Bārah Māh
The twelve months of longing
Two ways into the same verse. Tap a line to find its echo.
Couplet.
दोहरा-
In Assu, let my letter reach my love's own eyes.
अस्सू लिखूं सन्देसवा वाचे मेरा पी ।
Why did you leave and cast my heart into unrest?
गमन किया तुम काहे को जो कलमल आया जी ।
Assu brings no hope but you; my life lies in your hands.
अस्सू असां तुसाडी आस, साडी जिन्द तुसाडे पास,
Love strikes deep into my heart; grief wastes my flesh and bone.
जिगर मुढ्ढ प्रेम दी लाश, दुक्खां हड्ड सुकाए मास,
Love's thorns have burned me through.
सूलां साड़ियां ।
Burned and broken, left behind: why did I not go with you?
सूलां साड़ी रही बेहाल, मुट्ठी तदों ना गईआं नाल,
Love's city turns the world around; still I will seek my love.
उलटी प्रेम नगर दी चाल, बुल्ल्हा शहु दी करसां भाल,
My love has laid me low.
प्यारे मारियां ।१।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
How shall Katak pass? Bear the pain that comes.
कहो कत्तक कैसी जो बण्यु कठन सो भोग ।
Bowl at my head, hands joined, I beg the gift of meeting.
सीस कप्पर हत्थ जोड़ के मांगे भीख संजोग ।
Katak: the spindle falls away, and longing will not let me rest.
कत्तक ग्या तुम्बन कत्तन, लग्गी चाट तां होईआ अत्तण,
Door after door, I call aloud: lead me through the perilous ford.
दर दर लग्गी धुंमां घत्तन, औखी घाट पुचाए पत्तण,
All for my dark beloved.
शामे वासते ।
I am dying, heedless people; climb up high and call for help.
हुन मैं मोयी बेदरदा लोका, कोयी देयो उच्ची चड़्ह के होका,
My love for him is long and deep; without him, life is hard.
मेरा उन संग नेहुं चिरोका, बुल्ल्हा शहु बिन जीवन औखा,
And still he passes by.
जांदा पास ते ।२।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Through Magghar I search high and low, leaving no place untried.
मघ्घर मैं कर रहियां सोध के सभ उच्चे नीचे वेख ।
Pandits pore through book on book; the Lord escapes their reckoning.
पड़्ह पंडत पोथी भाल रहे हरि हरि से रहे अलेख ।
Where is home in Magghar? Love's great hunger eats my bones.
मघ्घर मैं घर किद्धर जांदा, राकश नेहुं हड्डां नूं खांदा,
My burning heart cries out for him; let someone bring my jewel home,
सड़ सड़ जिय प्या कुरलांदा, आवे लाल किसे दा आंदा,
And I will serve them all my days.
बांदी हो रहां ।
Whoever brings my love to me and cools this fire of grief,
जो कोयी सानूं यार मिलावे, सोज़े-अलम थीं सरद करावे,
Lifts the bride from her burning pyre; without my love, no sleep will come,
चिख़ा तों बैठी सती उठावे, बुल्ल्हा शौह बिन नींद ना आवे,
However long I lie.
भावें सो रहां ।३।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Poh comes: I go to ask my friend why he must stay away.
पोह हुन पुछूं जा के तुम न्यारे रहो क्युं मीत ।
What charmer stole your tender mind and made your heart a stone?
किस मोहन मन मोह ल्या जो पत्थर कीनो चीत ।
Poh's cold wind burns like a kiln; your leaving leaves me bare.
पानी पोह पवन भट्ठ पईआं, लद्दे होत तां उघड़ गईआं,
No parent, friend, or sister stays; love sets its torch to me.
ना संग मापे सज्जन सईआं, प्यारे इशक चवाती लईआं,
Grief throws me to and fro.
दुक्खां रोलियां ।
Thunder cracks and shakes my limbs; our boats lie in the desert.
कड़ कड़ कप्पन कड़क ड्राए, मारूथल विच बेड़े पाए,
Alive yet dead, O mother mine: why has my love not come?
ज्यूंदी मोयी नी मेरी माए, बुल्ल्हा शौह क्युं अजे ना आए,
My tears run on and on.
हंझू डोहलियां ।४।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
At Maghi I prepare to go and bathe upon the pilgrim road.
माघी नहावन मैं चल्ली जो तीरथ कर सम्यान ।
The clouds pour down with thunder; I bathe in falling tears.
गज्ज गज्ज बरसे मेघला मैं रो रो करां इशनान ।
Month follows month into Magh; love is new, and longing grows.
माघ महीने गए उलांघ, नवीं मुहबत बहुती तांघ,
Love calls me like a muezzin; my prayer is thirst for you.
इशक मुअज़्ज़न दित्ती बांग, पड़्हां नमाज़ पिया दी तांघ,
What more can I pray?
दुआईं की करां ।
Turn toward me, beloved; let my eyes behold your face.
आखां प्यारे मैं वल्ल आ तेरे मुक्ख वेखन दा चाअ,
Burn me more, if burn you must; only bring me to my love.
भावें होर तत्ती नूं ताअ, बुल्ल्हा शौह नूं आण मिला,
Let me belong to you.
तेरी हो रहां ।५।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Phaggan clothes the fields in bloom, the woods and grasses too.
फग्गन फुले खेत ज्युं बण तिन फूल सिंगार ।
Each branch wears leaves and flowers, a garland at its throat.
हर डाली फुल्ल पत्तियां गल फूलन दे हार ।
My friends play Holi in Phaggan; my eyes pour rivers down.
होरी खेलन सईआं फग्गन, मेरे नैन झलारीं वग्गण,
Each living day is hard to bear; love's arrows pierce my heart.
औखे ज्युंद्यां दे दिन तग्गन, सीने बान प्रेम दे लग्गण,
This is my game of Holi.
होरी हो रही ।
What the first day's pen inscribed, no hand can rub away.
जो कुझ रोज़ अज़ल थीं होई, लिखी कलम ना मेटे कोई,
Grief and anguish shelter me; someone tell my love,
दुक्खां सूलां दित्ती ढोई, बुल्ल्हा शौह नूं आखो कोई,
It is for him I weep.
जिस नूं रो रही ।६।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Chet fills the garden with the cuckoo's ceaseless calling.
चेत चमन विच कोइलां नित्त कू कू करन पुकार ।
Each call wears my heart away: when will my love come home?
मैं सुन सुन झुर झुर मर रही कब घर आवे यार ।
Chet is here; what shall I do? Wood and field are all in flower.
हुन की करां जो आया चेत, बण तिन फूल रहे सभ खेत,
You keep your depths and secrets hid; yours the triumph, mine the loss.
देंदे आपना अंत ना भेत, साडी हार तुसाडी जेत,
I have lost it all.
हुन मैं हारियां ।
Now I lose my very self; your love consumes me whole.
हुन मैं हार्या आपना आप, तुसाडा इशक असाडा खाप,
Your love's fever climbs in me; what fault has brought me this?
तेरे नेहुं दा शुक्या ताप, बुल्ल्हा शौह की लायआ पाप,
All my efforts fall away.
कारे हारियां ।७।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Hard is Vaisakhi's morning when your love is far away.
बसाखी दा दिन कठन है जो संग मीत ना हो ।
To whom can I complain? One market, yet two prices.
मैं किस को आगे जा कहूं इक मंडी भा दो ।
Vaisakh should please the heart: the grapes hang ripe in clusters.
तां मन भावें सुक्ख बसाख, गुच्छियां पईआं पक्की दाख,
The gatherer brings his harvest home; I cannot find a word,
लाखी घर लै आया लाख, तां मैं बात ना सक्कां आख,
Among the women with their loves.
कौतां वालियां ।
How strong the married women stand; grief makes me someone else.
कौतां वालियां डाढा ज़ोर, हुन मैं झुर झुर होईआं होर,
Thorns drive deep into my breast; there is no one but my love,
कंडे पुड़े कलेजे ज़ोर, बुल्ल्हा शौह बिन कोयी ना होर,
Whose reproaches fall on me.
जिन घत्त गालियां ।८।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Since my love left, Jeth's fierce fire has never left my heart.
जेठ जेही जोहे अगन है जब के बिछड़े मीत ।
I hear, I brood, I fade away: this is the love you give.
सुन सुन घुन घुन झुर मरूं जो तुमरी येह परीत ।
Jeth blows hot; in garden shade the others sit together.
लूआं धुप्पां पौंदियां जेठ, मजलिस बहन्दी बागां हेठ,
Heat and chill turn in my body; the merchant opens old accounts.
तत्ती ठंडी वग्गे पेठ, दफ़तर कढ्ढ पुराने सेठ,
Poison is my portion.
मुहरा खाणियां ।
Today, tomorrow comes the call; my heart burns as I sigh.
अज्ज कल्ल्ह सद्द होयी अलबत्ता, हुन मैं आह कलेजा तत्ता,
No husband home, no grain, no meal; my love is lost in others.
ना घर कौंत ना दाना भत्ता, बुल्ल्हा शौह होरां संग रत्ता,
Arrows fill my breast.
सीने कानियां ।੯।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Harh burns me in an instant: love has touched its flame to me.
हाड़ सोहे मोहे झट पटे जो लग्गी प्रेम की आग ।
Only the one who burns can know the fire that fate has lit.
जिस लागे तिस जल बुझे जो भौर जलावे भाग ।
What shall I do in Harh? Love makes my body a furnace.
हुन की करां जो आया हाड़्ह, तन विच इशक तपायआ भाड़,
Your love has burned me through; my crying eyes call out,
तेरे इशक ने दित्ता साड़, रोवन अक्खियां करन पुकार,
With sigh on sigh for you.
तेरे हावड़े ।
I plead before my dark beloved; the messenger bears my letters.
हाड़े घत्तां शामी अग्गे, कासद लै के पातर वग्गे,
Black hair goes and white hair comes; without my love I cannot last.
काले गए ते आए बग्गे, बुल्ल्हा शौह बिन ज़रा ना तग्गे,
Dark beloved, come back to me.
शामी बाहवड़े ।१०।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Clouds make Sawan beautiful; the Maker lights the heart.
सावन सोहे मेघला घट सोहे करतार ।
Inayat lives in every place; the rainbird calls his name.
ठौर ठौर इनायत बसे पपीहा करे पुकार ।
Malhar fills the rains with song; the grief that hounded me departs.
सोहन मलेहारा सारे सावन, दूती दुक्ख लग्गे उट्ठ जावण,
Boys play, girls sing; my radiant love comes home to me.
नींगरा खेडन कुड़ियां गावन, मैं घर रंग रंगीले आवण,
My hopes have flowered at last.
आसां पुन्नियां ।
God has answered all my hopes; his eyes and mine have met.
मेरियां आसां रब्ब पुचाईआं, मैं तां उन संग अक्खियां लाईआं,
Friends come singing blessings; Shah Inayat is my lord.
सईआं देन मुबारक आईआं, शाह इनायत आखां साईआं,
My hopes have flowered at last.
आसां पुन्नियां ।११।
Couplet.
दोहरा-
Sweet is Bhadon, sister, when each moment brings us union.
भादों भावे तब सखी जो पल पल होवे मिलाप ।
Each heart I open holds you; in every heart, yourself.
जो घट देखूं खोल्ह के घट घट दे विच आप ।
Bhadon wakes my sleeping fortune; the Master comes in splendour.
आ हुन भादों भाग जगाया, साहब कुदरत सेती आया,
Through every being he is spread; Shah Inayat shows himself.
हर हर दे विच आप समायआ, शाह इनायत आप लखायआ,
At last my eyes could see.
तां मैं लक्ख्या ।
At life's late hour came comfort; my eyes still ask for light.
आखर उमरे होयी तसल्ला, पल पल मंगन नैन तजल्ला,
What comes shall come by Allah's hand; without my love, no good.
जो कुझ होसी करसी अल्ल्हा, बुल्ल्हा शौह बिन कुझ ना भल्ला,
I have drunk love's sweetness.
प्रेम रस चक्ख्या ।१२।