Wisdom from Bulle Shah

Bulle Shah, a Sufi poet, also popularized by Mr. Rabbi Shergill (bulla ki jaana main kaun..), has always challenged religious rituals in his writings. I came across one of his writings, sung equally enchantingly by Nusrat, and ended up wasting (not really, only worldly) 3 hours on it. I could find a decent english translation here for you (spanks disabled). You are also welcome to step into the whirlpool Nusrat creates, Bulla sitting at the eye of it.



Philosophical response to the poem pending, yours truly cannot write but just listen right now.

Alla hu!

-G Singh, San Jose, 29th June, 2008

Deep inside, somewhere deep

There is us,
there is me,
there is you,
and there are they

Light inside,
reflecting on the face,
chord in the heart,
fibrillating, enchanting,
beat in the ears,
song on the tongue,
transforming, transporting, ages, miles

Deep inside, somewhere deep
we are all alike,
Reflecting face,
enchanting heart,
lost ears,
swinging tongue,
What is unknown,
strange,
sad, dismal?

The oneness,
there, deep inside,
refracts,
to colors human,
seeing, listening, feeling, thinking,
take over,
profusely,
enough,
spearing,
enough to bleed,
enough,
to blind

-G Singh, June 20, 2008, San Jose