Torhe tang puraane hovan

Torhe tang puraane hovan,
Gujjhe raihan na taazee hoo.

Maar naqaaraa dil wich varhiaa,
Khed giaa ik baazee hoo.

Maar dilaan noon jol ditto jad,
Takke nain niazee hoo.

Unhaan naal kee hoiaa,
Jinhaan Yaar na rakhiaa raazee hoo.

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The saddle may be old, it’s girth worn,
But an Arabian horse will not go unnoticed.*

With the beat of a drum has entered my heart,**
And look! What a wondrous game he has played:

My heart was stirred to its very depth,
When I looked into his gracious eyes.

Ask not the fate of those, O Bahu,
Who could not earn the pleasure of the beloved Friend.
*
(An Arabian horse, in terms of its speed and agility, symbolizes the all-powerful Word or Kalma, of which the Master is a physical manifestation).
**
(Beat of a drum signifies the holy Sound – the Word or Shabd. Whenever the Master manifests himself within a disciple he is invariably accompanied by the Sound).

Tan main yaar daa shaihar banaaiaa

Tan main yaar daa shaihar banaaiaa,
Dil wich khaas mahallaa hoo.

Aan alif dil vasson keetee,
Hoee khoob tasallaa hoo.

Sab kujh mainoon piaa suneeve,
Jo bole maasawaa allaah hoo.

Dardmandaan eh ramz pachhaatee,
Bedardaan sir khallaa hoo.

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For my friend I made my body into a city,
Where I built for him a special home in my heart.

When the one Lord took abode in it,
I was blessed with profound peace.

I now hear his Voice echoing in everything,
Even in voices other than his own.*

Only those who suffer the pangs of love,
Can realize this divine secret;
Others will be rebuffed from the Lord’s court.
*
(God’s own voice is the holy Word or Kalma, which is too subtle a sound to be perceived externally. But once that Kalma is realized within, its pervasiveness becomes manifest in everything – even in the grosser sounds of the Creation).

Tullaa banh tawakkul waalaa

Tullaa banh tawakkul waalaa,
Ho mardaanaa taree-e hoo.

Jain dukh teen such hasil hove,
Us theen mool na daree-e hoo.

Inna ma-al-usar yusran aaiaa,
Chit use val dharee-e hoo.

Beparvaah dargaah oh Baahoo,
Ro ro haasil bharee-e hoo.

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Build the ship of faith and bravely sail across,

Do not mind the pain that results in happiness.

Inscribe on the tablet of your heart,
The writ of the holy Qur’an:
“From suffering comes ease and comfort.”

Absolute is the Lord – he is accountable to none.
O Bahu, let us offer him his due,
Through prayer and the tears of penitence.

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Tasbee daa toon kasbee hoion

Tasbee daa toon kasbee hoion,
Dam maaren sang waleeaan hoo.

Dil daa mankaa ik na pheren,
Gal paaen panj veehaan hoo.

Den giaan gal ghotoo aave,
Lain giaan jhat sheehaan hoo.

Patthar chit jinhaan de,
Othe zaaiaa vasanaa meehaan hoo.

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You have become an expert in counting beads;
You conduct yourself with an air of piety.

A hundred-bead rosary circles your neck,
But you have failed to count The one bead of your heart!

When it comes to giving, you feel strangled;
When taking, you grab like a lion.

On the hearts that are hard like stone,
O Bahu, rainfall is a wasted offering.

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Tasbeeh pheree dil na phiriaa

Tasbeeh pheree dil na phiriaa,
Kee lainaa is pharh ke hoo.

Parhhiaa ilam, adab na sikhiaa,
Kee lainaa tis parhh ke hoo.

Chillaa kattiaa, kujh na khattiaa,
Kee liaa chille varh ke hoo.

Jaag binaan dudh jamde naaheen,
Laal hovan karh karh ke hoo.

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You have been counting your rosary beads,
But your heart hasn’t taken a turn for the better.
What can anyone gain from such a practice?

You acquired knowledge by reading scriptures,
But you didn’t submit yourself to their mandate,
What can anyone gain from such knowledge?

You secluded yourself for forty-day retreats,
But that too did you no good

You may keep boiling milk forever, O Bahu,
But unless it is cultured, it will not yield the essence.

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