Ilmon bas karin ohh yaar

Ilmon bas karin ohh yaar
Ikko ALF tere darkaar
Ilm na aavay vich shmaar
Jaandi umr naieen aitbaar
Ilmon bass karin oh yaar

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.

Parh parh likh likh laaviin dher
Dher kitabaan chaar chophair
Kirdey chaanan vich anhaer
Pichho rah Tey khabar na saar

You’ve amassed much learning around,
The Quran and it’s commentaries profound.
There is darkness amidst lighted ground
Without the guide you remain unsound,


Parh parh shaikh mshaaikh kahaavin
Ultey maslay gharon bataavin
Bey ilmaan nu lut lut khaavin
Jhuthe sache karin iqraar

Learning makes you a Shaikh or his minion,
And thus you create problem trillion,
You exploit others who know not what,
Misleading them with wild opinion.

Parh parh nafl namazaan guzaarin
Uuschiyaan bangaan chhangaan maarin
Minbar te chard wa’az pukaarin
Keeta tainun ilm khwaar

You meditate and say your prayers,
You go and shout at the top of the stairs,
Your cry reaching the high skies,
It’s your avarice which ever belies.

Jad main sabq ishq da parhiya
Dariya daikh wahdat da varhya
Ghuman ghairdhan de vich ardhya
Shah Anayat layaa paar

The day I learned love’s lesson
I plunged in to the river of divine passion
An overwhelming gale, I was confounded and lost
When Shah Inayat cruised me across

~ Bulleh Shah