Enough of learning, my friend! - Bulleh Shah

Enough of learning, my friend!

Enough of learning, my friend!

To it there is never an end

An alphabet should do for you,

It’s enough to help you fend.

You’ve amassed much learning around,

The Quran and its commentaries profound.

There is darkness amidst lighted ground.

Without the guide you remain unsound.

Learning makes you a Sheikh or his minion,

And thus you create problems trillion.

You exploit others who know not what,

Misleading them with wild opinion.

You meditate and you say your prayers

You go and shout at the top of the stairs.

Your cry reaching the high skies,

Its your avarice which ever belies.

The day I learnt love’s lesson,

I plunged into the river of divine passion;

An overwhelming gale, I was confounded and lost

When Shah Inayat cruised me across.

Source: here

More on Bulleh Shah here and here

3 Responses to “Enough of learning, my friend! - Bulleh Shah”

  1. bhupinder Says:

    no link on the last “here”

  2. shahidain Says:

    Let me try to give you the punjabi version of English translation above

    ikko alaf teyrey darkaar
    ilmoN bas kareeN O yaar

    paRh paRh likh likh laaweyN Dheyr
    veyd kitaabaaN chaar chafeyr
    girdey chaanan wich anheyr
    apney aap dee khabar naa saar

    paRh paRh sheyKh mashaikh hoyaa
    ilmoN paey qazeyyey hor
    akheeN waaley anhey kor

    paRh nafal namaaz guzaareyN
    uchiyaaN baaNgaaN chaaNgaaN maareyN
    maNbar te chaRh waz pukaareyN
    keeta teyniiN hirs khawaar

    jad meyN sabaq ishaq da paRhyaa
    daryaa weykh wahadat da waRyaa
    ghman gheyraaN dey wich aRyaa
    shah inaayaet laayaa paar

  3. shahidain Says:

    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

    Ab to jaag Musaffir pyare
    Raeen gayi latke taare
    Kar le aj karni da weera
    Mod na ho si aawen tera…

    Awake, dear traveller, you’ve got to move on.
    Trailing its stars, the night is gone.
    Do what you have to do, do it today.
    You will never be back this way.

    Your companions are calling.
    “Let us go.”
    Awake, dear traveller, you’ve got to move on.
    Trailing its stars, the night is gone.

    A pearl, a ruby, the touchstone and dice…
    With all that you thirst by the waterside.
    Awake, dear traveller, you’ve got to move on.
    Trailing its stars, the night is gone.

Leave a Reply

Related Posts from the Past: