoo.

Tark duneeaa ton tad thiosee,
Jad faqeer miliosee khaasaa hoo.

Dariaa wahadat nosh keetose,
Ajaan bhee jee piaasaa hoo.

Raah faqar rat hanjhoo rovan,
Lokaan bhaane haasaa hoo.

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I found the mystic path When I held the beggar’s bowl in hand,
Begging for the Master’s grace.

I could only truly renounce the world
After I had met my exalted Master.

Deep have I drunk from the ocean of oneness,
Yet my soul thirsts for more and more.

Tears of blood pave the way to God, O Bahu!
None but the ignorant will take this lightly.

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Roze, nafal, namaazaan, taqwaa,
Sabbho kamm hairaanee hoo.

Inheen galleen Rabb haasil naaheen,
Khud khwaanee khud daanee hoo.

Qadeem hamesh jalendaa milio,
So yaar yaar na jaanee hoo.

Virad vazeefe theen chhut raihsee,
Baahoo hosee jad faanee hoo.

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Fasting, prayers and rites of abstinence Only end in confusion.

God is not found through such means;
These are all but acts of vanity and self-promotion!

You have failed to recognize the beloved
Friend Who always lives within you.

You will save yourself from rites and rituals,
O Bahu, when you lose your being in God.

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Re-raihmat us ghar wich vasse,
Jitthe balde deeve hoo.

Ishq hawaaee charh gaee falkeen,
Kitthe jahaaz ghateeve hoo.

Aqal fikr dee berhee noon chaa,
Paihale poor burheeve hoo.

Har jaa jaanee disse Baahoo,
Jitwal nazar kacheeve hoo.

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Bliss and grace reign in the heart,
That glows with the light of love.

The sail of love has soared to the heavens,
Leaving the ship of thought and reason.

Without its motive power-sinking
On its very first attempt to cross the ocean of life.

From where I stand, In whatever direction my eyes turn,
I see only my Beloved, O Bahu.

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Zaahid zuhd kamaande thakke,
Roze, nafal, namaazaan hoo.

Aashiq gharq hoe wich wahadat,
Naal muhabbat raazaan hoo.

Makkhee qaid shahad wich hoee,
Keeh udsee sang baazaan hoo.

Jinhaan majlis naal nabee,
Oh saahib naaz nawaazaan hoo.

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The pious tire themselves out With austerities and fasts,
With worship and rituals, While lovers dissolve themselves
In the ocean of oneness.

Through love they acquire the secret of God!
Like a bee drowning in a jar of honey,
The worldly –minded are drowning in a jar of honey,
The worldly-minded are drowning in worldly pleasures.

They cannot soar to the spiritual heights of the mystics
Any more than a bee can fly with eagles!

Those who keep company with a
Master Are honored in God’s court, blessed with God’s grace.

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Zabaanee kalma har koee parhhdaa,
Dil daa kalmaa koee hoo.

Jitthe kalmaa dil daa parhhee-e,
Mile zabaan na dhoee hoo.

Dil daa kalmaa aashiq parhhde,
Jaanan yaar galoee hoo.

Kalmaa mainoon peer parhhaaiaa,
Sadaa suhaagan hoee hoo.

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Everyone recites the Kalma with his lips;
Rare is the person who recites it from the heart.

When the Kalma comes from the heart,
The spoken word has no value.

Only mystics know this Kalma of the heart.
What do they know, who only sing and preach?

My Master has taught me this secret Kalma;
I am now forever united with my Lord.

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Sabaq sifaatee soee parhde,
Jo vat hain naheen zatee hoo.

Ilmon-ilm unhaan noon hoiaa,
Aslee te asbaatee hoo.

Naal muhabbat nafs kuthone,
Kadh qazaa dee kaatee hoo.

Bahraa khaas unhaan noo jinhaan,
Laddhaa aab hayaatee hoo.

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Only those who practise his true Name
Know how to sing God’s praises.

They acquire through inner revelation,
The knowledge real and true!

Wielding the swerd of God’s will
They slay their ego with God’s love.

Those who find the water of eternal life
Acquire divine wisdom, O Bahu!

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Sun fariaad peeraan diaa peeraa,
Aakh sunaavaan kainoon hoo.

Tain jehaa mainoon hor na koee,
Main jeheeaan lakkh tainoon hoo.

Phol na kaaghaz badeeaan waale,
Dar ton dhakk na mainoon hoo.

Main wich aid gunaah na hunde,
Toon bakhshendon kainoon hoo.

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O Shah Jilani, Master of Masters! Listen to my supplication.
Who else will minister my needs? Who else will attend to my plight?

For me, there is no one like you;
But for you, there are forlorn millions like me.

Do not read the scroll of my evil deeds;
Pray shut not the door of remission on my soul!

But for a blatant sinner like me, says Bahu,
who would have given you such a chance
To exercise your forgiveness?

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Sun fariaad peeraan diaa peeraa,
Arz suneen kan dhar ke hoo.

Berha arhiaa wich kapraan,
Jith machh na baihnde dar ke hoo.

Shahh Jilaanee mahboob subhaanee,
Khabar lio jhat kar ke hoo.

Peer jinhaan daa Meeraan Baahoo,
Kaddhee lagde tarke hoo.

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O Shah Jilani, Master of Masters,
Listen intently to my supplication:

My ship is caught in perilous seas
Where even mighty whales dare not venture.

O Shah Jilani, beloved of God,
Make haste and come to my rescue!

Those who rely on you, O Meeran,
As their Master and Saviour,
Will safely swim across the ocean of life.

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Soz kanoon tan sarhiaa araa,
Dukkhaan dere laae hoo.

Kowel vaang kookendee vattaan,
Vanjena din zaae hoo.

Bol peehaa saawan aaiaa,
Maulaa meenh varsaae hoo.

Saabat sidq te qadam agohaan,
Eh gal yaar milaae hoo.

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My body is burning in the fire of longing;
The pain of separation has settled in my hart;
Like the ko’el I cry for the rain of God’s mercy.

Sing, O peeha, the rainy season has arrived!
Join me in my prayer for the water of life-
Lest the rainy season should end, the opportunity be lost.

O Bahu, firmness of faith, steadfast of purpose,
Will one day unite you with your beloved Friend.

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Sau hazaae tinhaan ton sadqe,
Jo na bolan phikkaa hoo

Lakkh hazaar tinhaan ton sadqe,
Jo gall karde hikkaa hoo

Lakkh karorah tinhaan ton sadqe,
Nafs rakhende jhikkaa hoo.

Neel padam tinhaan ton sadqe,
Son sadaavan sikkaa hoo.

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I could sacrifice myself a hundred times
To those who never say a dispiriting word;

A thousand times to those
Who stand firm by their word.

A million times could I make an offering of myself
To people who keep their ego on a leash;
And a billion times to the pure as gold,
Who present themselves as being like lead.

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Sai roze sai nafal namaazaan,
Sai sajde kar thakke hoo.

Makke hajj gae sai vaaree,
Dil dee daurh na mukke hoo.

Chille, chalee-e jangal bhauna,
Is gal theen na pakke hoo.

Sab matalab ho jaande haasil,
Peer nazar ik takke hoo.

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Endless fasts, prayers and worship,
And acts of prostration have worn me out.

A thousand times have I gone on pilgrimage to Mecca,
But that did not end the wanderings of my mind;

Nor did my retreats to the seclusion of the forest
Bring me the enlightenment I had sought.

But all the objectives of life are met, O Bahu,
When the Master bestows a merciful glance!

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Seene wich maqaam hai kaindaa,
Murshid gall sujhaaee hoo.

Eho saah jo aave jaave,
Hor naheen shai kaaee hoo.

Is noon Ism-al-Aazam aakhan,
Eho sirr Ilaahee hoo.

Eho maut hayaatee Baahoo,
Eho bhet Ilaahee hoo.

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My Master has explained to me
The reality of living in the heart:

It is called Ism-i-A’zam,
the Word of God- It is the divine mystery.

This Word is the breath of our lives;
Other than the Word nothing exists!

It brings life, it causes death;
In it lie all the secrets of God!

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Shariat de darwaaze uchche,
Raah faqar daa moree hoo.

Aalim faazil den na langhan,
Jo langhe so choree hoo.

Putt putt ittaan vatte maaran,
Dardmandaan de khoree hoo.

Raaz maahee daa aashiq jaanan,
Jaanan keeh athoree hoo.

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Lofty are the portals of religion;
Hard to find is the narrow path that leads to God.

Priests and scholars allow no one to find it;
They throw stones and rocks, they persecute Saints.

Lovers have only discovered this strait path
By keeping out of their sight.

Only lovers know the secret path to the Lord.
How can people driven by blind impulse find it?

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Shor shaihar te raihamat wasse,
Jitthe Baahoo jaale hoo.

Baaghbaanaa de boote vaangoon,
Taalib nit sambhaale hoo.

Naal nazaare rahmat waale,
Kharha huzooron paale hoo.

Naam faqeer tisse daa Baahoo,
Ghar wich yaar vikhaale hoo.

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May God’s grace descend on Shorekote,
Where Bahu lives!

Like a gardener who nurses his seedlings,
The Master always tends and protects his disciples:

He nourishes them from his court With his merciful glance.

Someone who shows you the Lord within your body
Deserves the name ‘Master’, O Bahu.

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Sift sanaaee mool na parhhde,
Jo pauhte wich zaatee hoo.

Ilm, amal unhaan wich hove,
Aslee te asbaatee hoo.

Naal muhabaat nafs kuthone,
Ghin razaa dee kaatee hoo.

Chaudaan tabq dile wich Baahoo,
Paa nadar dee jhaatee hoo.

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People who have attained the real Name of God
Do not sing hymms in temples.

They have learnt to practise the real Name;
They have acquired the true knowledge of his essence.

They have wielded the sword of God’s will;
They have slain their ego with God’s love.

All fourteen realms are within your heart,
O Bahu, if only you knew how to peep within!

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Soorat nafs ammaare dee,
Koee kuttaa gullar kaalaa hoo.

Kooke, nooke, lahoo peeve,
Mange charb nivaalaa hoo.

Khabbe paason andar baithaa,
Dil de naal sambhaalaa hoo.

Eh bad-bakht hai zaalim Baahoo,
Allaah karsee taalaa hoo.

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The stubborn ego is like an ugly, black dog
That howls and screams without end.

It eats your flesh, it drinks your blood;

It dwells in the left, shadowy side of your heart!

It is evil and accursed,
O Bahu- May the Lord save us all from its brutal attacks!

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Zaad-zarooree nafs kutte noon,
Qeema qeem kacheeve hoo.

Naal muhabbat zikr Allaah daa,
Dam dam piaa parheeve hoo.

Zikr kanoon Rabb haasil theendaa,
Zaato zaat diseeve hoo.

Doven jahaan ghulaam tinhaan de,
Jinhaan zaat labheeve hoo.

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The dog of ego must be slain and minced into bits
By the repetition of God’s Name.

Practised with love, with every breath of one’s life.

You can realize God with the repition of the Name,
And your soul can have The vision of its own divine Essence.

Heaven and earth become slaves of anyone, O Bahu,
Who has realized the Essence within himself.

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Taalib ben ke taalib hoven,
Ose noon piaa gaaven hoo.

Larh sache haadee daa pharh ke,
Oho toon ho jaaven hoo.

Kalme daa toon zikr kamaavan,
Kalme naal nahaaven hoo.

Allaah tainoon paak kare.
Je zaatee Ism kamaaven hoo.

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If you seek to meet God ardently,
Become a disciple of a true Master And sing his praises.

If you follow his instructions sincerely,
You will, one day, assume his very form.

By constant repitition of his Kalma
You will bathe yourself in its beatitude.

The Lord will purify you of all your sins, O Bahu,
If you practise that real Name of God.

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Taalib Ghaus-al-Aazam waale,
Kade na hovan maande hoo.

Jainde andar ishq dee rattee,
Raihan sadaa kurlaande hoo.

Jainoon shauq milan daa hove,
Lai khushiaan nit aande hoo.

Doven jahaan naseeb tinhaan,
Jo Zaatee Ism kamaande hoo.

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Put your faith in Ghaus-ul-A’zam,
And you will never be left in the lurch.

With just a grain of love in your heart,
You will spend your life Crying in the pain of separation.

If you long to meet the Lord ardently,
You will always obtain peace and happiness.

If you practise the real Name of God,
All bliss will be yours, O Bahu,
In this world and the world beyond.

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Zaahir wekhaan jaanee taaeen,
Naale andar seene hoo.

Birhon maari nit phiraan main,
Hassan lok naabeene hoo.

Main dil wichon hai shauh paaiaa,
Lokeen jaan madeene hoo.

Kahe faqeer Meeraan daa Baahoo,
Andar dilaan khazeene hoo.

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I see my Beloved in the world outside.
When I look within, I see him in my heart.

I wander around, worn down with the pain of longing;
The blind and ignorant mock and jeer.

I have found my Lord within my heart,
While the unenlightened go on pilgirmage to Mecca.

Says Bahu, the beggar at his Master’s door:
There are bountiful treasures within my heart.

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English translation: http://www.hazratsultanbahu.com

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