Poem

Ajj akhan Waris Shah nu is about the horrors of the partition of the Punjab during the 1947 Partition of India. The poem is addressed to the historic Punjabi poet Waris Shah (1722-1798 CE), who had written the most popular version of the Punjabi love tragedy, Heer Ranjha. It appeals to Waris Shah to arise from his grave, record the Punjab’s tragedy and turn over a new page in Punjab’s history. ...

Hindu na nahee musalman, [Neither Hindu nor Muslim,] Bhai tiranjan taj abhiman. [Sacrificing pride, let us sit together.] Sunni na nahi ham Shia, [Neither Sunni nor Shia,] Sulha kuhl ka marg lia. [Let us walk the road of the peace.] Bhooke na nahi ham rajhe, [Neither hungry nor replete] Nange na nahi ham kajhe. [Neither naked nor covered up] Ronde nahi ham hasde, [Neither weeping nor laughing] Ujade na nahi ham vasde. [Neither ruined nor settled] Paapi na sudharmi na, [Neither sinner nor virtuous] Na paap punn ki rah jaanan. [What is sin and what is virtue, this I do not know] Bulleh Shah jo hari chit laage, [Says Bulleh Shah, the one who attaches himself with the lord.] Hindu turak dohe tiyagi. [Gives up being hindu or muslim] ...

Bulla ki jaana main kaun [Bulla! I know not who I am] Bulla ki jaana main kaun [Bulla! I know not who I am] Na main moman vich maseetan [Nor am I the believer in mosque] Na main vich kufar dian reetan [Nor am I in the rituals of the infidel] Na main pakan vich paleetan [Nor am I the pure in the impure] Na main andar bed kitaban [Nor am I inherent in the Vedas] Na main rehnda phaang sharaban [Nor am I present in intoxicants] Na main rehnda mast kharaban [Nor am I lost nor the corrupt] [Nor am I union nor grief] Na main vich paleetan pakeen [Nor am I intrinsic in the pure/impure] Na main aaabi na main khaki [Nor am I of the water nor of the land] Na main aatish na main paun [Nor am I fire nor air] Bulla ki jaana main kaun [Bulla! I know not what I am] Na main arabi na lahori [Nor am I Arabic nor from Lahore] Na main hindi shehar Nagaori [Nor am I the Indian City of Nagaur] Na hindu na turk pashauri [Nor a Hindu nor a Peshawri turk] Na main bhet mazhab de paya [Nor did I find the secrets of religion] Na main aadam hawwa jaya [Nor did I create adam-eve] Na koi apna naam dharaya [Nor did I name myself] Avval aakhar aap nu jana [Beginning or end I know just the self] Na koi dooja hor pacchana [Do not acknowledge duality] Mai ton na koi hor syana [There’s none wiser than I] Bulle shah kharha hai kaun [Who is this Bulla Shah] Bulla ki jaana main kaun [Bulla! I know not who I am] Bulla ki jaana main kaun [Bulla! I know not who I am] Na main moosa na pharoah [Nor am I Moses nor Pharoah] Na main aatish na main paun [Nor am I fire nor wind] Na main rahnda vich Nadaun [I do not stay in Nadaun (city of innocents)] Bulle shah kharha hai kaun [Bullashah, who is this man standing?] Bulla ki jaana main kaun [Bulla! I know not who I am] Bulla ki jaana main kaun [Bulla! I know not who I am] ...

Bulleya Ki jaana main Kaun Bulleya to me, I am not known Na main momin vich maseetaan Na main vich kufar diyan reetaan Na main paakaan vich paleetaan Na main moosa na firown Not a believer inside the mosque, am I Nor a pagan disciple of false rites Not the pure amongst the impure Neither Moses, nor the Pharoh- Bulleya Ki jaana main Kaun Bulleya! to me, I am not known ...