Bulleh Shah
Pakar saaf dile diyaan khavaabaan nu.
Gal aise ghar vich dhukkdi eh,
ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.
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.
Aiven mattha zimeen ghasaida,
lamma pa mahiraab dikhaida.
Phar kalma lok hasaida,
Dil andar samajh na liaaida.
Kadi baat sacchi vi lukdi eh,
Ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.
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.
Kaee haaji ban ban aaye ji,
Gal neele jaame paaye ji,
Haj baich takey le khaaye ji,
Bhala eh gal kinnu bhaaye ji.
Kadey baat sacchi vi lukdi eh,
Ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.
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.
Ik jangal bahireen jaande ni,
Ik daana roz le khaande ni.
Besamajh vajood thakkaande ni
Ghar aavan ho ke maande ni.
Aiven chilliyaan vich jind sukhdi eh,
Ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.
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
Phar murshad aabad khudai ho,
Vich masti beparvaahi ho,
Be khaahash be navaai ho,
Vich dil de khoob safai ho.
Bulla baat sacchi kadon rukdi eh,
Ik nuqte vich gal mukdi eh.
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
translation by Suman Kayshap
