A Golden Compass Forget every idea of right and wrong
Any classroom ever taught you Because
An empty heart, a tormented mind,
Unkindness, jealousy and fear Are always the testimony
You have been completely fooled! Turn your back on those
Who would imprison your wondrous spirit
With deceit and lies. Come, join the honest company
Of the King’s beggars –
Those gamblers, scoundrels and divine clowns
And those astonishing fair courtesans
Who need Divine Love every night. Come, join the courageous
Who have no choice
But to bet their entire world
That indeed,
Indeed, God is Real. I will lead you into the Circle
Of the Beloved’s cunning thieves,
Those playful royal rogues –
The ones you can trust for true guidance –
Who can aid you
In this Blessed Calamity of life. Hafiz,
Look at the Perfect One
At the Circle’s Center: He Spins and Whirls like a Golden Compass,
Beyond all that is Rational, To show this dear world That Everything,
Everything in Existence
Does point to God.

--Hafiz

"The only journey is the one within."
— Rainer Maria Rilke

"Let everything happen to you
Beauty and terror
Just keep going
No feeling is final"
— Rainer Maria Rilke

Rainer Maria Rilke says

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer."

Iqbal says:

 I wandered in the pursuit of my own self;
     I was the traveler,
          and I am the destination.

Hazrat Ali says,

 'Know thyself, and thou shalt know God.'

Hazrat Inayat Khan Says

Selflessness does not only beautify one's personality, giving grace to one's word and manner, but it also gives a dignity and power, together with a spirit of independence which is the real sign of a sage. It is selflessness which often produces humility in one's spirit, taking away the intoxication, which enriches the soul.

Hazrat Sultan Bahu

Shariat de darwaaze uchche, Raah faqar daa moree hoo
Aalim faazil den na langhan, Jo langhe so choree hoo
Putt putt ittaan vatte maaran, Dardmandaan de khoree hoo
Raaz maahee daa aashiq jaanan, Jaanan keeh athoree hoo

Lofty are the portals of religion; Hard to find is the narrow path that leads to God.
Priests and scholars allow no one to find it; They throw stones and rocks, they persecute Saints.
Lovers have only discovered this strait path By keeping out of their sight.
Only lovers know the secret path to the Lord. How can people driven by blind impulse find it?

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Sift sanaaee mool na parhhde, Jo pauhte wich zaatee hoo
Ilm, amal unhaan wich hove, Aslee te asbaatee hoo
Naal muhabaat nafs kuthone, Ghin razaa dee kaatee hoo
Chaudaan tabq dile wich Baahoo, Paa nadar dee jhaatee hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

People who have attained the real Name of God Do not sing hymms in temples.
They have learnt to practise the real Name; They have acquired the true knowledge of his essence.
They have wielded the sword of God’s will; They have slain their ego with God’s love.
All fourteen realms are within your heart, O Bahu, if only you knew how to peep within!

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Soorat nafs ammaare dee, Koee kuttaa gullar kaalaa hoo
Kooke, nooke, lahoo peeve, Mange charb nivaalaa hoo
Khabbe paason andar baithaa, Dil de naal sambhaalaa hoo
Eh bad-bakht hai zaalim Baahoo, Allaah karsee taalaa hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

The stubborn ego is like an ugly, black dog That howls and screams without end.
It eats your flesh, it drinks your blood;
It dwells in the left, shadowy side of your heart!
It is evil and accursed, O Bahu- May the Lord save us all from its brutal attacks!

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Zaad-zarooree nafs kutte noon, Qeema qeem kacheeve hoo
Naal muhabbat zikr Allaah daa, Dam dam piaa parheeve hoo
Zikr kanoon Rabb haasil theendaa, Zaato zaat diseeve hoo
Doven jahaan ghulaam tinhaan de, Jinhaan zaat labheeve hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

The dog of ego must be slain and minced into bits By the repetition of God’s Name.
Practised with love, with every breath of one’s life.
You can realize God with the repition of the Name, And your soul can have
The vision of its own divine Essence.
Heaven and earth become slaves of anyone, O Bahu, Who has realized the Essence within himself.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Taalib Ghaus-al-Aazam waale, Kade na hovan maande hoo
Jainde andar ishq dee rattee, Raihan sadaa kurlaande hoo
Jainoon shauq milan daa hove, Lai khushiaan nit aande hoo
Doven jahaan naseeb tinhaan, jo Zaatee Ism kamaande hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Put your faith in Ghaus-ul-A’zam, And you will never be left in the lurch.
With just a grain of love in your heart, You will spend your life Crying in the pain of separation.
If you long to meet the Lord ardently, You will always obtain peace and happiness.
If you practise the real Name of God, All bliss will be yours, O Bahu, In this world and the world beyond

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Taalib ben ke taalib hoven, Ose noon piaa gaaven hoo
Larh sache haadee daa pharh ke, Oho toon ho jaaven hoo
Kalme daa toon zikr kamaavan, Kalme naal nahaaven hoo
Allaah tainoon paak kare. Je zaatee Ism kamaaven hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

If you seek to meet God ardently, Become a disciple of a true Master And sing his praises
If you follow his instructions sincerely, You will, one day, assume his very form.
By constant repitition of his Kalma You will bathe yourself in its beatitude.
The Lord will purify you of all your sins, O Bahu, If you practise that real Name of God.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Zaahir wekhaan jaanee taaeen, Naale andar seene hoo
Birhon maari nit phiraan main, Hassan lok naabeene hoo
Main dil wichon hai shauh paaiaa, Lokeen jaan madeene hoo
Kahe faqeer Meeraan daa Baahoo, Andar dilaan khazeene hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

I see my Beloved in the world outside. When I look within, I see him in my heart.
I wander around, worn down with the pain of longing; The blind and ignorant mock and jeer.
I have found my Lord within my heart, While the unenlightened go on pilgirmage to Mecca.
Says Bahu, the beggar at his Master’s door: There are bountiful treasures within my heart.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ilmon baajh je faqar kamaave, Kaafir mare deewaanaa hoo
Sai variaan dee kare ibaadat, Allaah theen begaanaa hoo
Ghaflat theen na khulsan parde, Dil jaahil butkhaanaa hoo
Main qurbaan tinhaan ton, jinhaan Miliaa yaar yagaanaa hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

If you meditate on God without guidance, You wll die faithless and lost.
Even if you worship like this for hundreds of years, You would still be unfamiliar with God.
The veil will not be lifted without knowledge of the Way- The heart will stay dark like a house of idols.
I sacrifice myself to anyone, O Bahu, Who has found the Master without peer.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aqal fikar dee jaa na kaaee, Jit wahadat sirr subhaanee hoo
Na uth mullaan pandit joshee, Na uth ilm Quraanee hoo
Jad Aihmad aihad wikhaalee dittaa, Taan kul hove faanee hoo
Ilm tamaam keetone haasil, Thapp kitaab asmaanee hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Intellect and wisdom find no foothold Where the secrets of unity in God are revealed.
Priests are no help there Nor is any knowledge of the scriptures.
You can only merge your self in the Absolute When the Master reveals the divine secret.
You can only acquire ultimate knowledge of God After you put away the scriptures.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq muazzin dittiaan baangaan, Kanneen sad peeose hoo
Khoon jigar daa kadh karaahaan, Wuzoo paakh sezeeose hoo
Sun taqbeer fanai walee, Murhan muhaal theeose hoo
Parh takbeer theeose waasil, Taaheen shukr keetose hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

When love gave the call to prayer, My heart responded:
I purified myself-I performed my wuzoo*With the blood of my heart!
When the cry “God is great” inspired me To merge in that great Lord, I found my heart unwilling to turn back.
When I myself proclaimed Allah’s greatness, I merged in him and thanked him For relieving me of my long suffering.

* Wuzoo refers to the Muslim practise of cleaning oneself by washing on’es face, hands and feet with water before namaaz, the ritual prayer.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiq parhn namaaz piram dee, Jain wich harf na koee hoo
Jehaa kehaa neet na sakke, Uth dardmand dil dhoee hoo
Akheen neer te khoon jigar daa, Wuzoo paak keetoee hoo
Jeebh na hille, honth na pharhkan, Khaas namaazee soee hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

A lover offers his prayer in an unspoken language.
It is not for everyone- Only the aching heart of a lover can know this prayer.
He purifies himself by doing his wuzoo With tears from his eyes, blood from his heart.
Only a rare devotee knows the prayer for which The tongue does not move, lips do not flutter.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiq ho te ishq kamaawe, Dil rakkheen vaang pahaarhaan hoo
Sai sai badeeaan, lakh ulaahme, Jaaneen baagh bahaaraan hoo
Chaa soolee Mansoor dittaa, Jo waaqif kul asraaraan hoo
Sajdoin sir na chaaee-e Bahoo, Kaafir kaihan hazaaraan hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Become a lover, and let your heart be like a rock.
If people hurl abuse at you, consider it as a blessing.
Even Mansur, who knew all the secrets of God, Was sent to the gallows.
Once you have bowed you head in prayer, Do not lift it again,
O Bahu, Although the multitude may brand you an infidel.*

*The Muslim prayer, namaaz is offered in verying postures like standing, bowing, kneeling, in a given sequence, as directed by the prayer leader. But once a lover has bowed his head in prayer, he forgets his surroundings, even his own body. ‘The faithful’ brand him infidel because he does not join them in their set pattern of ritual prayer.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiq raaz maahee de kolon, Hon kadee na theevan vaande hoo
Neend haraam tinhaan te, jehrhe Zaatee Ism kamaande hoo
Hik pal mool aaraam na aae, Raat dine kurlaande hoo
Jinhaan alif sahee kar parhiaa, Waah naseeb tinhaan de hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Lovers are always engaged In inner contemplation of the Beloved.
They even deny themselves their nightly sleep- So absorbed are they In their practise of God’s real Mane.
They are restless day and night; They cry in the pain of their separation from God.
Bahu hails the good fortune of those devotees Who rightly devote themselves To the lesson of Oneness.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiq ishq maahee de kolon, Phiran hameshaa kheeve hoo
Jeende jaan maahee noon dittee, Doheen jahaaneen jeeve hoo
Shamaa chiraagh jinhaan dil roshan, Oh kion baalan deeve hoo
Aqal fikr dee pahunch na othe, Faanee faiham kacheeve hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Lovers remain completey intoxicated In the ecstasy of their love for the Beloved.
They offer their souls to the Beloved while still living And thus immortalize themselves In this life and the hereafter.
Why should anyone Whose heart shines with the light of God Burn candles in temples?
Grossly limited are reason and intellect, O Bahu! They have no access to the realm of love.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiq daa dil mom braabar, Maashooqaan dil kaahlee hoo
Tu’amaa wekkhe tur tur takke, Jion baazaan dee chaalee hoo
Baaz vichaaraa kionkar udde, Paireen pios dawaalee hoo
Jain dil ishq khareed na keetaa, Dohaan jahaanon khaalee hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

A lover’s heart melts like wax, But slow in response is the Beloved.
Like a hawk, the lower eyes the Beloved’s heart And seeks it out.
But tied down to earthly strings, How can the poor hawk fly?
The heart that has not purchased love In the marketplace of life, O Bahu, Will go empty-handed-in this world and the next.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiqa hik wuzoo jo keetaa, Roz qiaamat taaeen hoo
Wich namaaz raku sajoode, Raihande sanjh sabaaheen hoo
Ethe othe doheen jahaaneen, Sabh faqar deeaan jaaeen hoo
Arshaan ton sai manzil agge, Paindaa kam tinhaaeen hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

A lover purifies himself just once-with Kalma; His wuzoo will hold till the day of judgement.
Day and night he prostrates himself And keeps his head bowed in supplication.
The faqirs are at home in this world and the next,
But a thousand stages beyond paradise Lies their real Home!

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq dee baazee har jaa khedee, Shaah, gadaa, sultaanaan hoo
Aalim, faazil, aaqil, daanaa, Kardaa chaa hairaanaan hoo
Tamboo khot latthaa wich dil de, Laaees khilwat khaanaan hoo
Ishq ameer faqeer manende, Keeh jaane begaanaan hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Everyone from king to beggar has played the game of love-
it equally astounds the intellectual, the scholar and the wise.
Love has firmly entrenched itself within me, Establishing its private chamber in my heart!
Love has touched the hearts Of the rich and the poor alike; How can an outsider-who had never tasted love- Realize its bliss and splendour?

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq muhabbat dariaa de wich, Thee mardaanaa tarree-e hoo
Jitthe paun ghazab deeaan laiharaan, Qadam uthaaeen dharee-e hoo
Aujharh jhang balaaeen bele, Wekh wekh na daree-e hoo
Naam faqeer tad theendaa Baahoo, Wich talab de maree-e hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Be brave and swim across the ocean of love, Plunging straight Into its fierce waves, its deadly whirlpools.
And don’t be frightened At the sight of the dense forests
Or threatening inner waste lands On your way to the country of love.
Only when you sacrifice your life In your love for God Will you deserve the name ‘faqir’, O Bahu.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq asaanoon lissiaan jaataa, Latthaa mall muhaarhee hoo
Na sauven, na sauvan deve, Jeeven baal rihaarhee hoo
Poh maagheen kharbooze mange, Main kith laisaan vaarhee hoo
Aqal fikr deeaan bhull gaeeaan, Jad ishq vajaaee taarhee hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Considering me frail and helpless, Love has entrenched itself at my door.
Like a spoiled child, it won’t sleep, Nor will it let me have any rest.
It demands the impossible of me: It wants summer fruit in the dead of winter- Where can I find such a thing?
When love decides to call you, O Bahu, Reason and logic are completely forgotten.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq jinhaan de haddeen rachiaa, Raihan oh chup chupaate hoo
Loon loon de wich lakkh zabaanaan, Kaan oh gungee baate hoo
Karde wuzoo Ism Aazam daa, Dariaa wahadat nahaate hoo
Tadon qabool namaazaan Baahoo, Jad yaaraan yaar pachhaate hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Devotees, whose hearts are saturated With the love of God, keep their lips sealed.
Every pore of their bodies has a million tongues With which to repeat the Name of God- Their silence speaks for their eloquence.
They have done their wuzoo with the holy Name; They have bathed themselves in the ocean of oneness.
Only when your soul identifies with its divine Source Will your prayer be accepted, O Bahu.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiq soee haqeeqee jehrhaa, Qatal maashooq de manne hoo
Ishq na chhorhe, mukh na morhe, Pae talvaaraan khanne hoo
Jit wal wekhe raaz maahee daa, Lagge ose banne hoo
Sachchaa ishq Hussain Ali daa, sir dae raaz na bhanne hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

A real lover is one who bows his head Before the Beloved’s sword.
He will never forsake his love, Never turn his back on the Beloved- Even if he were cut into pieces with the sword of love.
He will put his heart and soul into his endeavour To find a clue to the Beloved’s secrets.
The love of Hussain and Ali was true, O Bahu. They sacrificed their lives, But not their love for God and the Prophet.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq samundar charh giaa falkeen, Kit jahaaz kacheeve hoo
Aqal fikr dee daundee noon, chaa Paihale poor boorheeve hoo
Karhkhan kappar paun laiharaan, Jad wahadat wich varheeve hoo
Jis marne theen khalqat dardee, Aashiq marke jeeve hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Waves on the ocean of love rise to the skies; Even large and sturdy ships cannot survive.
The fragile boat of intellect and reason Has little chance.
It will sink in its first attempt to cross Because fierce whirlpools roar, deadly waves crash, When a ship prepares to enter the port of Unity.
The death that strikes terror in people’s minds Brings joy to a lover’s heart: In death he finds everlasting life.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq dee bhaah haddaan daa baalan, Aashiq baih sikende hoo
Ghatt ke jaan jigar wich aaraa, Wekh kabaab talende hoo
Sargardaan phiran har wele, Khoon jigar daa peende hoo
Hoe hazaaraan aashiq Baahoo, Ishq naseeb kaheende hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Lovers warm themselves On the fire of love in their hearts- Ignited and def with the fuel of their bones.
They carve out the flesh of their hearts And roast it on this fire.
Distraught in love, they wander listlessly, Quenching their thirst with their own blood.
Thousands have claimed to be lovers, O Bahu; Rare is the one who is blessed with true love!

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq maahee de laaeeaan aggeen, Laggee kaun bujhaave hoo
Main keeh jaanaan zaat ishq, jo Dar dar chaa jhukaave hoo
Na saunven na sauvan deve, Suttiaan aan jagaave hoo
Main qurbaan haan usde jehrha, Vichhrhe yaar milaave hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

My heart is ablaze with the fire of love. Who will quench the flames?
How was I to know what this love was like? It has made me bow my head at every doorstep.
It is always awake, and it always keeps me awake; It doesn’t allow me a wink of sleep.
O Bahu, I sacrifice myself to anyone, Who will reunite me with my long-separated Friend.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq dee gall avallee jehrhaa, Sharaa theen door hataave hoo
Qaazee shhorhe qazaaee jaan, Jad ishq tamaachaa laave hoo
Lok ayaane matteen devan, Aashiq mat na bhaave hoo
Murhn muhaal tinhaan noon jinhaan, Saahib aap bulaave hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Curios are the ways of love- It weans you away from religion.
When smitten by love, Even priests would forsake their priesthood.
The ignorant preach against love, But lovers shun their advise.
Those who are called by God himself, Find it onerous to return to worldly life.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiq Shauh de dil kharhaaiaa, Aap bhee naale kharhiaa hoo
Kharhiaa kharhiaa valiaa naheen, Sang mahboobaan raliaa hoo
Aql fikr deeaan sab bhull gaeeaan, Ishqe naal jaan miliaa hoo
Main qurbaan tinhaan theen, jain wich Ishq javaanee charhiaa hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

A lover lost his heart to the Beloved; And with his heart lose, he himself was lost.
Being lost, he never turned back, But ventured onward to join the Beloved.
In his love he merged in the Beloved, And his reason and intellect were all but forsaken.
I make myself a sacrifice to anyone in whose heart Love has so blossomed, O Bahu!

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq asaanoon lissiaan jaataa, Karke aave dhaaee hoo
Jit val wekhaan ishq diseeve, Khaalee haa na kaaee hoo
Murshid kaamil oh miliaa, Jis dil dee taakee laahee hoo
Main qurban us murshid ton, Jis dassiaa bhet Ilaahee hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Love considers me a weakling; Unrelenting, it charges at my heart.
Overwhelmed by its onslaughts, I see nothing but love wherever I look; I can find no place that is bereft of love.
I was blessed to meet a perfect Master Who opened the sealed window of my heart.
I make myself a sacrifice to the Master, O Bahu, Who has revealed to me the secret of God.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq asaanoon lissiaan jaataa, Baithaa maar pathalla hoo
Wich jigar de sanh chaa laaeeas, Keetas kam avallaa hoo
Jaan andar varh jhaatee paaeeas, Ditthaa yaar ikallaa hoo
Bajhon murshid kaamil Baahoo, Hondi naheen tasallaa hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Considering me a weakling, Love has settled itself like a squatter in my heart.
It has forced its way in through a secret opening- What an act of daring trespass!
When I went within myself to investigate, I found my Love sitting alone-waiting!
Without my perfect Master, O Bahu, None can ever realize the goal of life.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Aashiq nek salaaheen lagde, Kion ujaarhde ghar noon hoo
Baal mavaataa birhoon daa, Na laande jaan jigar noon hoo
Jaan jahaan sab bhull gio ne, Luttee hosh sabar noon hoo
Main qurbaan tinhaan ton, jinhaan Khoon ditta dilbar noon hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Had these lovers heeded the good advise of the world, They would not have deserted their homes.*
They would not have burnt their hearts and souls In the fire of longing for the Beloved. They are oblivious of both themselves and the world.
Their love for the Lord has robbed them Of their patience and their awareness of themselves.
I make myself a sacrifice to anyone Who has surrendered his life for the Beloved, O Bahu.

* Deserting the home: Withdrawing at will the life consciousness from the physical body

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ishq chalaaiaa taraf asmaanaan, Farshon arsh wakhaaiaa hoo
Rauh nee duneeaa thag na saanoon, Saadaa jee ghabraaiaa hoo
Aseen musaafir watan duraadaa, Koorhaa laalach laaiaa hoo
Mar gae marne theen pahle, Tinhaan Rabb noon paaiaa hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Love has inspired me to explre the heavens: From earth it has raised me to the worlds of Spirit.
Be gone, foul world, beguile me no more! I am already in anguish about my stay here.
I am a wayfarer, my home is far away, And you have enticed me with false promises.
Only if you forsake the world and die while living Can you find the Lord, O Bahu.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Ghaus qutb han ure urere, Aashiq jaan agere hoo
Jehrhee manzil aashiq pahunchan, Ghaus na paavan phere hoo
Aashiq wich visaal de raihnde, Laamakaanee dere hoo
Main qurbaan tinhaan ton, jinhaan Zaato zaat basere hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

The ghaus and qutb trail behind; The goal of lovers is far ahead.
The leaders of religion can never reach the stage To which the lovers of God have easy access.
Lovers are always united with the Beloved; They abide in realms beyond time and space,
I shall sacrifice myself to anyone, O Bahu, Whose spirit rests in its own Essence.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Fajreen wele uth savele, Aan karan mazdooree hoo
Kaanvaan illaan hiksee gallaan, Treejee ralee chandooree hoo
Maaran cheekhaan karan mushaqqat, Put put kadh angooree hoo
Saaree umar pitendiaan guzree, Kadee na paeeaa pooree hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

They rise early; they get to their work fast:
Like crows and vultures they create a racket- Reading their sermons like the mimicking chandoor.*
They spend their lives like this- Talking gibberish, shooting prayers into the air
And distorting the message of the scriptures- Because their hearts are never moved by God’s love.

* Chandoor or chandol is a mimicking bird. It imitates sounds, including spoken words – obviously without knowing their meaning, in much the same manner as priests recite and quote the words of Saints without realizing their underlying message.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Qalb na hilliaa taan keeh hoiaa, Hoiaa zikr zabaanee hoo
Qalbee, roohee, makhfee, sirree, Sabhe raah hairaanee hoo
Shaah rag ton nazdeek ho raihndaa, Yaar na miliaa jaanee hoo
Naam faqeer tinhaan da, jehrhe Wasde laamakaanee hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

If only done with your tongue and not your heart, The repitition of God’s Name is in vain.
Using the various kings of zikr*-with the heart, the soul, And other secret methods-only leads to confusion.
These methods give no clue of the Beloved Who is nearby and only to be found through the Royal Vein
Only the one whose spirit abides in realms beyond space Deserves to be called faqir, O Bahu.

* At the highest level, Sufi mystics used the term zikr for the inner remembrance or simran. The term was also used for many kinds of repitition practises pertaining to the lower centres of the body and lower spiritual regions.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Kalme dee kal tad piose, Jad kal kalme vanj kholee hoo
Kalmaa aashik parhhde, jithe Noor nabee dee holee hoo
Chaudaan tabq kalme de andar, Keeh jaane khalqat bholee hoo
Kalmaa saanoon peer parhhaaiaa, Jind ose ton gholee hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

You will only know the marvel of Kalma When it has opened the window of your heart.
Lovers practise Kalma within their hearts, Lit by the Master’s radiance.
All fourteen realms are within the Kalma- How can the uninitiated comprehend this secret?
As for me, my Master initiated me into the Kalma. Since then I have dedicated my soul only to him.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Kalme dee kal tadaan paee, Jad kalme dil noon pharhiaa hoo
Bedardaan noon khabar na kaaee, Dardmandaan gal marhiaa hoo
Kufr Islaam daa pataa laggaa, Jad bhann jigar wich varhiaa hoo
Main qurbaan tinhaan ton, jinhaan Kalmaa sahee kar parhiaa hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

I only learned the value of Kalma When the Kalma captured my heart.
The worldly know not the merit of Kalma, But lovers adorn their hearts with it.
I realized what heresy is and what truly is faith, When the Kalma took possession of my heart.
I sacrifice myself to anyone, O Bahu, Who correctly repeats and practises the Kalma.

Roman English of Kalam-e-Bahu

Kalme dee kal tadaan paee, Jad murshid kalmaa dassiaa hoo
Saaree umar kufr wich jaalee, Bin murshid de dassiaan hoo
Shah Alee Sher-Allaah waangan, Vaddh kufr noon suttiaa hoo
Dil saafee taan hove je kar, Kalmaa loon loon rasiaa hoo

English translation of Kalam-e-Bahu

Only when my Master initiated me into the Kalma Did I truly understand its meaning.
Only then did it dawn on me. That I had wasted my earlier life as a non-believer.
But now, in the manner of Hazrat Ali, the lion of God, Kalma has slain the demon of my non-belief.
Only when the Kalma has saturated every pore of your being Will your heart be purified, O Bahu.

Mun tu shudam tu mun shudi,mun tun shudam tu jaan shudi
Taakas na guyad baad azeen, mun deegaram tu deegari

I have become you, and you me,
I am the body, you soul;
So that no one can say hereafter,
That you are are someone, and me someone else.

Ahmad Faraz

Khamosh ho kyo.n daad-e-jafaa kyuu.N nahii.n dete

bismil ho to qaatil ko duaa kyuu.N nahii.n dete

vahashat kaa sabab rouzan-e-zindaa.N to nahii.n hai

mahar-o-maah-o-anjum ko bujhaa kyuu.N nahii.n dete

ik ye bhii to andaaz-e-ilaaj-e-Gam-e-jaa.N hai

ai chaaraagaro dard ba.Dhaa kyuu.N nahii.n dete

munsif ho agar tum to kab insaaf karoge

mujarim hai agar ham to sazaa kyuu.N nahii.n dete

rahazan ho to haazir hai mataa-e-dil-o-jaa.N bhii

rahabar ho to manzil kaa pataa kyuu.N nahii.n dete

kyaa biit ga_ii ab ke 'Faraz' ahal-e-chaman par

yaaraan-e-qafas mujh ko sadaa kyuu.N nahii.n dete

Yunus Emre says

I haven't come here to settle down.
I've come here to depart.
I am a merchant with lots of goods,
selling to whoever will buy.
I didn't come to create any problems,
I'm only here to love.
A Heart makes a good home for the Friend.
I've come to build some hearts.
I'm a little drunk from this Friendship-
Any lover would know the shape I'm in.
I've come to exchange my twoness,
to dissapear in One.
He is my teacher. I am His servant.
I am a nightingale in His garden.
I've come to the Teacher's garden
to be happy and die singing.
They say "Souls which know each other here,
know each other there."
I've come to know a Teacher
and to show myself as I am.

chaahat mein kayaa duniyaa daarii - gul bahar bano

Joshu Sasaki Roshi says

The love that we cannot live without is the love where the "I am" self is gone, where one's True Nature is manifest. That is true love.

The individual soul is a shoot that springs from the all-pervading Spirit, its goal being its origin; and every attachment it has on its way is, no doubt, a detaining on the journey. The soul is never fully satisfied so long as it has not reached its destination. The love of the external world is a rehearsal before the performance, which is the love of God, the Inner Being.
Sangatha II, by Hazrat Inayat Khan

Abu Said Khair once said:
The shortest way to the Beloved
   is through selfless service and
      generosity to all of the Beloved's creatures.

Rumi says

, 'Whether you love a human being or you love God, there will come a day when all lovers, either of man or of God, will be brought before the throne of love, and the presence of that only Beloved will reign there.' What does this show? In loving our friend, in loving our neighbor, even in the love that one shows to one's enemy, one is only loving God. The one who says, 'I love God, but I cannot love man,' does not love God, he cannot. It is like saying, 'I love you very much, but I do not like looking at your face!'

Conference Of The Birds by Attar

'Attar began The Conference of the Birds (Mantiq al-tair) with an invocation praising the holy Creator in which he suggested that one must live a hundred lives to know oneself; but you must know God by the deity, not by yourself, for God opens the way, not human wisdom. 'Attar believed that God is beyond all human knowledge. The soul will manifest itself when the body is laid aside. One cannot gain spiritual knowledge without dying to all things. When the birds assemble, they wonder why they have no king. The Hoopoe presents herself as a messenger from the invisible world with knowledge of God and the secrets of creation. She recommends Simurgh as their true king, saying that one of his feathers fell on China.

The Nightingale says that the love of the Rose satisfies him, and the journey is beyond his strength; but the Hoopoe warns against being a slave of passing love that interferes with seeking self-perfection. The Parrot longs for immortality, and the Hoopoe encourages the Peacock to choose the whole. The Duck is too content with water to seek the Simurgh. The Hoopoe advises the Partridge that gems are just colored stones and that love of them hardens the heart; she should seek the real jewel of sound quality. The Humay is distracted by ambition, and the Owl loves only the treasure he has found. The Hoopoe reprimands the Sparrow for taking pride in humility and recommends struggling bravely with oneself. She states that the different birds are just shadows of the Simurgh. If they succeed, they will not be God; but they will be immersed in God. If they look in their hearts, they will see the divine image. All appearances are just the shadow of the Simurgh. Those loving truly do not think about their own lives and sacrifice their desires. Those grounded in love renounce faith and religion as well as unbelief. One must hear with the ear of the mind and the heart.

A total of 22 birds speak to the Hoopoe or ask questions about the journey. Short anecdotes are told to illustrate the Hoopoe's points. The Hoopoe says that it is better to lose your life than to languish miserably. The Hoopoe says,

So long as we do not die to ourselves,
and so long as we identify with someone or something,
we shall never be free.
The spiritual way is not for those wrapped up in exterior life.5

You will enjoy happiness if you succeed in withdrawing from attachment to the world. Whoever is merciful even to the merciless is favored by the compassionate. It is better to agree to differ than to quarrel. The Hoopoe warns the sixth bird against the dog of desire that runs ahead. Each vain desire becomes a demon, and yielding to each one begets a hundred others. The world is a prison under the devil, and one should have no truck with its master. The Hoopoe also says that if you let no one benefit from your gold, you will not profit either; but by the smallest gift to the poor you both benefit. She says,

Good fortune will come to you only as you give.
If you cannot renounce life completely,
you can at least free yourself
from the love of riches and honors.6

A pupil becomes afraid in facing a choice between two roads, but a shaikh advises getting rid of fear so that either road will be good. The Hoopoe tells the eighth bird that only if death ceases to exercise power over creatures would it be wise to remain content in a golden palace. The ninth bird is told that sensual love is a game inspired by passing beauty that is fleeting. The Hoopoe asks what is uglier than a body made of flesh and bones. It is better to seek the hidden beauty of the invisible world. An anecdote about Jesus yields the following lesson:

Strive to discover the mystery before life is taken from you.
If while living you fail to find yourself, to know yourself,
how will you be able to understand
the secret of your existence when you die?7

The Hoopoe advises the eleventh bird that giving yourself over to pride or self-pity will disturb you. Since the world passes, pass it by, for whoever becomes identified with transient things has no part in the lasting things. The suffering endured is made glorious and is a treasure for the seer, for blessings will come if you make efforts on the path. The fifteenth bird is told that justice is salvation, and the just are saved from errors. Being just is better than a life of worship. Justice exercised in secret is even better than liberality; but justice professed openly may lead to hypocrisy. A story of two drunks teaches that we see faults because we do not love. When we understand real love, the faults of those near us appear as good qualities. When you see the ugliness of your own faults, you will not bother so much with the faults of others.

The journey of the birds takes them through the seven valleys of the quest, love, understanding, independence and detachment, unity, astonishment, and finally poverty and nothingness. In the valley of the quest one undergoes a hundred difficulties and trials. After one has been tested and become free, one learns in the valley of love that love has nothing to do with reason. The valley of understanding teaches that knowledge is temporary, but understanding endures. Overcoming faults and weaknesses brings the seeker closer to the goal. In the valley of independence and detachment one has no desire to possess nor any wish to discover. To cross this difficult valley one must be roused from apathy to renounce inner and outer attachments so that one can become self-sufficient. In the valley of unity the Hoopoe announces that although you may see many beings, in reality there is only one, which is complete in its unity. As long as you are separate, good and evil will arise; but when you lose yourself in the divine essence, they will be transcended by love. When unity is achieved, one forgets all and forgets oneself in the valley of astonishment and bewilderment.

The Hoopoe declares that the last valley of deprivation and death is almost impossible to describe. In the immensity of the divine ocean the pattern of the present world and the future world dissolves. As you realize that the individual self does not really exist, the drop becomes part of the great ocean forever in peace. The analogy of moths seeking the flame is used. Out of thousands of birds only thirty reach the end of the journey. When the light of lights is manifested and they are in peace, they become aware that the Simurgh is them. They begin a new life in the Simurgh and contemplate the inner world. Simurgh, it turns out, means thirty birds; but if forty or fifty had arrived, it would be the same. By annihilating themselves gloriously in the Simurgh they find themselves in joy, learn the secrets, and receive immortality. So long as you do not realize your nothingness and do not renounce your self-pride, vanity, and self-love, you will not reach the heights of immortality. 'Attar concluded the epilog with the admonition that if you wish to find the ocean of your soul, then die to all your old life and then keep silent.

Hafiz says

THE LUTE WILL BEG

You need to become a pen

In the Sun´s hand.

We need for the earth to sing

Through our pores and eyes.

The body will again become restless

Until your soul paints all its beauty

Upon the sky.

Don´t tell me, dear ones,

That what Hafiz says is not true,

For when the heart tastes its glorious destiny

And you awake to our constant need

for your love

God´s lute will beg

For your hands.

Hafiz

Ghazal - Iqbal Bano - Kuch To Ehsas E Zayan By Nasir Kazmi

-- Hafiz says

Every child has known God,
Not the God of names,
Not the God of don’ts,
Not the God who ever does Anything weird,
But the God who knows only 4 words.
And keeps repeating them, saying:
“Come Dance with Me , come dance.”

Hafiz wrote:

It happens all the time in heaven,
     And some day

           It will begin to happen
                  Again on earth-

 That men and women who are married,
          And men and men who are
                        Lovers,

          And women and women
       Who give each other Light,
  Often will get down on their knees

           And while so tenderly
         Holding their lover's hand,

           With tears in their eyes,
       Will sincerely speak, saying,

                   "My dear,
    How can I be more loving to you;

             How can I be more
                         Kind?"

Rumi says

Don't search for the water, just get thirsty,
so that the water may arrive,
just as the cry of the newborn babe
brings the mothers milk.

wahiduddin says

Tell me of
    teardrops of loving joy
that caressed your heart,
Tell me of
      the flowers that
have opened your heart,
Tell me of
    the peace that Love
has brought to your heart,
Tell me of
    the joys that
make your your heart sing,
Let us talk of
    Love, Harmony and Beauty,
Let us talk of
    how God is
touching our hearts in this moment,
Let us share
    our heart-songs
and celebrate the glory of God in every moment.

   
    

Hafiz says

God wants to see
More love and playfulness in your eyes
For that is your greatest witness to him.

Jalaluddin Rumi says

   A Great Silence overcomes me,
   and I wonder why I ever thought
               to use language.

Awhadoddin Kermani says

O, friend! Nobody veils you, but yourself.
In your path there is no thorn or weed, but yourself.
You said: Shall I reach the Beloved or not?
Between you and the Beloved there is nobody but yourself.

Mahmud Shabistari says

Go sweep out the chamber of your heart.
Make it ready to be the dwelling place of the Beloved.
When you depart, He will enter.
In you, void of yourself, will He display His beauties.

                              
 

Abu Saeed Abil Kheir says

Love came and emptied me of self,
every pore and vein made into a container to be filled by the Beloved.
Of me, only a name remains,
the rest is You my Friend, my Beloved.
          

Lao Tzu

In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.

Buddha says

I see now that all creatures
have perfect Enlightenment
but they do not yet know it.

Rumi says

Don't insist on going where you think you want to go.
    Ask the way to the Spring.
        Your living pieces will form a harmony 

wahiduddin says

To be beautiful is to let our thoughts, words and deeds bring Divine beauty into the world.
To be beautiful is to greet each and every being with grace, with love, with compassion, with joy.
To be beautiful is to see the ever-present Divine beauty everywhere.
To be beautiful is to express joyful gratitude for all that we receive.
To be beautiful is let the Divine radiance of our inner light shine upon all beings without any of our own hindrances or preferences whatsoever.
To be beautiful is to expect nothing in return.

Bhagavad Gita 6:29 says

They see the One in every creature and every creature in the One... they see everything with an equal eye.                                    

Bhagavad Gita 4:24 says

The instrument of offering is the One; that which is offered is the One; it is the One who offers the sacrifice in the fire of the One; the One is attained by those who see the One in every action.
                               

Sufi Abu Hashim Madani says

There is only one virtue      
and one sin for a soul on the path:
virtue when he is conscious of God           
and sin when he is not.

Hazrat Inayat Khan Says

God is within you; you are His instrument, and through you He expresses Himself to the external world.

Wadali Brothers - Ab Hum Gum Huey

Wadali Brothers-Tu Mane Ya Na Mane- 3 of 3.flv

Wadali Brothers-Tu Mane Ya Na Mane- 2 of 3.flv

Wadali Brothers-Tu Mane Ya Na Mane- 1 of 3.flv

kyun-ni-aaya By Wadali Brother

KAISERYA BAALMA - MEHDI HASAN

Rumi says

The Lover's Cry

My back is broken by the conflict of my thoughts;

O Beloved one come and stroke my head in mercy!

The palm of Thy hand on my head gives me rest,

Thy hand is a sign of Thy bounteous providence

Remove not Thy shadow from my head,

I am afflicted, afflicted, afflicted!

Rumi says

Why, when God’s earth is so wide, have you fallen sleep in a prison ?

Rumi says

Our journey is to the rose garden of union

Rumi says

How pleasant are the pains; He makes you suffer, 

while He gently draws you to Himself

Chori chori by Reshma

Hafiz Shirazi says

 Seperation 

May none be shattered like me by the woes of separation;
My life has passed by wasted by the throes of separation.

Exited stranger, lover, heartsick beggar, mind bewildered;
I've shouldered brunt of Fortune and blows of separation.

If ever separation should fall into my hand I will kill it;
With tears, in blood, I will pay all the dues of separation.

Where to go, what to do, who to tell my heart's state to?
Who gives justice, who pays out, for those of separation?

From the pain of separation not a moment's peace is mine;
For the sake of God, be just, give the dues of separation.

By separation from Your Presence I'll make separation sick,
Until the heart's blood flows from the eyes of separation.

From where am I and from where are separation and grief?
Seems my mother bore me for grief that grows of separation.

Therefore, at day and at night, branded by love, like Hafiz,
With nightingales of dawn, I cry songs, woes of separation

Hafiz Shirazi says

Into the Mirror of My Cup

Into the mirror of my cup the reflection of your glorious face fell
And from the gentle laughter of love, into a drunken state of longing I fell

Struck with wonder by the beauty of the picture that within my cup I beheld
The picture of this world of illusion from the reflection of my mind fell

Beneath the sword of grief of love for you
there lies a joy no tongue can tell
For that one who was slain by you
found happiness the instant the axe fell

From the house of prayer into the house of drink I fell not of myself
From eternity it was meant to be you came to me and into drunkenness I fell

From the beginningless beginning beneath the veil your face was hidden well
but upon those with love and wisdom a ray from your most glorious face fell

All this world, reflected wonder, wine and love and song, in which we dwell
Is nothing but a fragment of the one whose reflection into my cup fell

With a loving eye and pure vision
the holy pilgrim saw your face so well
but he whose eye was clouded with thought saw you not
and into earthly desire fell

The holy ones who quote the scripture have seen your face and possess some of your wealth
But heartbroken and destitute, from their midst, into disrepute, Hafiz fell

Tassawar khanam

Sanai says

Someone who keeps aloof from suffering
is not a lover. I choose your love
above all else. As for wealth
if that comes, or goes, so be it.
Wealth and love inhabit separate worlds.

But as long as you live here inside me,
I cannot say that I am suffering. 

     

I've Come Here to Depart
I haven't come here to settle down.
I've come here to depart.
I am a merchant with lots of goods,
selling to whoever will buy.
I didn't come to create any problems,
I'm only here to love.
A Heart makes a good home for the Friend.
I've come to build some hearts.
I'm a little drunk from this Friendship-
Any lover would know the shape I'm in.
I've come to exchange my twoness,
to dissapear in One.
He is my teacher. I am His servant.
I am a nightingale in His garden.
I've come to the Teacher's garden
to be happy and die singing.
They say "Souls which know each other here,
know each other there."
I've come to know a Teacher
and to show myself as I am.

Yunus Emre