Two Sufi Poets of South Asia

poems written in Punjabi Baba Sheikh Farid Pakistan (1173 - 1266)

Baba Sheikh Farid was a Sufi saint who is considered by many to be the first major poet of the Punjabi language. He was born in the Multan district of what is today Pakistan. Later, when the Sikh holy book the Adi Granth was compiled, many of Baba Sheikh Farid's poems and couplets were included, alongside the poetry of Kabir and Ravidas. http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/Poets/F/FaridBabaShe/index.html#PoemList

Do not speak a hurtful word Do not speak a hurtful word, for in everyone lives the true Lord. Do not break anyone's heart, for each heart is a priceless pearl.

Raga Asa 1. True lovers are those who love with all their hearts. Those who think of another, speak of another are called false lovers. Those steeped in the color of God's love abide in His care. Those who forget His name are a burden upon earth. Those whom He gathers become dervishes at His door. Exalted are the mothers of such men who gave them birth,

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blessed is their coming into the world.

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You are caring, infinite, boundless, endless. Those who have discerned this truth, their feet, their mouths I kiss. You are my protection O Lord, my salvation. Grant to Sheikh Farid the blessing of Your adoration. 2. Sheikh Farid speaks: dear friend, turn to Allah. This body shall become dust in the miserable, dark house of the grave. Today is the day of union, O Sheikh Farid, so tame these wild cranes of desire that inflame and incite the heart. We all know that we shall die and never again return. Then why do we love this false world and sell ourselves? We must ever speak of the true path; let us not speak lies. Let us walk the guru's course like humble disciples. Seeing strong, handsome youths swim across to the other side, a weak woman takes heart. Those who pursue only gold should be sawn in half.

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O Sheikh, no one in this world can stay alive forever. The place upon which I now sit, many have sat before and gone on their way. Cranes come to Katak, forest fires in Chet, lightning in Savan. In winter, fair arms of women adorn lovers' necks. All ephemeral things pass on. Think of this, O heart. That which takes six months to form is destroyed in an instant. The earth asks the sky, O Farid: how many boatmen have come and gone? The body merely rots in the grave, but it is the soul that must suffer the consequences.

You must fathom the ocean Says Farid, you must fathom the ocean which contains what you want Why do you soil your hand searching the petty ponds; Says Farid, the Creator is in the creation and the creation in the Creator Whom shall we blame when He is everywhere? English versions by Nirmal Dass Original Language Punjabi

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Sultan Bahu (1628 - 1691)

Sultan Bahu (ca 1628 1691) was a Muslim Sufi and saint, who founded the Sarwari Qadiri sufi order. Sultan Bahu belonged to Awan tribe. Awans are the descendants of Ali. Like many other sufi saints of the South Asia, Sultan Bahu was also a prolific writer, with more than forty books on Sufism attributed to him. However, as the majority of his books deal with specialised subjects related to Islam and Islamic mysticism, it is his Punjabi poetry that has generated popular appeal and made him a household name in the region. His poetic verses are sung in many genres of sufi music, including qawaalis and kaafis. Tradition has established a particular style of singing his couplets, which is not used in any other genre of sufi music. http://sufipoetry.wordpress.com/poets/sultan-bahu/

I knew God well when love flashed before me I knew God well when love flashed before me. It gives me strength by night and day, and shows what lies ahead. In me are flames, in me is fuel, in me is smoke. I only found my Beloved, Bahu, when love made me aware.

So what if love's idol is hidden? One's heart will never be far away So what if love's idol is hidden? One's heart will never be far away. My guide lives many mountains away, but he is visible before me. Whoever has one grain of love is drunk without wine. They are true mystics, Bahu, whose graves are alive.

When the One Lord Revealed Himself to Me, I Lost Myself in Him. Now there is neither nearness nor union. There is no longer a journey to undertake, no longer a destination to reach. Love attachment, my body and soul and even the very limits Of time and space have all dropped from my consciousness. My separate self has merged in the whole: In that, O Bahu, lies the secret of the unity that is God!

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The moment I realized the oneness of God The moment I realized the oneness of God, the flame of His love shone within, to lead me on. Constantly it burns in my heart with intense heat, Revealing the mysteries along my path. This fire of love burns inside me with no smoke, Fuelled by my intense longing for the beloved. Following the royal vein, I found the Lord close by. My love Has brought me face to face with Him.

My Master taught me a lesson My Master taught me a lesson: Any moment you are negligent in remembrance of God Is a moment spent in denial of God. These words opened my eyes to reality, And I fixed my attention on the Lord. I then placed my soul in his protection. Such was the love I cultivated in my heart. Having thus bequeathed my soul to him, I died before death to live in him. Only then did I attain the goal of life, O Bahu!

I have, at last, grasped the beginning and the end I have, at last, grasped the beginning and the end: I have seen the whole spectacle of past, present and future Pass before my eyes. Within my heart are fourteen realms, Chambers of light ablaze With the profusion of Gods light. Those who have not realized God will wander, Homeless in this world, destitute in the next. But watch the lovers dance with ecstasy, As they merge into the oneness of God.

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When the one Lord revealed himself to me When the one Lord revealed himself to me, I lost myself in him. Now there is neither nearness nor union. There is no longer a journey to undertake, No longer a destination to reach. Love attachment, my body and soul, And even the very limits of time and space Have all dropped from my consciousness. My separate self has merged in the Whole: In that, O Bahu, lies the secret of the unity that is God!

When, at the time of Creation, God separated me from himself When, at the time of Creation, God separated me from himself, I heard him say: Am I not your God? Indeed you are, cried my soul, reassured. Since then has my heart flowered. With the inner urge to return Home, Giving me not a moment of calm here on earth. May doom strike this world! It robs souls on their way to God. The world has never accepted his lovers; They are persecuted and left to cry in pain. My Master has planted in my heart the jasmine of Allahs Name My Master (Spiritual Guide) has planted in my heart, The jasmine of Allahs Name. Both my denial that the creation is real And my embracing of God, the only reality, Have nourished the seedling down to its core. When the buds of mystery unfolded Into the blossoms of revelation, My entire being was filled with Gods fragrance. May the perfect Master Who planted this jasmine in my heart, Be ever blessed, O Bahu!

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The moment I realized the oneness of God, The moment I realized the oneness of God, The flame of his love shone within, to lead me on. Constantly it burns in my heart with intense heat, Revealing the mysteries along my path. This fire of love burns inside me with no smoke, Fueled by my intense longing for the Beloved. Following the Royal Vein, I found the Lord close by. My love has brought me face to face with him. The Royal Vein or shah rag is the central current in the subtle body, starting from the eye center and leading up to the highest spiritual regions. It is located and followed by means of the spiritual practice taught by a perfect Master. The Hindus call it sushmana or sukhmana nadi. It is the Royal Highway to the court of the Lord. It is not to be confused with the sushmana naadi of the yogis, which runs up the spinal column).

I offer my prayer in the temple of my heart I offer my prayer in the temple of my heart The only true place to worship God. I stand in supplication, I bow in obeisance, I tender my prayer without break in its repetition. Hanging between life and death, My heart burns in the fire of separation from him. The path indicated by the Prophet is true, O Bahu: Following it one can find God

Believers pray to God for the protection of faith Believers pray to God for the protection of faith, But few pray for the gift of his love. I am ashamed at what they ask for, Even more at what they are willing to yield. Religion is quite unaware of the spiritual plane, To which love can raise us. O Lord, keep my love for you ever fresh, Says Bahu: I shall mortgage my religion for it.

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