.Abu Said Abul Khayr
(967-1049)
(967-1049)
“The sum total of your life is a breath spent in the company of the Beloved ”__Abul Khayr
Though burning has become an old habit of this heart…
…Though burning has become an old habit
Of this heart,
I dare not think of Your company.
What would a moth mean,
To the fire that burns the worlds?
Beloved, show me the way
Out of this prison
Make me needless of both worlds.
Pray, erase from the mind all
That is not but You.
Have mercy Beloved,
Though I am nothing but forgetfulness,
You are the essence of forgiveness.
Make me needless of all but You.
This corpse was given life…
This corpse was given life,
To find and fall in love with that Mystery,
Etched in sweet pain in the living heart.
Instead you thrash around,
Sick and unfulfilled,
Seeking life from the other corpses.
The deeper your involvement here…
…The deeper your involvement here,
The harsher your pains and sufferings.
Donkeys with colourful ornaments and loud bells,
Are groomed for heavier loads...!
…Though burning has become an old habit
Of this heart,
I dare not think of Your company.
What would a moth mean,
To the fire that burns the worlds?
Beloved, show me the way
Out of this prison
Make me needless of both worlds.
Pray, erase from the mind all
That is not but You.
Have mercy Beloved,
Though I am nothing but forgetfulness,
You are the essence of forgiveness.
Make me needless of all but You.
This corpse was given life…
This corpse was given life,
To find and fall in love with that Mystery,
Etched in sweet pain in the living heart.
Instead you thrash around,
Sick and unfulfilled,
Seeking life from the other corpses.
The deeper your involvement here…
…The deeper your involvement here,
The harsher your pains and sufferings.
Donkeys with colourful ornaments and loud bells,
Are groomed for heavier loads...!
Omar Khayyam
(1048 –1131)
(1048 –1131)
“He who has one enemy, shall meet him everywhere”.
__Omar Khayyam
Quatrains
1. There was a Door to which I found no Key
There was a Veil past which I could not see:
Some little talk awhile of me and Thee
There seemed _ and then no more of Thee and me
2. Earth could not answer; nor the seas that mourn
In flowing Purple, of their Lord forlorn;
Nor Heaven, with those eternal signs reveal’d
And hidden by the sleeve of night and morn.
3. Whose secret Presence, through creation's veins
Running quicksilver-like eludes your pains;
Taking all shapes from mah to mahi ;
And they change and perish all but He remains.
1. There was a Door to which I found no Key
There was a Veil past which I could not see:
Some little talk awhile of me and Thee
There seemed _ and then no more of Thee and me
2. Earth could not answer; nor the seas that mourn
In flowing Purple, of their Lord forlorn;
Nor Heaven, with those eternal signs reveal’d
And hidden by the sleeve of night and morn.
3. Whose secret Presence, through creation's veins
Running quicksilver-like eludes your pains;
Taking all shapes from mah to mahi ;
And they change and perish all but He remains.
Ahmad Yasawi
(1093–1166)
“Wisdom is AlmightyAllah’s blessing for those who repent at dawn”.__ Ahmad Yasawi
(1093–1166)
“Wisdom is AlmightyAllah’s blessing for those who repent at dawn”.__ Ahmad Yasawi
The market of Love is Sublime
The market of Love is Sublime
Where trade is forbidden For the lovers,
Seeking anything other than You,
Is forbidden…!
For those who adhere to the path of love,
This world is forbidden
Dear Lord!
Whatever You Gracious Intent be,
Grant me the Eternal blessings,
Of your everlasting Love…!
When Your Kind Love is felt,
The soul and flesh are burnt
When Your Kind Love is felt,
It destroys arrogance and conceit
O Allah!
The market of Love is Sublime
Where trade is forbidden For the lovers,
Seeking anything other than You,
Is forbidden…!
For those who adhere to the path of love,
This world is forbidden
Dear Lord!
Whatever You Gracious Intent be,
Grant me the Eternal blessings,
Of your everlasting Love…!
When Your Kind Love is felt,
The soul and flesh are burnt
When Your Kind Love is felt,
It destroys arrogance and conceit
O Allah!
If there were no Blessings of Your Divine Love,
Nobody would have known You
Dear Lord!
Whatever You Gracious Intent be,
Grant me the Eternal blessings,
Of your everlasting Love…!
Blessed with the Divine Love,
Blessed with the Divine Love,
You fall into fire;
You are burned…!
You die…!
Transcending the mortal life,
You become an ember …!
Like a wandering butterfly,
You suffer the agony,
You become insane…!
If you ask about the pain of love,
It, by no means, has a remedy…!
Blessings be upon the Esteemed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ!
Many peace and blessings be upon you
O the Esteemed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ!
Endless praises to you,
O the Esteemed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ!
Those who are from your umma, (i.e. the whole Muslim community)
Those who are blessed with your intercession,
Become the dwellers of Paradise,
They are indeed the Truly Blessed!
O the Esteemed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ!
Dear Lord!
Whatever You Gracious Intent be,
Grant me the Eternal blessings,
Of your everlasting Love…!
Blessed with the Divine Love,
Blessed with the Divine Love,
You fall into fire;
You are burned…!
You die…!
Transcending the mortal life,
You become an ember …!
Like a wandering butterfly,
You suffer the agony,
You become insane…!
If you ask about the pain of love,
It, by no means, has a remedy…!
Blessings be upon the Esteemed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ!
Many peace and blessings be upon you
O the Esteemed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ!
Endless praises to you,
O the Esteemed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ!
Those who are from your umma, (i.e. the whole Muslim community)
Those who are blessed with your intercession,
Become the dwellers of Paradise,
They are indeed the Truly Blessed!
O the Esteemed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ!
Farīd ud-Dīn: Attar of Nishapur
(c. 1145 – c. 1221)
“Man has only to look within himself to find God."
_Attar of Nishapur
(c. 1145 – c. 1221)
“Man has only to look within himself to find God."
_Attar of Nishapur
Man
Man, what thou art, is hidden from thyself.
Knowest not that morning, mid-day, and the eve,
All are within thee
The ninth heaven art thou,
And from the spheres into this roar of time,
Didst fall ere while.
Thou art the brush that painted
The hues of this entire world,
The light of life,
That rayed its glory on the nothingness.
(Selected Verses from: The Conference of the Birds)
…A voice from Heav'n amid the stillness said:
'The Royal Road is not for all to tread,
Nor is the Royal Palace for the rout,
Who, even if they reach it, are shut out.
The Blaze that from my Harim window breaks,
With fright the rabble of the roadside takes;
And ev'n of those that at my portal din,
Thousands may knock for one that enters in.
Ibn Al Farid
(1181 – 1234)
“No anguish of love was there when the tear-ducts were dry, nor ever true ardour wherein the heart’s longings were not stirred.”
__Ibn Al Farid
O my reproacher, seek what thou wilt of me…
… O my reproacher, seek what thou wilt of me,
And thou shalt find it in me,
Save only to be forgetful of Him,
Who hath mastered and possesseth,
The whole of human beauty.
The Joyous Essence…
My entire existence sees him,
…in every delicate, clear, joyous essence,
In the tune of the melodious lute and flute,
When they blend together in trilling strains
And in luxurious pasturage of gazelles
In the coolness of twilight
In the first rays of dawning,
And in misty rains falling from a cloud
On a carpet woven of flowers ,
Where the breeze sweeps her train,
Guiding me to the adorable fragrance
At the splendid dawn…!
Ibn Arabi
(1165- 1240)
“While you are alive, your worldly self is like a collector of benefits from Allah's bounties, which come to you from myriads of hands.”
_ Ibn Arabi
Prohibition….
...Prohibition arises
From the stain of temporal origination –
Say not, 'My vicegerency releases me.'
Beware! Your vicegerency limits you!
Where is release
When the door of your engendered existence is open?
You are the Guide…
…You are the Guide who, over the mistaken one,
Lays the veil of his intercession.
You are the secret in the idols,
and if not for You,
[the idolaters] would neither adore the tree nor the star;
Nor would they do as many good deeds as they do.
Put on the mantle…
…Put on the mantle [of God-fearing],
For man's best vestment is God-fearing,
Which is the truest Religion and the strongest world.
None fear God except every discerning one,
Chosen and guided,
Whom God has distinguished.
Fariduddin Ganjshakar (Baba Farid)
(1179 –1266)
Do not follow a truth which resembles a lie”.
__Baba Farid
Before my eyes, myriads have passed into the yond…
…Before my eyes, myriads have passed into the yond,
Farid, others are concerned with their fate and I am with my own.
Farid, black is thy dress and black thy gown
But sinful is thy within, and they call thee a God's man.
The creator Lord, O Farid, lives in His creation,
And the creation lives in its God,
Who is the one to call bad
When there is no one in whom God is not manifested?
(1179 –1266)
Do not follow a truth which resembles a lie”.
__Baba Farid
Before my eyes, myriads have passed into the yond…
…Before my eyes, myriads have passed into the yond,
Farid, others are concerned with their fate and I am with my own.
Farid, black is thy dress and black thy gown
But sinful is thy within, and they call thee a God's man.
The creator Lord, O Farid, lives in His creation,
And the creation lives in its God,
Who is the one to call bad
When there is no one in whom God is not manifested?
Farid, if you perceive the truth…
…Farid, if you perceive the truth,
Do not indulge in evil deeds,
Delve deep into your being,
Realize the futility of earthly needs.
Farid, if you are maltreated,
Do not react with violence,
Visit the other and kiss his feet
In humility and affection…!
Jalal ad- Din Muhammad Rumi
(1207-1273)
“By Thy Grace, I keep fixed on eternity my amorous gaze”
__ Rumi
Quietness
Inside this new Love, die!
Your way begins on the other side.
Become the sky.
Take an axe to the prison wall.
Escape.
Walk out like someone suddenly born into color
Do it now.
You're covered with thick cloud.
Slide out the side.
Die, and be quiet.
Quietness is the surest sign that you've died.
Your old life was a frantic running from silence.
The speechless full moon comes out now.
Any soul that drank the nectar of your passion…
Any soul that drank the nectar of your passion was lifted.
(1207-1273)
“By Thy Grace, I keep fixed on eternity my amorous gaze”
__ Rumi
Quietness
Inside this new Love, die!
Your way begins on the other side.
Become the sky.
Take an axe to the prison wall.
Escape.
Walk out like someone suddenly born into color
Do it now.
You're covered with thick cloud.
Slide out the side.
Die, and be quiet.
Quietness is the surest sign that you've died.
Your old life was a frantic running from silence.
The speechless full moon comes out now.
Any soul that drank the nectar of your passion…
Any soul that drank the nectar of your passion was lifted.
From that water of life; he is in a state of elation.
Death came, smelled me, and sensed Your fragrance instead.
From then on, death lost all hope of me.
All through Eternity
All through eternity,
All through eternity,
Beauty unveils His exquisite Form
In the solitude of nothingness;
He holds a mirror to His Face
And beholds His own Beauty.
He is the Knower and the Known,
The Seer and the Seen;
No eye but His own
Has ever looked upon this universe.
His every quality finds an expression:
Eternity becomes the verdant field
Of Time and Space;
Love, the life-giving garden of this world.
Every branch and leaf and fruit
Reveals an aspect of His perfection-
The cypress gives hint of His majesty,
The rose gives tidings of His beauty.
Whenever Beauty looks,
Love is also there.
Whenever beauty shows a rosy cheek,
Love lights her fire from that flame.
When beauty dwells in the dark folds of night,
Love comes and finds a heart.
Entangled in tresses.
Beauty and Love are as body and soul.
Beauty is the mine, Love is the diamond.
They have been together
Since the beginning of time-
Side by side, step by step…!
Younis Emre
(1238–1320)
“To love the world is to be afflicted.”
― Yunus Emre
To be a slave to a king who can never be dethroned…
…To be a slave to a king who can never be dethroned,
To lean on a threshold whence none can be wrested,
To be a bird and fly to a far-off place,
To drink of a wine of which there is no sobering.
To be a strong swimmer and plunge into the sea,
To bring out a jewel that no jeweler knows,
To enter a garden and take pleasure,
To sniff a rose that never fades,
Man must be a lover…!
To find his true beloved,
While burning in the fire of love
Yunus, desist from the thought of existence,
Turn your face in worship,
Our laws are different from other laws…
…Our laws are different from other laws,
Our religion is like no other.
It is different from the seventy-two sects.
We are guided by different signs,
In this world and hereafter.
Without the cleansing of visible waters,
Without any movement of hands, feet or head –
We worship…!
Mahmoud Shabestari
(1288–1340)
Penetrate the heart of just one drop of water, and you will be flooded by a hundred oceans.”
― Mahmud Shabistari
The Unknowable
Ponder on God's mercies,
But not on His Essence.
His attributes come forth from His Essence,
Not His Essence from His Attributes.
His Light shines on the whole universe,
Yet He Himself is hidden from the universe.
The Written Faith
Read the writing on your heart,
And you will understand whatever you desire,
For on the day He kneaded the clay,
He wrote on your heart, by grace, the Faith.
Selflessness
In the empty heart, void of self,
Can be heard the echoing cry,
" I am the Truth."
Thus is man one with the Eternal,
The Travelling, the travel and the traveler,
Have become one...!
The Atoms
Take one atom away from its place
And the whole world will fall to pieces;
The world is whirling dizzily,
Yet not a single part moves from the limit of its place.
Each atom, held in bondage,
Despairs at its separation from the whole;
So though imprisoned, yet moves,
Though unclothed, yet is clothed,
Though at rest, yet is always wandering,
Never beginning and never ending;
Each possessing self-knowledge, and so,
Hurrying towards the throne on High.
Each atom hides beneath its veil,
The soul-amazing Beauty of the Beloved's Face…!
Hafiz Shirazi
(1315-1390)
“I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being”
__Hafiz Shirazi
Passage of time and the stars…
…Passage of time and the stars,
Are but what we fantasize,
For compassion and kindness,
It is never too late!
In the circle of wine and roses,
Nightingale’s song is dear,
With the aroma and the wine,
Your senses satiate.
O Thou Compassionate one,
Life-Giver and the Wise,
One day bestow Thy Grace,
Upon this mendicant’s state.
O breeze, my story quietly share…
…O breeze, my story quietly share,
My heart’s secrets, to whoever you care.
Tell not to upset or bring sorrow,
Share them with a heart that’s aware
My weary heart eternal silence keeps…
…My weary heart eternal silence keeps_
I know not who has slipped into my heart;
Though I am silent, one within me weeps.
My soul shall rend the painted veil apart.
Where art thou, Minstrel?
Touch thy saddest strings.
Till clothed in music such as sorrow sings,
My mournful story from thy zither sweeps.
The Jewel of the secret treasury…
…The Jewel of the secret treasury,
Is still the same as once it was;
The seal upon Love’s treasure- casket, and the key,
Are still what thieves can neither break nor steal;
Still among lovers, loyalty is found,
And therefore, faithful eyes still strew the ground
With the same pearls
That mine once strewed for thee.
Nūr ad-Dīn 'Abd ar-Rahmān Jami
(1414 –1492)
“Love finds its omega when it transcends itself…
Reaching the unity of being”.
__Jami
The Sea of Being
Being 's a sea in constant billows rolled,
'Tis but these billows that we men behold ;
Sped from within, they rest upon the sea,
And like a veil its actual form enfolded.
Being is the Essence of the Lord of all,
All things exist in Him and He in all ;
This is the meaning of the Gnostic phrase
“All things are comprehended in the All”
Self dies in Love!
I shall roll up the carpet of life when I see
Thy dear face again, and shall cease to be,
For self will be lost in that rapture, and all
The threads of my thought from my hand will fail;
Not me wilt thou find, for this self would have fled:
Thou wilt be my soul in my own soul's stead.
All thought of self will be swept from my mind,
And thee, only Thee, in my place shall I find ;
More Precious than heaven, than earth more Dear,
My self were forgotten if Thou wert near.
The Agony of Separation… (Jami’s renowned verses, written in love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)
The agony of separation has broken down my entire being;
Intense is the torment; my soul has been fragmented…!
The painful ordeal has thus shattered my soul, O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
My unbridled heart has been enervated by the plague of sins, O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
If You ﷺ ever grace my deprived being with your (ﷺ ) esteemed presence,
I shall gleefully sacrifice my soul to your sacred Na'layn, (the blessed shoes), O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
Profoundly is my soul inundated in Your ﷺ Love;
The elegant bond of your compassionate love, binds my heart;
I can never claim that I may ever know the etiquettes
Of expressing my Divine Love for You , O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
My transgressions torment me; my sins have blackened my heart,
I am distressed, I am distressed, I am distressed, O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
When you ﷺ raise your noble hands to intercede for the sinners,
Then do not deprive Jami of your (ﷺ) exalted intercession
, O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
Sultan Bahu
(1630–1691)
“The heavenly ascension demands sacrifice”
__Sultan Bahu
I shall roll up the carpet of life when I see
Thy dear face again, and shall cease to be,
For self will be lost in that rapture, and all
The threads of my thought from my hand will fail;
Not me wilt thou find, for this self would have fled:
Thou wilt be my soul in my own soul's stead.
All thought of self will be swept from my mind,
And thee, only Thee, in my place shall I find ;
More Precious than heaven, than earth more Dear,
My self were forgotten if Thou wert near.
The Agony of Separation… (Jami’s renowned verses, written in love of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)
The agony of separation has broken down my entire being;
Intense is the torment; my soul has been fragmented…!
The painful ordeal has thus shattered my soul, O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
My unbridled heart has been enervated by the plague of sins, O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
If You ﷺ ever grace my deprived being with your (ﷺ ) esteemed presence,
I shall gleefully sacrifice my soul to your sacred Na'layn, (the blessed shoes), O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
Profoundly is my soul inundated in Your ﷺ Love;
The elegant bond of your compassionate love, binds my heart;
I can never claim that I may ever know the etiquettes
Of expressing my Divine Love for You , O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
My transgressions torment me; my sins have blackened my heart,
I am distressed, I am distressed, I am distressed, O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
When you ﷺ raise your noble hands to intercede for the sinners,
Then do not deprive Jami of your (ﷺ) exalted intercession
, O Prophet ﷺ of Allah.
Sultan Bahu
(1630–1691)
“The heavenly ascension demands sacrifice”
__Sultan Bahu
Alif: Allah is a jasmine bud…!
Alif Allah is a jasmine bud
Which the preceptor has planted in my heart,
O Hu!
By the water of negation and positive statement
It remained near the jugular vein and everywhere_
O Hu!
It spread fragrance inside,
When it approached the time of blossom,
O, Hu!
May the Efficient Preceptor live long says Bahu
Who planted this plant,
O Hu!
Engrossed in learning and logic
…Engrossed in learning and logic,
The alphabet of Love is forgotten.
Separated from the Master,
There is no learning, no wisdom
There is light in the fourteen spheres;
The learned blind sees no reflection
Bereft of the union with my Love Bahu,
There is nothing but the tales of dejection !
Within and Without…
Within and without, in and out,
There is resonance of my Love
There are beats of His Rhythm
In union there is light,
In separation there is darkness.
Bahu is the slave in the two worlds
Who serves his Master in every breath
In every movement of his heart …
Abdur Rahmān Mohmand (Rahman Baba)
(1632–1706)
“The ignorant (of the path of God) is like a corpse while the cognizant is like ʿĪsā ibn Maryam (The Prophet Jesus (alayhi s-salām))"
__Abdur Rahmān Mohmand
I am content with the black dust of your door;
I am content with the black dust of Your door;
But grieved to think of paradise without You.
Ever since I have been able to see You,
I have become oblivious to the sights of the world.
Besides Your beautiful face, I seek no other;
Not so much as the eye of a needle.
How can your lovers joyful be?
How can your lovers joyful be,
If practicing idolatry?
....What wounded heart can find release?
What medicine will do?
I sense, that you have turned aside
I suffer from my rivals' pride
I'm killed in either way…!
If one may love Plato's tune,
To me he'll always be Manjun
I am a watchdog in your lane
…No dog is subject to such pain
And yet I suffer the most,
A dog wants naught, Rahman wants you
This single goal I must pursue,
Whatever be your will…!
I am…
My good disposition makes me oblivious to ill wishers;
I am as gentle as water, and a punishment for fire.
I appear to all, to suit their own images;
I am faceless , without hypocrisy; like a mirror!
Contentment is the satin cloth under my patched cloak;
Though I appear to be a beggar,
Yet secretly am amongst the kings.
Like a bouquet that is silent,
with a hundred tongues __expressing Love;
Like scent, I speak without a tongue.
I gained my beloved’s sight through tears;
Like the dew I am one with the flower.
I will be recognized by these white clothes;
I am like clouds, like a pearl, like a river.
…Like a cypress I am always fresh and green.
If someone has lost the path of love;
I, Rahman, am the guide of the wayward.
Abdul Qadir Bedil
(1642–1720)
“How can you understand the secrets of a sea when you do not have the ears of a whirlpool?”
_ Bedil
How pleasant was the time
How pleasant was the time
When in the banquet house of Eternity,
There was a wine without its effects
Transcending the thought of the temporal
Free from the attributes
Neither indebted to appetite, nor in need of taste
Beyond the reach of the goblet and the cup…!
All is invisible here
All is invisible here
All is hidden, nothing is apparent.
It is impossible to see The Absolute Beauty
That who drew the curtain, is not here
Because of Your Existence,
All non-existence has hopes
For it is said: “There is Allah when there is nothing…!”.
Transcendence was a lamp of Its chamber
Transcendence was a lamp of its chamber
Sanctity was a blossom of Its garden
Quietness breathed a melodious song in its assembly
Bewilderment grew flowers in its orchard
Neither the cup had opened its eyes on the bearer’s hands,
Nor was the melody aware of the minstrel’s tune
There was neither sorrow, nor joy; neither autumn, nor spring
Neither the wine’s exhilaration, nor the drunken headache
In the unseen tavern of Divinity,
The cup-bearer, the wine, the bacchanal, were all drunk together
The flute, the melody, and the heart-ravishing minstrel,
Were all hidden behind the curtain of the instrument of Unity…!
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
(1689 –1752)
“Those who adopt self-abnegation, shall reach the destination”
__Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
The Wayward Heart…
O camel, cease thy lingering
And lengthen out thy pace
This once my loved one, bring me nigh
Then in thine ears, there cannot ring
The semblance of a yearning sigh
For thee, I bring the sandal-wood
Let others’ saltbush eat
This very moment be thine the mood
To take me where my loved one stood
That there we twain may meet
The camel, mother, for my needs,
I brought and tied beside the tree
When he on wealth of buds might feast
He, sneaking, on thesaltbush feeds
The mean and miserable beast,
Undoing all my work for me…!
The stupid brute! I yell and yell
That in the milkbush, there’s no zest
Yon poison bush in many’s knell
But hath his silly head obsessed!
Around in plenty for his need
Is ripened scrub of sandal-wood
The sulky grumbler pays no heed
And makes me weep my tears in blood!
And wilt thou thus, O camel, pass
The sandalwood nor drink thy fill?
Thou seekest not the fragrant grass
But spurnest it as something ill
It must be thy distorted mood
That madethee find the salt-bush good.
Arise and bind him!
Let him free and he will lose himself and roam.
I feed him and he sulkier gets.
Saddle him up when he frets
With shackled feet, still growl will he
But will not wander far from home.
To keep him save, I tied him up
The shackles bound with tug and strain.
The beast has gone with hobbles on
To eat the salt-bush once again!
O Lord, into this camel’s head,
Put something that in sense doth share.
O save him Lord of Mercy, save;
Such is Latif, the poet’s prayer!
Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri (Baba Bulleh Shah)
(1680–1757)
“You have read a thousand books,
have you ever read your self ?”
__Baba Bulleh Shah
Bullah, can I know who I am
…Bullah, can I know who I am.
Neither have I joined the faithful in the mosque
Nor have I found myself
Amongst the pagan disciples
I do not raise my finger with the righteous;
Nor do I have my peace with the condemned.
Neither Moses (alayhi s-salām) nor Pharoah.
…I do not discover myself
In the sensual surrender.
Neither concealed by the profane ecstasy
Of intoxication,
Nor made manifest by the holy Vedas.
I am not contained by the wary eye of wakefulness,
Nor in what is revealed by sleep.
No pleasure or pain,
Revelry or remorse,
I am not disposed towards fire, air, water and dust.
I am neither a Hindu nor a Turk or Peshawari
My identity lies neither in the wilderness of Arabia,
Nor within the walls of Lahore.
I am not the secret essence,
Strenuously revealed by creed and religion.
I was not born Adam (A.S) or Eve (A.S)
I did not adopt any name;
Nor can I own any.
I am neither static nor kinetic.
Can I know who am I?
I am the beginning and the end.
I do not recognize any other being.
Perception and knowledge lie within my self
Then who is He that stands as the other?
And who am I?
Can I know Bullah?
Abdul Wahab Farooqi (Sachal Sarmast)
(1739–1827)
“Friend, this is the only way to learn the secret way”.
(Sachal Sarmast)
If You be Mine…!
…May You be pleased, O Beautiful One
If You be mine,
I shall do what pleases You
Blackened with ashes,
I shall follow the ascetic life,
Wandering like hermits…!
If You be pleased with austerities,
I shall wear a loincloth,
Or be a bare yogi.
If You be mine,
I shall drink,
The intoxicating cup of Wine.
If You only take me in Your Kind Refuge,
And grant me Your Enduring Love,
I shall become a juggler,
Scaling the poles dreamily,
Swaying madly on the ropes,
If You be mine…
In a frenzied ecstasy,
Forgetful of my being,
I shall dance frantically
In many a crowded bazaar,
With drums and flutes,
If the charm of Your Love could be won,
If You be mine …!
Sachu asks for devising a thousand means
I am Your admirer, O Lord
May You some day think of Your dog…
True are the Words of my Master
Sire! The Pledge was made once:
That You shall be with us every moment_
We have been entranced ever since!
…May You be pleased, O Beautiful One!
I shall blissfully do what pleases You!
Who am i?
I do not know…
Who I really am!
Perhaps a puppet,
Perhaps the thread on which it hangs,
Perhaps a ball in the hand of the Beloved!
Perhaps a yoke with heavy burden!
Perhaps a castle,
Where the king sits and reflects…
Perhaps a horse, guided by a rider!
Perhaps a wave of the ocean
Which drowns the outward being!
Perhaps a henna-flower!
Perhaps a fragrant rose!
Perhaps a nameless fountain,
Nourished by a cloud,
Reflecting the sun beams.
Perhaps a moon!
Perhaps the mirror of God,
Since pre-eternity,
In a pre-verbal state,
Transcending the conceivable!
Perhaps I don’t exist at all!
Khwaja Ghulam Farid
(1845–1901)
“The “Hidden Treasure” testifies love itself. Originally, Wujud (Existence) inspired itself with love; it caused the entire universe.”
__Khwaja Ghulam Farid
Let others’ saltbush eat
This very moment be thine the mood
To take me where my loved one stood
That there we twain may meet
The camel, mother, for my needs,
I brought and tied beside the tree
When he on wealth of buds might feast
He, sneaking, on thesaltbush feeds
The mean and miserable beast,
Undoing all my work for me…!
The stupid brute! I yell and yell
That in the milkbush, there’s no zest
Yon poison bush in many’s knell
But hath his silly head obsessed!
Around in plenty for his need
Is ripened scrub of sandal-wood
The sulky grumbler pays no heed
And makes me weep my tears in blood!
And wilt thou thus, O camel, pass
The sandalwood nor drink thy fill?
Thou seekest not the fragrant grass
But spurnest it as something ill
It must be thy distorted mood
That madethee find the salt-bush good.
Arise and bind him!
Let him free and he will lose himself and roam.
I feed him and he sulkier gets.
Saddle him up when he frets
With shackled feet, still growl will he
But will not wander far from home.
To keep him save, I tied him up
The shackles bound with tug and strain.
The beast has gone with hobbles on
To eat the salt-bush once again!
O Lord, into this camel’s head,
Put something that in sense doth share.
O save him Lord of Mercy, save;
Such is Latif, the poet’s prayer!
Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri (Baba Bulleh Shah)
(1680–1757)
“You have read a thousand books,
have you ever read your self ?”
__Baba Bulleh Shah
Bullah, can I know who I am
…Bullah, can I know who I am.
Neither have I joined the faithful in the mosque
Nor have I found myself
Amongst the pagan disciples
I do not raise my finger with the righteous;
Nor do I have my peace with the condemned.
Neither Moses (alayhi s-salām) nor Pharoah.
…I do not discover myself
In the sensual surrender.
Neither concealed by the profane ecstasy
Of intoxication,
Nor made manifest by the holy Vedas.
I am not contained by the wary eye of wakefulness,
Nor in what is revealed by sleep.
No pleasure or pain,
Revelry or remorse,
I am not disposed towards fire, air, water and dust.
I am neither a Hindu nor a Turk or Peshawari
My identity lies neither in the wilderness of Arabia,
Nor within the walls of Lahore.
I am not the secret essence,
Strenuously revealed by creed and religion.
I was not born Adam (A.S) or Eve (A.S)
I did not adopt any name;
Nor can I own any.
I am neither static nor kinetic.
Can I know who am I?
I am the beginning and the end.
I do not recognize any other being.
Perception and knowledge lie within my self
Then who is He that stands as the other?
And who am I?
Can I know Bullah?
Abdul Wahab Farooqi (Sachal Sarmast)
(1739–1827)
“Friend, this is the only way to learn the secret way”.
(Sachal Sarmast)
If You be Mine…!
…May You be pleased, O Beautiful One
If You be mine,
I shall do what pleases You
Blackened with ashes,
I shall follow the ascetic life,
Wandering like hermits…!
If You be pleased with austerities,
I shall wear a loincloth,
Or be a bare yogi.
If You be mine,
I shall drink,
The intoxicating cup of Wine.
If You only take me in Your Kind Refuge,
And grant me Your Enduring Love,
I shall become a juggler,
Scaling the poles dreamily,
Swaying madly on the ropes,
If You be mine…
In a frenzied ecstasy,
Forgetful of my being,
I shall dance frantically
In many a crowded bazaar,
With drums and flutes,
If the charm of Your Love could be won,
If You be mine …!
Sachu asks for devising a thousand means
I am Your admirer, O Lord
May You some day think of Your dog…
True are the Words of my Master
Sire! The Pledge was made once:
That You shall be with us every moment_
We have been entranced ever since!
…May You be pleased, O Beautiful One!
I shall blissfully do what pleases You!
Who am i?
I do not know…
Who I really am!
Perhaps a puppet,
Perhaps the thread on which it hangs,
Perhaps a ball in the hand of the Beloved!
Perhaps a yoke with heavy burden!
Perhaps a castle,
Where the king sits and reflects…
Perhaps a horse, guided by a rider!
Perhaps a wave of the ocean
Which drowns the outward being!
Perhaps a henna-flower!
Perhaps a fragrant rose!
Perhaps a nameless fountain,
Nourished by a cloud,
Reflecting the sun beams.
Perhaps a moon!
Perhaps the mirror of God,
Since pre-eternity,
In a pre-verbal state,
Transcending the conceivable!
Perhaps I don’t exist at all!
Khwaja Ghulam Farid
(1845–1901)
“The “Hidden Treasure” testifies love itself. Originally, Wujud (Existence) inspired itself with love; it caused the entire universe.”
__Khwaja Ghulam Farid
O’ Beauty of Truth, the Eternal Light…
O’ Beauty of Truth, the Eternal Light!
Do I call you necessity and possibility?
Do I call you the ancient divinity?
…Do I call you the free and pure Being?
Or the apparent Lord of all?
Do I call you the soul, the ego and the intellect?
The overt, and the covert?
The actual reality, the substance,
The word, the attribute and dignity?
Do I call you variety, and circumstance?
The demeanor, and measure?
Do I call you the throne and the firmament?
The grand delights of Paradise?
Do I call you mineral and vegetable?
…Do I call you the mosque, the temple?
The monastery, the scriptures, the Holy Quran, the rosary?
Or godlessness and faith?
Do I call you the cloud, the flash, the thunder?
Lightning and downpour?
Water and Earth?
The gust and the inferno?
Do I call you Lakshmi, Ram or lovely Sita?
Do I call you Gita, Granth, or Vedas,
Knowledge and the unknowable?
Do I call you Abraham (alayhi s-salām), Eve (Aleha Salam), or Seth?
Noah (alayhi s-salām) , the deluge or Moses ((alayhi s-salām)?
Abraham (alayhi s-salām) the Friend, and Ahmad (S.A.W) the glorious, darling of every heart?
Do I call you the witness, the Lord, or Hejaz?
The awakener, existence, or the centre?
…Nymph, fairy, and the young lad ?
…The redness of betel leaves?
The Tabla and Tanpura?
The drum, the notes and the improvisation?
Do I call you beauty or the fragrant flower?
Coyness or the gorgeous glance?
Do I call you love and knowledge?
Superstition, belief, and conjecture?
The beauty of power, and conception?
Propensity or ecstasy?
Do I call you intoxication and the drunk?
Amazement and the amazed?
Submission and connection?
Compliance and Gnosticism?
Do I call you Hyacinth, Lilly, and Cypress?
Or the rebellious Narcissus?
The bereaved Tulip,
The Rose-garden and orchard ?
Do I call you the dagger, lance or rifle?
Hail, bullet, or spear,
The bow and arrow?,
…Do I call you colorless, and the unparalleled,
Formless in every instant?
Glory and Holiness,
The most Glorious ; The most Compassionate?
May I call you the pure and the humane,
The truth without trace or name
…Repent now Farid forever
For the Praise of My Lord is inexpressible!
Muhammad Iqbal
(Allama Iqbal)
National Poet of Pakistan
(1877 – 1938)
“Divine life is in touch with the whole universe on the analogy of the soul's contact with the body”
__Allama Iqbal
My Lord has effaced the gulf between His world and mine
My Lord has effaced the gulf between His world and mine,
O’ Beauty of Truth, the Eternal Light!
Do I call you necessity and possibility?
Do I call you the ancient divinity?
…Do I call you the free and pure Being?
Or the apparent Lord of all?
Do I call you the soul, the ego and the intellect?
The overt, and the covert?
The actual reality, the substance,
The word, the attribute and dignity?
Do I call you variety, and circumstance?
The demeanor, and measure?
Do I call you the throne and the firmament?
The grand delights of Paradise?
Do I call you mineral and vegetable?
…Do I call you the mosque, the temple?
The monastery, the scriptures, the Holy Quran, the rosary?
Or godlessness and faith?
Do I call you the cloud, the flash, the thunder?
Lightning and downpour?
Water and Earth?
The gust and the inferno?
Do I call you Lakshmi, Ram or lovely Sita?
Do I call you Gita, Granth, or Vedas,
Knowledge and the unknowable?
Do I call you Abraham (alayhi s-salām), Eve (Aleha Salam), or Seth?
Noah (alayhi s-salām) , the deluge or Moses ((alayhi s-salām)?
Abraham (alayhi s-salām) the Friend, and Ahmad (S.A.W) the glorious, darling of every heart?
Do I call you the witness, the Lord, or Hejaz?
The awakener, existence, or the centre?
…Nymph, fairy, and the young lad ?
…The redness of betel leaves?
The Tabla and Tanpura?
The drum, the notes and the improvisation?
Do I call you beauty or the fragrant flower?
Coyness or the gorgeous glance?
Do I call you love and knowledge?
Superstition, belief, and conjecture?
The beauty of power, and conception?
Propensity or ecstasy?
Do I call you intoxication and the drunk?
Amazement and the amazed?
Submission and connection?
Compliance and Gnosticism?
Do I call you Hyacinth, Lilly, and Cypress?
Or the rebellious Narcissus?
The bereaved Tulip,
The Rose-garden and orchard ?
Do I call you the dagger, lance or rifle?
Hail, bullet, or spear,
The bow and arrow?,
…Do I call you colorless, and the unparalleled,
Formless in every instant?
Glory and Holiness,
The most Glorious ; The most Compassionate?
May I call you the pure and the humane,
The truth without trace or name
…Repent now Farid forever
For the Praise of My Lord is inexpressible!
Muhammad Iqbal
(Allama Iqbal)
National Poet of Pakistan
(1877 – 1938)
“Divine life is in touch with the whole universe on the analogy of the soul's contact with the body”
__Allama Iqbal
My Lord has effaced the gulf between His world and mine
My Lord has effaced the gulf between His world and mine,
With the wondrous potion, "There is no God but Allah."
Thy mendicant, inebriate, has in great abandon,
Shattered his sustaining cup at the spring of life
My little draught has value ill this barren age,
For Sufis, ill their sanctums, have nothing but empty casks.
Do veil Thyself, O Lord, before a novice like me,
My eyes are more unruly than my anxious heart.
A pearl keeps its luster in the heart’s purity,
Though tossed and tumbled much by the ravages of the sea.
The enchanting eye of a melodious bard doth cast a magic spell;
It gives the flowers more beauty, it brings more bloom to the earth.
The song of grief
My life is similar to that of the silent violin
My life is similar to that of the silent violin
The lap of which is full of all kinds of melodies
The harp of the universe is sacrificed on whose silence?
Every string of which is the grave of hundreds of melodies…!
The silence of which is the custodian of music's perfection
And the silence of which is not obligated to any uproar
Ah ! The hope of my Love was never fulfilled
This instrument was never hit by the plectrum…
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