Great article about Sufis.

It can be listened to at http://www.radioreloaded.com/tracks/?10035

I also like the version rendered by the rock band Junoon, which can be listened to at http://www.radioreloaded.com/tracks/?5563

Thanks for sharing such a nice Bulleh Shah Kafi. You may like to listen the same kafi sung by Shazia Manzoor on this links. You would certainly like it.

http://www.folkpunjab.com/shazia-manzoor/

I love the way Baba Bulleh Shah puts his perfectly Punjabi sense of humour to good use in each of his poems to make some really strong points! Some of that gets lost in translation, unfortunately. Each language has its own brand of humour, perhaps, which can not be conveyed entirely through translations even by the best of translators.

You read and write heaps of books.
Sacred books are piled up all around you.
Surrounded by light, you carry darkness within you.
One ‘Alif’ is all you need, forget the pride in your knowlege, O friend.

PaRh parRh shaikh mashaikh hoyaa
Bhar bhar peyt, neeNdar bhar soyaa
JaaNdi waar nain bhar royaa
Dubbaa wich uraar na paar
Ikko alaf terey darkaar, ilmoN bas kareeN O yaar

Your vast amount of reading has made you a religious master.
You eat excessively and sleep profoundly.
When the time of death arrives – you weep and cry bitterly.
All this repentance is in vain. You drown in the middle of the river – neither reaching one bank or the other. (You drown under the huge weight of your sins.)

PaRh paRh nafal namaaz guzaareyN
UchiyaaN baaNgaaN, chaaNgaaN maareyN
MaNbar tey chaRh waz pukaareyN
Keeta tainooN hirs khawaar
Ikko alaf terey darkaar, ilmoN bas kareeN O yaar

You say prayers upon prayers.
You scream and yell loudly.
Sitting at the pulpit, you deliver sermons.
Greed has brought disgrace upon you.

PaRh paRh mullaaN hoye qaazi
Allah ilmaaN baajhoN raazi
Hovay hirs dino-din taazee
Nafaa neeyat wich guzaar
Ikko alaf terey darkaar, ilmoN bas kareeN O yaar

By means of acquiring knowledge, Mullahs become Qazi (religious judges).
God has no concern with such knowledge.
You refresh your greed day by day.
Your inner-self is always seeking gains.

PaRh paRh masley roz sunaaveyN
Khaanaa shak shubay da khaaweyN
DasseyN hor, tey hor kamaaweyN
Andar khot, baahar sachyaar
Ikko alaf terey darkaar, ilmoN bas kareeN O yaar

You deliver homilies (sermons) every day.
You eat the food of suspicion and doubt.
You preach something and act inversely.
Inwardly – you are corrupt, but, outwardly, you are pious – a liar hidden in the garb of truth.

IlmoN paye qaziye hor
AkheeN waale anhay kor
PhaRdey saadh tey chhaD-dey chor
DoweyN jahaaneeN hoyaa khawaar
Ikko alaf terey darkaar, ilmoN bas kareeN O yaar

As with the help of such false vision they can not find and see the truth,
They capture innocent people and let thieves escape.
In both worlds they are disgraced.

IlmoN miyaaN ji kahaaweyN
TaNba chuk chuk mandi jaaweyN
Dheyla lai ke chhuri chalaaweyN
Naal qasaaiyaaN bohat pyaar
Ikko alaf terey darkaar, ilmoN bas kareeN O yaar

With such knowledge you are called Mian Ji (a title of respect).
You tug up your trousers and go to the market.
You start killing brutally even for a farthing (coin of very little value).
You have excessive affection for the butchers.

Jad meiN sabaq ishq da paRhya
Daryaa weykh wahdat da waRya
Ghuman-gheyraaN dey wich aRyaa
Shah Inayat laaya paar
Ikko alaf terey darkaar, ilmoN bas kareeN O yaar

When I learnt the lesson of love,
I dived into the River of Unity.
I was caught up in its whirlpools.
Shah Inayat helped me to cross it.

- Tranlated by Prof. Saeed Ahmad ( http://sufiwisdom.org/ )