Behad ramza dasda

Vedi be na dus mullah,
Oh Alif seedha kam khat aaya.

Speak not of the chaos of the "be", O Mullah!
The straight "alif” has no twists.

[ALIF:- [bad word] Sufi theme is to concentrate on the unity of creation symbolized by the straight first letter of the Arabic alphabet i.e. Alif. The second letter or Ba (Be as pronounced in Punjab) is seen as extraneous to unity and clarity of understanding of mystic knowledge.]

O’yaar kalotni raat wala, bhais vata ik vat aaya.
Sohna meem da ghunghat pa ke dekh,
Ena zulfaan de ghunghal kad aaya.

The lover of that single night has returned in a new disguise.
The beautiful now wears the veil of the "MEEM",
And he now has locks of hair.

[The lines above refer to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), whose name Muhammad begins with the Arabic letter “MEEM”. The shape of the letter is used to create the impression of a shelter and denote his long flowing hair.]

Ali Haidera pehle Ahad si hun,
Ahmad bun ke vad aaya.

Ali Haider was first Ahad (god),
Now [bad word] again as Ahmad (Muhammad).

[In Shia belief, Hazrat Ali (here Ali Haider) was there in heaven to [bad word] Muhammad (here Ahmad) during his celestial journey and meeting with God (here Ahad). The poetry hints at the transformational linkages between man and God.]

Behad Ramza Dasda Mera Dholan Mahi – 2

My beloved reveals many secrets.

Kithae shia ae, kithae sunni ae.
Kithae Jatadhaar, kithae Munni ae.

Sometimes he is a Shia, and sometimes a Sunni.
Sometimes with long matted hair, and sometimes shorn bald.

[Shia & Sunni: Two fractions of Islam.]
[Jatadhaar & Munni: reference to two groups of mystics found in Punjab. The Jattadhaar never wash or cut their hair and it remains matted in locks, while the Munni applies to those mystics who shave their heads.]

Kithae pataka beda dasda,
Buttkhanae vich kidre vasda.

Sometimes he talks of the Kaaba,
Sometimes he lives in the idol-house.

[Kaaba: Is a holy shrine of muslims. Idol-House here refers to Hindu temples and churches]

Behad Ramza Dasda Mera Dholan Mahi – 2

Aape zahir, aape batin, aape luk luk benda hai.
Aape mullah, aape qaazi, aape ilm parhenda hai.

He himself is the apparent, the esoteric, and then he hides himself.
He is the Mullah, and the Qazi, and he himself teaches knowledge.

[Zahir is the external or apparent meaning of the Quran. In other words, this refers to interpretations of Quranic doctrine that are conducted by normal human beings. The [bad word] of the Quran is the Batin, or the underlying, esoteric dimension of the Quran, which can only be interpreted by the Aga Khan, who is the Imam of the Time.]
[Mullah is a Muslim man, educated in Islamic theology and sacred law. In large parts of the Muslim world it is the [bad word] given to local Islamic clerics or mosque leaders. Qadi is a [bad word] in accordance with the Sharia, the Islamic religious law.]

Khat zulnar kufar da gal vich buttkhanae vich behnda hai.
Jaaton ashraf yaar Ranjhe da layan di laj rakhenda hai.

Wearing the infidel amulet he sits in the idol house.
Of noble birth, my friend Ranjha keeps the honor of the afflicted.

[Using an analogy from a Punjabi folk epic (Heer-Ranjha), the poet depicts the ultimate lover as protector of those rendered vulnerable in their search for mystical knowledge.]

Aape lukda, aape dhisda, aape dhoom machenda hai.
Bullah Shah, Inaayat menu pal pal darshan denda hai.

He hides himself, and he reveals himself, he himself creates noise.
O Bullah, Shah Inayat shows himself to me again and again.

[Shah Inayat was the teacher of Bulleh Shah. Using this as an example, he poet shows the universal nature of the supreme teacher.]

Behad Ramza Dasda Mera Dholan Mahi - 2

Lan taraani dus ke jaani hun kiyoon mukh chupaya hai,
Mein dholan vich faraq na payi Inna-ma farmaya hai.