Bulleh Shah

well, it is unfair and unnecessary to assign the title of greatest Punjabi poet to any one without first establishing the criteria and setting the parameters. Usually, as in Urdu poetry, it is the common agreement among contemporay literati in the field of poetry to distinguish one above the rest for various reasons. If popularity is the criterion than Waris Shah should beat hands down and by a wide margin all others for the title of the greatest Punjabi poet since he wrote the bible of Punjabi culture, which is popular all across Punjab like nothing else. If celebrations of poets is the criterion than Shah Hussein with famous mela charaghaN and Baba Farid for his annula urs at Pakpattan would come out on the top, although this fame has little to do wih poetry in the case of Baba Farid Shakargang.

Among Punjabi Sufi poets, the spiritual and metaphysical subjects in poetry decrease in order from Sultan Bahu, Baba Farid, Bulley Shah, Shah Hussein, Mian Mohammed, Khawaja Ghulam Farid and Waris Shah. One one end is purely endorphin inspired poetry of Sultan Bahu and on the other testosterone inspired wordly subjects entering into poetry although such can be metaphorically read as metaphysical.

Bulley Shah and Shah Hussein poetry is written in oral traditions although Shah Hussein showed interest in the collection of his poetry. Poetry in oral traditions starts without following strict rules of poetry and flexibility lets lyrical and parameters enter slowly over time by the readers and scribes but the credit remains with the original creator. Poetry in oral traditions uses more vernacular and less vocabulary otherwise its purpose fails.

Lyrical qualities are also partially added by the singers using various ragas to fit the poetry which may not look lyrical to common people. Southern Punjab traditions of singing Sufi poetry by folk artists and Khwaja Ghulam Farid using temporal love or worldly metaphors has helped him become more popular than others.

Bulley Shah is very popular in the current atmosphere because of his history of conflict with mullahs of his time. He is a great poet and his stand for his local environment and over unilateral self-assigned caste superiority of Syeds (which was very common among Syeds of Uch GilaniaN) is greatly appreciated.

a bida parveen: Ikk nuktay vich..
click on streaming real media.

Bulleh-shah Kalaam.

Can someone please elaborate these lines ( I think 4th stanza)`` ali binaa eemaan naee labdaa,
paavaiN vichay dafn madina ho``

Also! the first three lines before this also need a bit reflection : Any real personalities of the times ( or otherwise) being hinted at?

This is the first contribution of any merit by Umair Raja. Well done.

Hope we will read more about historical figures who had the love of local people in their heart.

If my memory serves me right, I heard somewhere that of the 16 or so individuals (including the 9 gurus) who form the teachings of the sikh holy book, Guru Garant Sahib, one of them is Baba Buleh Shah.

Umair, the verse that you quoted:

Masjid dha de, mandir dha de, dha de jo kucch dainda
Par kisi da dil na dhain, Rab dilan vich rehnda..

actually goes like this:

Masjid Dha Day, Mandir Dha Day
Dha Day Jo Kujh Disda
Par Kissay Da Dil Na Dhawee(n)
Rub Dilaa(n) Wich Wasda

Here is another beautiful one:

Chal Way Bullehya Chal O`thay Chaliyay
Jithay Saaray Annay
Na Koi Saadee Zaat PichHanay
Tay Na Koi Saanu Mannay

O` Bulleh Shah let`s go there
Where everyone is blind
Where no one recognizes our caste (or race, or family name)
And where no one believes in us

and here is perhaps in (my opinion) the most melodius, the most intoxicated piece of one of his kafi. Alas, an english translation will not do much justice. Only Abida Parveen could have sung it so well:

Tere ishak ne dera mere andar keeta,
Bhar ke zehar pyaala maen aape peeta.
Jhhabdey aaveen ve tabeeba nahi te maen mar gaiya
Tere ishak nachaaya kar thaiya thaiya.

Ais ishak di jhangi vich mor bulenda,
Sahnu kaaba te kibala pyaara yaar dasenda.
Sahnu ghaayal karke pher khabar na laiya.
Tere ishak nachaaya kar thaiya thaiya.

Article is good informative. good effort.

Shahid Nadeem and Madeeha Ghauhr has produced a long stage play on life of Bullah Shah. The story line, the theme and presentation is wonderful. It brings what I call - the Mullah and Bullah conflict - to light on stage in a very captivating manner. Bullah has said somethings that Mullahs would have liked to hang him then or even now. Bullah is antothesis of Mullah...it is funy when some Mullahs praise Bullah..because they really don`t know what he wrote.

NHK #1: Omair. Thanks.``

My pleasure. Glad you liked it...

``Bulleh Shah should not be admired only as a part of history but should be a part of our everyday life. ``

How true. Of all the, ``thinkers`` I have read, from various parts of the world, Bulleh Shah is the most appealing. Those who have spent their lives reading only Western thinkers should seriously take the time to read the Sufi poets.

`` read recently that they are thinking of making Punjabi an optional language in small classess. Not too sure?``

Punjabi is only a spoken language in Pakistan. I think if Pakistan`s literacy rate advances, Punjabi will disappear as a language. It will die in the contest of survival of the fittest. For Pakistan, as a country that may actually be a good thing. Though for those of us, who admire Bulleh Shah, it will be tragic. The only hope of the survival of Punjabi, in my opinion, is that it is the religious language of Sikhs.

Jamalrana #2: ``Thanks for the article and wonderful translation. Are there any works of Bulleh Shah translated into English, preferably alongside Punjabi text?``

You are welcome.

There are some writings of Bulleh Shah, including books. But very very limited, in comparison, to say, Ghalib. Primarily due to the death of Punjabi in Pakistan. His poetry has been translated into English, but once again, in a limited fashion. Check out www.apnaorg.com for a long list of his translations with Punjabi text. If I can ever get a year off, I seriously would like to translate whatever I can.

faisaluno #5: ``thanks for bringing this up....and keep up the good work.``

You are welcome....

rahul_capri #6: ``good article.Poets like Bulleshah inspire people to learn the language they write in........Is he taught in schools colleges? And how much of research is done published on him and other sufi poets?``

Thanks. Unfortunately, there is very little research on Bulleh Shah. Had it not been for Abida Parveen, NFAK, Junoon etc., Bulleh Shah would have disappeared from the mainstream. However, now it is, ``cool`` to quote Bulleh Shah again.

Punjabi is not taught in Pakistan, other than in college. And that too almost non-existent. I have met one person in my whole life who had a degree in Punjabi. So she may have studied Bulleh Shah academically. Punjabi in Pakistan, is generally considered the language of uneducated common folk.....The only areas where it has had a lot of success is in movies and music, where it dominates Urdu and English....

dionysus #8: ``Thank you, romair, for this wonderful article. Bulleh Shah was indeed a great man and a great poet revered by Punjabis of all faiths.....

You are welcome. Bulleh Shah is, no doubt, a philosopher par excellence.

echoboom #9: Will comment on it in a later reply.

sameerJB #10: ``well, it is unfair and unnecessary to assign the title of greatest Punjabi poet to any one without first establishing the criteria and setting the parameters.``

The exact term used was, ``arguably the greatest.`` These are, as you stated, very subjective opinions. Each person will have his own ideas. There is no right nor wrong. Some say Ghalib wrote the best ghazals, some say Mir did. But I don`t think it is an unnecessary attempt, though it can be unfair at times.

``Bulley Shah is very popular in the current atmosphere because of his history of conflict with mullahs of his time.``

I would put Bulleh Shah in the philosopher category. I don`t think Bulleh Shah`s popularity springs only from his conflict of mullahs. There is a lot more to him that that. That part of his poetry appeals to one class of his readers, who already dislike mullahs. Bulleh Shah obviously hated mullahs. But he hated mullahs of all relgions. And mentions Hindu, ``mullahs`` regularly also. And he disliked a lot of other groups also.

In addition, he seems to have had a lot of knowledge of Islam, and uses its concepts as the central basis of his poetry, i.e. the Islamic defintion of God. At the same time, he is very sensitive to all religions. I have not read anything in his poetry, which, in any way, humiliates Islam, Hinduism, Sikh faiths, as religions. While many people currently, who hate mullahs, humiliate Islam as a religion, also.

But most of all, Bulleh Shah disliked anyone who tried to proclaim authority over ideas. He criticizes qazis (jurists) and intellectuals and anyone who tries to make life too complicated and is elitist. He would probably be quite uncomfortable on Chowk and would have probably ridiculed all of us here as as being elitist self-proclaimed know-it-alls, with nothing in common with the common Punjabi peasant.

To me, the biggest achievement of Bulleh Shah is his popularity amongst the common man of all three religions of Punjab - Islam, Hinduism and Sikh. And amongst religious and secular and even athiest folks, alilke. Not too many people can lay claim to that. He was a true humanist.

malik99 #12: ``Umair, the verse that you quoted:

Masjid dha de, mandir dha de, dha de jo kucch dainda
Par kisi da dil na dhain, Rab dilan vich rehnda..``

This is one of the best lines, ever written by anyone, in any language. As is, ``Bulleh! kee janna mein kaun.`` These are up there with, ``To be or not to be,`` ``Liberty, Equality, Fraternity,`` ``I think, therefore, I am`` etc.

Bulleh Shah`s poetry is actually read, sung and written in different ways by different people. Each twists and turns and changes the verses, keeping the general meaning the same. I spent about three hours, doing research on this verse on the Internet. Some places actually attributed it to Muhammad Baksh. So many people have translated it. The above was the most quoted version of this verse that I found. Though it is possible, it is incorrect..........

This was great. Thanks!

Umair
Thanks for writing such a good piece about Baba Bulleh Shah. It is unfortunate that some of us treat punjabi or the punjabi speaking third class, english the first, and urdu as second class. Ironically, we have such a beautiful punjbi poetry, which put humans at the center of life. The sufi poetry teaches that love of humans is true love of God. I have read Baba Bulley Shah, and Hazrat Sultan Bahu. It simply remove many of prejudices from your mind, and make you humble. It seems that they are not preaching you, yet you feel strong hunger to learn from them. It would be very nice if we add these poetry in our text book, so that we know our rich cultural heritage, and learn true humanity. Their messages are universal, and teaches the welfare of whole mankind. Those sufis believes on union, and not on partition. I am writind some verses of Hazrat Sulatn Bahu for our readers. Hopefully, they will enjoy it.

Shariat deh darwazey uchey, rah fikr da mori hu
Alam fazal langhan na dhaindey, jo langda(pass thru) soo chori hu
pat pat ittan(bricks) wattey maran, dard mandan deh khorie hu
raz(secret) mahi(loved-one) da ashiq janan Bahu, keh janan loak(people) athuri hu

Regards.

the extent of venom that hindus hold for us is just mind boggling. it really makes one wonder what hindus are teaching in their scools to thier innocent minds.

``#17 by nasah on September 12, 2004 8:51pm PT

the extent of venom that hindus hold for us is just mind boggling. it really makes one wonder what hindus are teaching in their scools to thier innocent minds. ``

Chowk Staff -- that post is certainly not mine -- naam-e degggar post-e deggar.....

my post was about how amusing thie following passage is -- of an otherwise great piece Umair wrote:

``He was from the Arian cast and grew vegetables to earn a living. Ironically, Bulleh Shah was of a much higher Sayyad caste. Yet, contrary to common social practice, Bulleh Shah accepted Shah Inayat as his spiritual master, and subordinated his life to his lower-caste murshid.``

I din`t know that the Pakistanis also have a caste system that is as well defined as the Hindus........mubaaruk...:-)

Umair,

Very very good. Thanks a ton.

Was not able to read the article. Got stuck with the poetry itself. Still stuck there.

For my info. Was Bulleh Bi-lingual. (Panjabi as well as Urdu?). I was told that song in movie Bobby ``beshak mandir masjid`` was writen by him. Was it he or was it adaption?

jayraj1

garam-chai:[ & others] 16

Just to throw cold water on your enthusiastic gloat about shariat. The context here is about intellectualism , bookishness, legal hair-splitting, social-sciencism, spin doctoring, analysis by Harvard harlots , anthropology-for-oil & minerals, `litterature` littorism, and such kind of moderatism.

Shariat and tareequat are an integral part of evey sage The word SUFI has become a polluted word, and I seldom use it now that it has been adopted by westernised vultures. They think it is a kind of gay-soul-, where sword is an alien concept: they forget Ali--the ultimate and unanimous source of all such sages

These sages whose reputation has survived the vagaries of Time & Space of whatever belief system were never sharabis, chursees, bhungees, haraamkaars, or haraam khores.

Ironically the ``muslims`` who try to glean some lustre off from these sages are exactly the opposite in character , creed, and deed than that of these sages.

i think this was a great peice about a great poet..it is times like these when u can actually link ureself to your culture..i think it is imp. for us to know about the great poets of our own time rather than just relate to shakespeare!!!..i think punjabi will never die...so v should stop worrying about it..because not all of us are punjabis bur v still apprecaite the language..i think it may be called the third language in Pakistan....which is sayin alot..where is pashtu..sindhi..n pahari ranked???

Sometimes it bothers me (when I compare myself to others) that I am not a very spiritual person. I have no interest in sufi-ism or spirituality. I do not know the meaning of either. I am not even convinced that it can imrove the quality of my life in any shape or form. Are there any other people like me, out there?

Umair,

This is a great article! Thanks a ton!

`Qambar`

Saminashah #15: You are welcome. Can you speak and/or understand Punjabi?

garam_chai #16: You are welcome. Punjabi poetry of the past few centuries is indeed quite interesting. Especially the verses with a Sufiana background. I think someone should do a piece on Sikh Punjabi poetry also.

nasab #17: Pakistan does have a caste system. Though it is a much milder version of most caste systems. It is more of a khnadan system with a basis in the financial position of one`s ancestors.

syke #18: It is definintely important to study anything that origianted from the areas one belongs to. Bulleh Shah spoke and wrote in my first language. He belonged to my religion. He walked around and grew up in areas, around Lahore, where I grew up also. Stretching it to the extreme, had he been around today, more than likely, he would be a Pakistani. As am I. Hence I have much more in common with him than with, say, Kant and Aristotle. Interestingly, so many educated Punjabis know of Aristotle`s ideas, and not of Bulleh Shah`s.

I am afraid I cannot share your enthusiasm for the survival of Punjabi in Pakistan. I think it is dying a slow death. It will survive amongst Sikhs for religious reasons. But in Pakistan, if Pakistan advances and gets more literate, Punjabi will disappear, eventually, or morph into something else. There is absolutely nothing of scientific and economic value (other than movies and pop songs) being written in it. And each generation of post-partition Punjabi children speaks it less and less. This makes it even more important to translate Bulleh Shah and others.

Pushto will survive, because it is a national langauge of a country, i.e. Afghanistan. Sindhi and Baluchi will die off quicker than Punjabi, in Pakistan. Baluchi is almost already completely dead.

jayraj1 #21: You are welcome. To the best of my knowledge, Bulleh Shah was bi-lingual and maybe even quadra-lingual, in Punjabi, Saraiki, Persian, and Arabic. Don`t know if he spoke Urdu. Punjabi and Sariaki and Persian being so similar to Urdu, maybe he did.

Urstruly #22: I don`t think one can understand any religion without being a spiritual person. My guess is that the founders of most religions, if not all religions, were very spiritual people. Specifically Muhammad, who used to meditate in a cave, even before he laid the foundations of Islam.

qambar #23: You are welcome.....