Baba Bulleh Shah

Arts & Culture Culture, Arts, Literature & Linguistics
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some interesting read I came across while surching on information about Baba Bulleh Shah,
thought to share it here for the ones who are interested init. :slight_smile:

*[Bulleh Shah [1680-1758]

The ancestral village of Bulleh Shah was Uch Gilaniyan in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

From there his family first shifted to Malakwal (District Multan, Pakistan) and then to Pandoke, which is about 14 miles southeast of Qasur (Pakistan). Bulleh’s earlier name was Abdullah Shah, later on it changed to Bulleh. His family background was religious, his father being a highly religious person. Bulleh Shah was the disciple of a Qadiri Sufi.

Bulleh composed a lot of poetry in Saraiki, the local spoken language. His style of poetry is called Qafi, which was already an established style with Sufis who preceded him. The tomb of Bulleh Shah is in Qasur (Pakistan) and he is held in reverence by all Sufis of Sindh and Punjab.

The poem below is typical of Bulleh’s view of the world. He sees the common underlying reality that lies beneath the mundane, and rejoices in its all pervasiveness. This concept is similar to the monotheistic, omnipresent concept of God that we come across in Sikhism and the Upanishads.

**"Maati kudam karendee yaar,
Vaah vaah maati de gulzaar;
Maati ghora maati jora, maati daa aswaar,
Maati maati nu (n) dorave, maati daa chankaar.

Maati maati nu(n) maaran lag-gee, maati de hathiyaar.
Jis maati par bahutee maati, so maati hankaar;
Maati baagh bagheechaa maati, maati dee gulzaar.
Maati maati nu (n) vekhan aayee, maati dee a bahar;

Hus khed phir maati hove, paindee pau pasaar.
Bullah ja(n) eh bujhaarat buj-jhe,
Taa(n) lah bhau siro(n) maar."

“The soil is in ferment, O friend
Behold the diversity.
The soil is the horse, so is the rider
The soil chases the soil, and we hear the clanging of soil
The soil kills the soil, with weapons of the soil.
That soil with more on it, is arrogance
The soil is the garden so is its beauty
The soil admires the soil in all its wondrous forms
After the circle of life is done it returns to the soil
Answer the riddle O Bulleh, and take this burden off my head.”**

[Translation reference: book by J. R. Puri and T. R. Shangari of the Radha Swamis, titled Bulleh Shah].

According to the authors this kafi of Bulleh Shah reflects a tumultuous time in the history of Punjab. The poet perceives radical changes taking place in society around him. This was the middle of 18th century when the Sikh power was in the ascendancy and the Mughal power was waning. It was a time of chaos as there was no law and order. Bulleh Shah sees rampant corruption and societal decay. The general tone of the poem is pessimistic, as is obvious.

**“Ulte hor zamane aaye,
Hun asaan bhed sajjan de paaye.
kaa(n) laggad nun maaran lagge,
chiriyan jurre khaaye
iraqiyan nun chabuk paunde,
gade khood khavaye
aapneyan vich ulfat naahee,
ke-he chaachche taaye
piyo puttran ittfaak naa kaahee,
dheeyan naal naa maaye
sachcheyan nun hun milde dhakke,
jhoothe kol bahaaye
agle jaaye bankaale baithe,
pichliyan farash vichaye
…
Bullah jina hukam hazooron andaa,
tina nun kaun hataaye.”

“Perverse times have come,
I know the mystery of the beloved
crows have begun to hunt hawks,
and sparrows feed on falcons
horses bear the whipping,
while donkeys graze on lush green
no love is lost between relatives,
be they younger or elder uncles
There is no accord between fathers and sons,
Nor any between mothers and daughters
The truthful ones are being pushed about,
the tricksters are seated close by
The front liners have become wretched,
the back benchers sit on carpets
Those in tatters have turned into kings,
the kings have taken to begging
O Bulleh, that which is His command
who can alter His decree.”**

Dohra - Bulleh Shah

**" Pi sharaab tey kha kabab, heth baal haddaan di ag,

Bulleha bhan ghar rab da, ais thuggan de thug noo thug."**

Drench yourself in wine and feast on roasted flesh, roasting in the fires flaming out of the bones. O Bulleha, break into the house of God and swindle the cheat of cheats.

Note the commonalties found between Bulleh Shah and Shah Lateef who were contemporaries. They had almost the same experiences of the turbulent period in which they lived. Shah Lateef (1690-1752) and Bulleh Shah (1680-1758) had witnessed the death of Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughals who was responsible for the murder of his brother Dara Shikoh and Sarmad, the Sufi poet.
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above information I got from this link Sufi poets-bulleh shah

also an interesting read, the life of Bulleh Shah http://chakwalnews.8k.com/feature1.htm

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Bulleh aaa kee jana meiN kauN... :)

Thanks hanie, that was a good read.

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GOOD PIECE
can some one throw some light on baba farid
i know sikhs do rever baba farid but never heard much of him from pakistanis

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sehar,
glad you enjoyed it. :-)

kabir, I see if I can find some information about baba farid.

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The Grand Master - Baba Farid Shakar Ganj of Pak Pattan [AD 1173-1266]

Najam Hosain Syed (ex- Head, Punjab University Punjabi Department, Lahore writer & poet of “Takhte Lahore " a play performed in India), writing in his excellent book “Recurrent Patterns in Punjabi Poetry”, refers to Baba Farid as standing at the far end of Punjabi poetic tradition in eminent isolation. Nearly three centuries pass before another figure of any status relieves the curious blank.” Najam comments on the uncompromising "austere rhythms of Farid " and the use of the “Dohras” as a rhymed couplet, reflecting a poise, serenity, grim yet confident, volatile, meaningful use as the following verses show.

Note the old Italian saying and caveat about translations - " The Translator is a
traitor ". Still for the function of this essay and to bring the message of these Sufi mystics and poets to the South Asian people as a whole, scattered as they are in various continents, English and the Romanized version of Punjabi & Saraiki is used. Mostly, poetry is sung and it is the singer and the music composer who brings out the variations of range in emotion and meaning.

**Dohra - Baba Farid.

" Farid Kaaley maindey kaprey, kaala mainda wais,
Gunahan Bharehan main pheraan, Lok kahain dervish "

" Laden with my load of misdeeds, I move about in the garb of black garments.
And the people see me and call me a dervish."**

To quote from Najam Hosain’s brilliant essay - … " The passivity induced by the evenness of rhythm is suddenly shattered when the last part of the second line - " and people call me a dervish" clinches the meaning, putting the rest of the verse in an intense blend of irony and pathos. Black clothes worn by pious men as a sign of humility become associated in the minds of men with an undefined piety. But for the poet, black symbolizes his erring self … there is a quality of haunting mockery in Farid’s repetitive insistence on the word “black”…"

The reader may know that the Holy Prophet Mohammed PBUH] is also referred in qawwalis as " Kali kambli waley " [the one with the black cloak ].

**“Galian chikkar door ghar, naal payarey neouney,
challaan tey bhijjay kambli, rahan ta jaaey neouney.”

My promise with my love, a long way to go and a muddy lane ahead
If I move I spoil my cloak; if I stay I break my word. "

“Bhijoy sujhoy kambli Allah wirsay meen
Jai millaan tahaan sajnaa tate nahin neounay”

Drenched and smirched be the cloak; let God’s cloud pour all the waters:
Go I must; I go to keep my word of love."**

Najam goes on to show how the poet resolves this young woman’s nagging hesitant situation of her inner self and the prudent cautioning of reputation.

The above example is one of the uses of the two lines for a volatile purpose. Najam then gives another example of the use of the two line couplet [dohra] as depicting a “veiled gravity” in that as long as a person does not attain inner maturity, there is always a need to be mindful and watchful as the Buddha used to say [Better to conquer yourself than to conquer others]. Here is a dohra using the peasant and farming metaphors.

**" Kook Farid Kook, Tu jivain Rakha Jawar
Jab lag tanda na, Giray tab lag Kook pukar."

Shout, Farid, shout like the watchful man in the corn-field;

As long as the bushel does not mature and fall, shout on" There is no ornamental use of words, there is a veiled gravity in the tone of Farid and the imagery is drawn from sweat of the common peasant farmers.**

*Baba Farid’s Life

Baba Farid was born on the on the first day of the month of Ramzaan in 1173 in the city of Kothiwal, near Dipalpur in Punjab. It is now called Pak Pattan; the ancient name has been recorded as Ajodhan. The city existed when Alexander invaded in 326 BC. It was an important metropolis on the Multan-Delhi route. The city is on the banks of the river Sutlej. People going across would usually wash [clean = pak] themselves at the ferry [pattan]. Hence the name Pak Pattan .The story goes that, the day Baba Farid was born, a holy man was consulted about the breaking of a fast. He advised that a great soul had been born in the house of Jamal-ud-din Suleiman and that the community could break the fast only when the infant suckled. It is said that the infant Baba Farid was fasting.

Baba Farid’s ancestors were from a town called Aush, south of Fergana [Babur’s hometown] south east of Andijan. Farid’s grandfather [Qadi Shuaib] left Kabul and took refuge in Lahore under the Ghaznavid Sultan in 1125. However the gay atmosphere of Lahore did not appeal to his nature and he moved to Kasur above 34 miles southeast of Lahore where the Sultan entrusted him to the Qadi [Kazi- a semi-religious administrator] position. Eventually he left and settled in Kothiwal leaving Kasur.

Farid’s father Jamal-ud-din Suleiman married the daughter of Sheikh Wajih-ud-din Khojendi called Qarsum Bibi [some say her name was Mariam]. Qarsum was a lady of great piety. According to legend it was she who influenced Farid to pray by placing small cubes of Shakar [brown sugar] under Farid’s prayer mat. One day it is said that although she did not place the Shakar, nevertheless there was a piece of Shakar under Farid’s mat.

Khwaja Bakhtiar Kaki was Baba Farid’s “Guru”. He was influenced by the Hallaji and Wujjud doctrines, which are essentially spiritual in nature. Kaki met Moinuddin Chishti at Baghdad and being impressed by the man became his disciple. Chishti migrated to Delhi and Kaki followed him, staying for a while in Multan. Because of rivalry and jealousy between some other Sheikhs in Delhi, Moin-ud-din Chishti left for Ajmer.

The King at Delhi Balban welcomed Farid in Delhi and introduced him to his family; Balban’s daughter was married to Farid and the gifts for the marriage were distributed among the poor and needy [fakirs]. There is a town called Faridkot in Indian Punjab. Farid is truly the father of Punjabi literature. He died on the 5th of Moharram 1266. Baba Farid’s poetry was later to influence the Sikh religion and especially their Holy Book “Sri Guru Granth Sahib” by the founder Guru Nanak. Such was the universality of Baba Farid, the Sufi poet laureate from Punjab.

**" Koi Bole Ram Ram koi Khudaee,
Koi sevay Gosainyan koi Allah "

Some call him Ram, some Khuda
Some say Gosain, some Allah.**

(Guru Arjun Dev - Sri Guru Granth Sahib)

article by Salman Saeed.
information above gained from the following link: Sufi poets-bulleh shah

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definately a good read :k:

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thanks for posting hanie :~)

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Very interesting read. Thanks for sharing that information. I have always believed in the fact that it was the influence of Sufis that we have had a continuous spread of Islam in the sub-continent.

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muniya jee and irem.
glad you both read the thread.

capricorn. thanks for your input.

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One question hanie... Does he hail from Sindh or does he hail from Punjab? I would say he hails from both, as he was the border...