Sufi poetry is wide ranging and covers many different ideas. However, behind all Sufi verse – the essential, typical theme is the longing and searching for the union with God. Through their wanderings, Sufi poets exchanged varied thoughts for their quests.
Belonging to the high cast family of Sayids, Bulleh Shah was born in 1680 A.D. in the small village of Pandoke, near Kasur, Pakistan. He received spiritual guidance from Inayat Shah, who belonged to Lahore. Amazingly, Bulleh Shah’s life was noted for its cosmopolitan outlook – though he invited the wrath of his family and society. His outpourings in the form of poetry are practical; each line is a great area of common sense. Social and religious divisions upset Bulleh Shah and he believed in: One God.
SONG
Ek gal vich gal mukdi hai
Phard nukta chord hisabaan nu.
Relating to God, everything ends with one fact. Keep the fact of (simple truth) in mind and do not go into the irrelevant details of doctrines.
Odah rab nai rusda rab desoe
Jinoo yaar manam da chajj hovey
Onoo makey jaan di lord nahi,
Jinoo yaar dey vaikheyaan haj hovey
A person who has a heart filled with love – God is never weary of such a human being. Whoever is love-filled, he need not trot all the way to Mecca because he is already cleansed with the love he possesses within.
Phard phard elam hazaar kitaban
Kadi apney aap nu parreya hi nahin
Ja ja vardey mandir maseeti
Kadi man apney vich vardeya hi nahin
You keep grabbing books to achieve knowledge. But you fail to study your own self. You keep visiting temples and mosques, but, you never pay a visit to your inner-self.
Aivein mathha zameen ghasieda
Pa lattha mehraab dikhieda
Phard kalmia lok hasieda
Dil andar samajh na laieda
Following the rituals on the superficial level, you keep kneeling deep down on the floor so that your forehead can touch the ground. Wearing a clean set of impressive clothes, you go to preach (referring to priest/spiritual mulana), thus, making the gathering laugh at you because people know about your hypocrisy.