Abayat from Sultan Bahu on Priests and Scholars (thanks to Shahidain)
“Parh parh ilam mulook rijhaavan,
kiaa hoiaa is parhiaan hoo
Hargiz makkhan mool nah aave,
phitte dudh de karhiaan hoo
Aakh chandooraa hath keeh aaiaa,
es angooree phariaan hoo
Hik dil khastaa raazee rakkheen,
laieen ibaadat varahian hoo”
Priests and scholars parade their learning
to please the kings –
of what avail is such erudition?
Reading scriptures is like boiling curdled milk
in the false hope of obtaining butter.
No more profitable to them is their chanting
than is chirping to the mimicking chandoor.
If you bring inner comfort to a heart in distress,
you will earn the merit of years of worship.
“Parh parh ilam mushaikh sadaavan,
karan ibaadat dohree hoo
Andar jhuggee paee luteeve,
tan man khabar nah moree hoo
Maulaa waalee sadaa sukhaalee,
dil ton laah takoree hoo
Rabb tihnaan noon haasil, jihnaan
jag nah keetee choree hoo”
They think they have acquired great learning;
they call themselves sheikhs.
While they perform much outside worship,
they do not know the manner in which temptation,
like a thief, enters to ravage their hearts.
The soul that has attached herself to God
is forever at peace –
the smoke screen of illusion is lifted from her eyes.
Only they realize God, O Bahu,
whose hearts the world has not seduced.
(Translation by J.R.Puri/K.S.Khak)
For urdu or shahmukhi, the reader may use this
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu19.html
http://www.apnaorg.com/poetry/bahu/bahu18.html
