Shah Abdul Latifs Poetry

[REEYAN]

Kalyan-I
(Peace)
1
The One Creator, the all greats;
Lord of the universe-
The living, the original;
Ruler with power innate;
The giver, the sustainer,
the unique , compassionate;
This master praise, to Him alone
thyself in praise prostrate..
The generous, who does create
the universe in pairs..
2
None shares His glory, "He was..is,
shall be"..who this doth say
Accepts Mohammad as 'guide'
with heart and love's true sway;
None from amongst those lost their way
or ever went astray.
3
"He is without a partner" , when
this glorious news you break-
With love and knowledge, Mohammad
accept ..as cause him take
Why would you then obeisance make
to others after that?
4
From One, many to being came;
'many' but Oneness is;
Don't get confounded, Reality
is 'One' , this truth don't miss-
Commotions vast diplay- all this
I vow, of Loved-one is.
5
The Echo and the call are same,
if you sound's secret knew-
They both were one, but two became
only when 'hearing' came.
6
A thousand doors and windows too,
the palace has ..but see,
Wherever I might go or be
master confronts me there
7
If you have learnt to long, by pain
be not distressed-
Secret of love's sorrow must be
never confessed-
Suffering is by the heart caressed,
and there it is preserved.
8
The poison-drinking lovers, lured
by poison sweet, drink more and more;
To bitterness of fatal cup,
the poison-drinkers are innured,
Though wounds are festering, and uncured,
no whispers to the vulgar goes.
9
All from Belved's side is sweet
whate'er He gives to you.
There is no bitter, if you knew
the secret how to taste.
10
There is a call to gallow, friends,
will any of you go!
Those who do talk of love may Know
to gallows they must speed.
11
If you a draught desire
to tavern find your way;
Thy head do sever, and that head
beside the barrel lay;
Onlywhen you this price do pay
then few cupe you may quaff.
12
The genuine lover, for his head
care and concern has none;
He cuts it off---joins it with breath
as gift then hends it on ;
Carves down to shoulders, forem loved-one
then begs for love's return.
13
To guard and to preservethe head,
the lover,s business is not this---
One of beloved's glance is worth
so many hundreds head of his---
Flesh, skinand bone, and all there is ,
the 'least ' of loved-one , equals not.


REGARDS

[REEYAN]

Kalyan Yaman-II
(Path to peace)

1

Thou art the friend; the healer thou;
For every pain the remedy--
Cure for my herat, thy voice alone
the only cure it is for me......
The reason why I call for thee
is none can cure my heart but thou.

2

Thou art the friend, the Healer thuo
for every ailment balm dost send;
Merciful God--all druge are vain;
the pains by drugs will never end;
Unless ordered by thee O friend,
no drug will ever sickness cure.

3

Thou art the friend, the Healer thou;
for sufferings thou the remedy;
Thou givest; curtest disease, dost guide,
master thou art eternally--
Yet, I am wonderstruck to see
that you physicians still provide.

4

Sttike friend-- thy hand raise,favour me--
hold not your hand, and should I die
By such death I shall honoured be
which through this wound is caused.

II

5

Today still groans the thatches fill,
where wounded lie and suffer;
Although it is their twilight, still
same ointment there and dressing

6

Poor wounded ones, so restless grow,
yet grateful are for pain;
For ever forward wish to go
and here would not remain.

7

Mother, I cannot trust in those
whose eyes with tears do over-flow-
Who bring the water to their eyes,
their sorrow to the world to show;
Who love Beloved, hide their woe,
no tears they show, nor speak about-

8

Physician, blundering and unwise,
you cauterise my skin, and treat
With slops my heart-ache, know to whom
scaffold a bridal-bed supplies,
The one beatific vision lies
in death, which is the union sweet.

9

Physicians you consulted but
dieting you ignored...
Had you obeyed, perhaps restored
to health you would be now.

10

Physicians were my neighbours
I ne'er asked their advice-
Therefore I find that in mine eyes
cataracts I now have formed.

III

11

Ah! suddenly they found themselves
in sphere of love...and there
They cut their heads, left trunks apart
such garland they did wear!
Beauteous they were...to loved ones fair
I saw them give their heads away!

12

Go to the moth, the surest way
of immolation ask-
The moths, who throw themselves into
the fire every day;
Whose tender hearts became a prey
to cupid's arrow sharp.

13

The moths assembled, gathering
above a raging fire...
Heat drove them not, no fear they had,
flames did their hearts inpire-
Their necks they lost, and on the pyre
of truth they burnt themselves.

14

If you call yourself a moth,
from blaze return not terrified;
Enter by the loved-one's light
and be ever glorified
You are still unbaked...beside
not yet with kiln acquainted are.

15

If you call yourself a moth,
then come, put out the fires sway,
Passion has so many baked
but you roast passion's 'Self' today-
Passion's flame with knowledge slay...
of this to base folk give no hint.

16

Happy those who acquaintance make
with goodly grinding wheel
Their rapiers never then shall take
to rust, nor will corrde.

17

Apprentice of the blacksmith, works
the bellows not with care;
Not close to fire goes, he fears
love sparks that issue there.
And yet proclaims he every where;
"full-fledged blacksmith am I"!

18

Turn your head into an anvil,
then for smithy do enquire,
There the hammer-strokes of fire
may turn you into steel.-

19

When I an arrow do recive
on that spot I remain;
Perhaps my Hero-love again
will strike in mercy sweet.

20

Physician give no medicine.
may health I never see...
May be, enquiring after me
my love to me will come.

21

Sacrifice your head, and 'suffer'
if loved-ones send dismay...
Say not, 'Forsaken''t is their way
like this to form their links

22

Those that cut me up, became
the kindly surgeon too-
The wound they quickly dressed, and cured
within a day the same
Oh heart! and now make this your aim
"stay with them, and be safe from wounds"

23

As long there is no need, so long
physician is not here...
But when one day pain does appear
it is as though the leech had come!

IV

24

They read and read, but what they read
their hearts refuse to store-
The more they pages turn, the more
are deeply steeped in sin.

25

O friend, why are you still inclined
to waste paper and ink-
Go rather forth and try to find
the source where words were formed.

26

The world with 'I' doth overflow
and with it flaunts about-
But its own 'Self' it doth not know...
't is a migician's spell.

27

They do not heed the glorious line
that does begin with 'A'-
In vain they look for the Divine,
though page on page they turn.

28

You only read the letter 'A'-
all other pages put aside-
Book-reading nothing will convey-
but your being purify.

29

Unuttered is unknown...the uttered
is never understood....behold,
Although it be as true as gold,
humanity takes never note.-

V

30

By 'giving' they were hurt,-'not giving'
to them contentment brought-
So they became sufis, as nought
they did take with themselves.

31

To hear vile words, and not return,
but hear them silently;
This is the pearl, most precious pearl,
we in guide's teaching see-
But decked with jewels he will be
who with 'Silence' the Ego kills.

32

Those who never forgot the sorrow,
and lesson learnt of woe-
The slate of thought within both hands;
'silence' they study so-
They only read page which does show
Beloved's lovely face.

33

Patience, humanity adopt,
For anger is disease-
Forbearance bringeth joy and 'peace',
if you would understand.

34

The inoffensive don't offend
forget who do offend-
In this refined and cultured way
thy day and night do spend
Thus meditating, humbly walk,
until thy life doth end-
A Lawyer keep within, O friend,
to blush not, facing judge.

35

As long as of this daily world
no glimpses you obtain-
A perfect view you will notgain
of your love Heavenly.

36

True lovers never will forget
their love Divine, until one day
Their final breath will pass away
as tearful sigh.

regards

[REEYAN]

Khambat-III
(Haven)

I

1

A moolit night, an open plain,
and so for yet to go;
My camel look not back, for you
't is shame to waver so;
Be steady, resolute, and show
my loved-ones you can reach

2

O full moon! though you rise adorned,
your beauty to enhance;
You are not a blink worth of my love
With all charms you advance,
Since your whole being but one glance
of the Beloved is.

3

A hundred suns may rise, and blaze
four score-four moons may shine;
I vow, without Beloved mine
I am in darkest night

4

O moon, by magic fade away;
may you be shorn of light-
Or hide yourself so that I might
the soul's Beloved meet.

5

In darkest midnight, the Beloved
shows himself so clear;
the moon and pleiades disappear
yea, like an echo mere.

II

6

O moon, cast first thy silver-ray
on the Beloved when you rise;
And for thy Maker's sake, O moon
message of helpless one convey;
"My hopeful longing eyes, thy way
with tears are watching everyday."

7

O moon, the moment that you rise
first glance at the Beloved cast
Say to the dear one: I am sick
In you my only comfort lies
"My hopeful and relying eyes
Are ever set expecting you"

8

O moon, when you ascend the skies
first glance at the Beloved cast
My message to the friend convey
Correctly all, and all precise
"M y hopeful and relying eyes
are ever set expecting thee"

9

Rise moon, see the Beloved-thou
art near and far am I
Presence of Him in scented dews
I feel, that in night doth lie-
On foot I cannot reach and
father gives camel can't supply
On which riding, ere dawn draws nigh
I easily could reach.

10

I shall die longing, love is kind
but Oh...so far is He
Father gives camel not to me-
I am too weak to walk.

11

To the Beloved, when you rise
O moon, thy very first glance send;
And all the message I give
O moon, convey in truthful wise;
"My hopeful and relying eyes
are ever set expecting you."

12

Thy glance let the Beloved meet,
O moon, and my requests submit
Befittingly; above courtyard
of the Beloved bow and greet;
Speak gently...on Beloved's feet
both of thy light-hands softly lay.

13

O moon, all my entreaties safe
into thy shining garment tie,
Low'ring your head, to loved one tell
in what a wretched state am I;
Remember; to the place you hie
That is whole universe's Hope.

III

14

O camel! spurn thy slothful mood-
No longer now delay!
But once unite me with my love
no more the truant play,
But speed, ere night doth pass away
to meet my love after.

15

I must go where my love resides;
to the Beloved speed!
There I shall give thee sandal-wood
and thou shalt no more feed
On salt-bush coarse, unfit for thee
or any worthless weed;
O hasten! there is urgent need
to reach while night doth last.

16

Arise and take a forward step-
be not an idler base;
The highway to my love is straight
and hath no winding ways...
Self-pity drop...a gallop raise
to bring us swift and soon.

17

Remember your ancestry, and
your forebear's noble breed;
Your stock is well-known near and far
and you do hold indeed;
Rare pedigree-and so we plead
show us some kindness now.

18

I bound him near some glorious tree
that he some buds might eat;
Ill-mannered camel, on the sly
still finds the salt-bush sweet.
Woe's me-I know not how to treat
Camel that so confounds.

19

I tried to saddle him, but e'en
unsaddled he'd not rise-
The way the herd is gone, he lies
and only gapes that side.

20

My camel, I will give thee reins
of gold, and trappings fine;
Not only buds of sandal wood
but thou on myrth shalt dine;
If to the one Beloved mine
thou wilt bring me this night.

21

The camel did forget the herd,
nor e'en will salt-bush eat...
His blown-up hump has now become
his pampered passion's seat-
Alas, this callous, new conceit
he'll not drop unto death.

22

He goes not with the herd of late
and no more will he graze;
Since Cupid's arrow wounded him
he hugs a curious craze;
To his new love, with love-sick gaze
he crawls, defying death.

23

Now sits with herd, musk-branches eats;
yet calm remains his face
Ah me, apparently my camel
shows no outward trace.
'Here' he is with the world, but graze
with heart doth fondly 'there'.

24

He's not what he was yesterday
returning to the yard;
He never at the manager looks-
all food doth disregard;
Seems, poison creepers on the sward
he ate when with the herd.

25

With zest thee camel browses now
on creepers such as made him yearn;
But owners, keepers of the field,
with shouts his sweet indulgence spurn
The poor intruder, powerless
he grows from voices harsh and stern;
No answer finds he in return
and all his arduous madness flies.

26

Good animal, what you did put
your teeth in, finding them so sweet;
These baneful creepers if you eat
will bring you yet to grief and woe.

IV

27

Torrents of rain and wind-camel
there obstinate he lies-
How shall I saddle him when rise
unsaddled he will not.

28

A solid braided rope construct,
with this your camel blind,
The frgrant creepers everywhere
all over grounds you'll find,
Once tasted, he will leave behind
all else, if he's not tied.

29

I fettered him with rope and chain,
but shackles were in vain;
He broke them all, and dragged them on
where creepers decked the plain-
O God, put sence and understanding
in this camel's brain
With mercy free him from this pain
to rise above this curse.

30

O rise, and to thy haven far
thy earthbound glances bear,
May be a happy welcome there
awaits thee from thy love.

31

No-go and schackle him, he will
run wild if left alone;
By temting him to cat, he'll play
more pranks, but won't alone;
Load him and let him graze and groan
with heavy fetters bound.

32

Who laid a spell on you? and who
waylaid you, wished you ill?
Blinkers you wear-your soles rubbed off-
your kind not meet you will;
And round and round, as in a mill
you circumambulate.

33

My comely camel, won't you eat
the sandal wood and drink your fill
Of cleanest purest water, food
the finest you refuse it still-
What law gave you the tasty thrill
of salt-bush mere, above all else?

34

At last my camel every day
is browsing in that garden, where
Two tree-shoots are worth millions there
handful of leaves are thousands worth.

35

Two tree-shoots are worth millions...nay
one leaf alone five lakhs will be-
Now to enrich his soul he eats,
the wholesome blossoms of this tree-
Here e'en a withered leaf we see
is many, many hundreds worth.

36

My lakhs-worth camel, that I bought
for hundreds, beautiful became
For any eye to see; don't blame
and say too dearly he was bought.

37

My invaluable camel, friend,
no praise is now for him too high;
His manager fill with cardamoms
then saddle him, and he will fly,
All distance he will defy,
and here and now the Loved-one reach.