‘Top Ten Qawwalis’

General Introduction

‘Qawwali’ is the name of an Indo/Pak subcontinental style of singing. The groups of ‘qawwals’, almost exclusively male, usually a lead singer and a ‘chorus’, are accompanied by percussion, hand-clapping and a harmonium, although occasionally other instruments are heard. In the recordings from which the following transcriptions and translations are made, you can also hear a clarinet, and a ‘japani baja’ (strummed or plucked, similar to a zither), guitars and electronic keyboards. The style bears some resemblance to other subcontinental singing styles, like the ‘bhajans’ of the Sikhs and other similar ‘bhakti’ traditions. Qawwali is linked to the Sufi tradition in Islam and the vast majority of performers are Muslims.

There are arguments about the origins of qawwali, some say that it comes from an Iranian tradition, others argue that it is an adaptation of popular native Indian traditions, put to use by missionary Muslims trying to get their message across to Indian audiences of every religion. Qawwali is undoubtedly old, certainly going back many centuries. It is a living tradition of the Muslims of India and Pakistan, although the resurgence of a more puritanical or ‘wahhabi’ influenced strand of Islam over the last few decades has cast a shadow over many of the more mystical Islamic practices, including qawwali. However, there are still many Muslim shrines where qawwali has a solid and continuing tradition, still experienced by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Qawwali is also performed in private parties and in public concerts.

Since the 1970s, the music recording industry has provided an opportunity for this style of music to be appreciated by a much wider, or so-called, ‘world’ audience. Singers such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and the Sabri Brothers and their ‘Parties’ have provided us with many recordings, ranging from simple hymns in praise of God or the Prophet, to renderings of popular Urdu, Punjabi and Persian poetry, as well as the wide range of traditional qawwalis preserved within the families of the performers for unknown centuries.

This modest collection is intended to give a flavour of popular qawwali. The songs are transcribed from recordings which are commercially available. The performances are recorded either ‘live’ in front of an audience, or in a studio with probably only the technicians and a few friends listening. Qawwali has a strong element of spontaneity in its performance. Singers obviously know which song they are going to sing before they start, but they also usually have a repertoire of ‘spontaneous’ diversions (or ‘girah’ [gyrAh] see note on transliteration at end of document), or verses from other compositions which they may or may not use in a particular song in order to emphasize or echo some point in the words. The departures from the initial song may also be determined by audience reaction or musical considerations. In Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s case they are often designed to entertain the audience with virtuoso performances of tonic sol-fa.

It is interesting to reflect on the difference between the ‘live’ and the studio performances. Both seem to demonstrate similar levels of apparently spontaneous deviation from the main lyrics. In the selection presented here, there are several ‘deviations’ which occur in more than one qawwali. If you are lucky enough to be able to witness live performances by qawwals, look out for the member of the chorus who has the book of lyrics as he discreetly reminds the lead singer, after a long spontaneous gyrAh, where he has got to in the original song.

In qawwali poetry, the notions of lover and beloved can be (and are) interpreted at a number of levels. At one level it can be about human love for the divine. The words are also readily understood by the audience to be about earthly and physical love, real experiences of human beings and the emotions of love in an environment where such love is forbidden, a threat to the values of society and acknowledged by lover and critic alike to be an illness of the mind. In this way it is similar to other traditional Urdu and Persian poetry, in particular the ghazal (Gazal). The beloved is very often represented as male, whether it refers to a human male or female, God, or a Pir (spiritual guide) or one’s own ideals. The human female beloved must appear to be indifferent to the lover, indeed she must reject any attention paid to her by men, because to offer any encouragement might cost her her life. If she is to pursue this forbidden relationship, she must be totally sure of the sincerity of the lover and submit him to extreme testing, often resulting in his death. If he is prepared to die, she can be sure of him.

God is the ultimate beloved, he appears to be indifferent to his creation, he does not acknowledge the love of his devotees, he tests us constantly and we consistently fail to live up to his standards. The beloved can also be one’s spiritual master and his teachings. It can even be the principles that guide one through life, personal, religious, social and political. These metaphors are readily understood by the audience. For the Sufi in particular, the ambiguity of human and divine love are very significant. The Sufi is cleansing the heart of all desires to be ready for union with God, this is the true realisation of the self. On the one hand these songs represent human and earthly emotions, on the other hand, by representing God or one’s Pir as the beloved, it is the obliteration, or perhaps mutation of those physical emotions that enable the Sufi to undertake the spiritual journey.

An audience unfamiliar with this subcontinental tradition of poetry may be surprised by the absence of a unity of mood. At one time the theme may be the joy of being with the beloved, at another the beloved may be completely unobtainable. The audience has no problem with these sudden changes of atmosphere, it is a convention shared with the tradition of ‘ghazal’ poetry which has been the most popular form of poetry among the Muslims of northern India for many centuries.

These performances may be seen as pure entertainment, engaging their audiences with music and by reference to emotions that are commonplace but exciting and socially dangerous. Or they can be understood as conveyors of a powerful spiritual message about humanity’s relationship with God. It is this ambiguity that protects the poetry from the accusation of profanity.

Another perhaps unfamiliar aspect of northern Indo/Pak subcontinental poetry is the inclusion of the takhallus (taxallws) or pen name of the author in the body of the poem. It is often the case that the poetry of qawwali is attributed (by the taxallws) to a poet, in whose published work the version used by the qawwals does not appear. It is possible that the qawwals have adapted the original song so that it may be more easily performed, or even more easily understood. It is also possible that over the centuries, the qawwals (or their associates) have, for any number of reasons, added extra verses of their own composition or from other sources. It is also possible that the collected verses of various authors that have been published over the years are simply incomplete.

The verses have been transliterated into a phonetic version of the Roman alphabet for those that cannot easily read the Perso/Arabic/Urdu/Punjabi script. The transliteration was designed to use only letters found on the average English language word processor and to let each sound be represented by one letter. There is a longer note on the transliteration at the end of this piece.

There follow ten qawwalis chosen by consulting friends and intended to give a flavour of the range of lyrics and languages to be found in Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s qawwalis. Half of them are in Punjabi, three in Urdu and two in Persian. The compositions span the entire history of qawwali in the subcontinent. This document is not the work of a single person. I am grateful for the hard work of a number of friends, all of whom have asked not to be credited for their contributions. The mistakes, and there are bound to be many, are all my own. Please feel free to send me your comments and corrections. Rae

Introduction to ‘tere mEN ySq ne naccAyA’
(31:08)

This qawwali can be considered as being in four parts and is inspired by a kafi (song, poem) of Bulleh Shah, ‘tere ySq naccAyAN’. The generally accepted text is appended below. Abdullah ‘Bulleh’ Shah (1680-1757) was from a family that was considered to be of very high status. When Bulleh Shah attached himself to a religious community headed by Shah Inayat, who was from near the other end of the social spectrum, Bulleh’s family reacted with distressed disapproval, but he was not discouraged. There is a story that says that, on one occasion, Shah Inayat became very angry with Bulleh Shah over an issue relating to the status of their respective families, and Bulleh was expelled from the religious community. Bulleh was very distressed and tried to think of ways of regaining the favour of his mentor. The story goes that he dressed himself up as a dancing girl (a person of very lowly status in the social order) and began performing outside Shah Inayat’s dwelling. When Inayat recognised Bulleh in this bizarre guise, he was touched and amused and allowed him back into the fold. Much of the qawwali refers to this story, but as is usual, the story itself is not told; the audience already knows it intimately from other sources.

Some Sufi orders embrace dancing as a means of worship, most famously the so-called ‘whirling dervishes’ associated with the disciples of Jalal ud Din Rumi, but it is anathema to most orthodox Muslims. Indeed, in the subcontinent, it is more closely associated with Hindu religious practices. Some Sufis engage in such practices because they are offensive to the orthodox; they believe that defiance of religious orthodoxy highlights the importance of the inner person over the observance of rituals and regulations.

Section one of the qawwali consists of a number of verses loosely linked by the idea of dancing as a form of devotion. Section two consists mostly of a Punjabi ghazal which has almost exactly the same content as the Persian ghazal in namidAnam ce manzyl bud (below) One is clearly a translation of the other. In section three, the qawwals start to sing from the kafi (below), known to be by Bulleh Shah, but almost immediately in section four, they pick up the more conventional theme of the separation from the beloved. Section five is again loosely based on the Bulleh Shah poem with which they end this half hour studio performance recorded in about 1980.


Text of the original Bulleh Shah kafi

tere ySq ne DerA mere andar kitA
bhar ke zahar piAlA mEN tAN Ape pitA
jhabve bwhReN ve tabibA nahiN te mEN mar gayA
tere ySq naccAyAN kar theyyA theyyA

Your love has set up camp in me
Of my own free will, I drank this poison cupful
Come back quickly, O healer, or I will die
Your love has made me dance to its beat

chwp gayA ve suraj, bAhar rah gai A lAli
ve mEN sadqe hovAN deveN mwR je dykhAi
pirA, mEN bhwl gayAN, tere nAl nA gai A
tere ySq naccAyAN kar theyyA theyyA

The sun has hidden itself, the red glow remains
I would sacrifice myself if you would reveal yourself again
I have committed a grave error by not going with you, O master
Your love has made me dance to its beat

es ySq de koloN mEnuN haTak nA mAe
lAhu jANdRe beRe kehRA moR leAe
meri aqal jo bhwlli nAl mahAniAN de gai A
tere ySq naccAyAN kar theyyA theyyA

Do not hold me back, O mother, from this love
The boat is going into the rapids, who can pull it back?
My senses had abandoned me when I went off with the boatman
Your love has made me dance to its beat

es ySq de jhangi vyc mor bwlEndA
sAnuN qyblA te kAbA, sohnA yAr dasEndA
sAnuN ghAyl kar ke, phyr xabar nA leyyA
tere ySq naccAyAN kar theyyA theyyA

In this jungle of love, the peacock speaks
It tells me my beloved is both Qibla and Kaaba
Having wounded me so, he has never sought news of my condition, Your love has made me dance to its beat

bulleh SAh ne ANdA mEnuN ynAyat de buhe
jys ne mEnuN puAe cule sAve te suhe
jAN mEN mAri hE aDDi myl peyA hE vehiyyA
tere ySq naccAyAN kar theyyA theyyA

I, Bulleh Shah, I had to come to Inayat’s door
And he dressed me up in these red and green clothes
And when I stamped my heel, there I found the same old Him
Whose love has made me dance to its beat

Text of the Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan version of tere mEN ySq ne naccAyAN

Section One
(00:32)
mwllA mAr nA molaRiAN
O Mullah, quit your pious preaching
sAnuN apnA yAr rajhAwan de
And let me woo back my love
kanjri baniAN meri yzzat nA ghaTdi
Could my honour be any more tainted if I became a dancer?
menuN nacc ke yAr manAwan de
Just let me dance for my beloved
loki ySq nuN mul gynde te
Some people keep the score of love
sAnuN gal vyc mAlA pAvan de
But just let me count love’s rosary
E bwlle SAh, o di o jAne, menuN apni tOr nybhAwan de
O Bulleh Shah! Let him do as he wills,
let me stand by my commitment till the end.
(01:45)

(03:09)
E ySq nahiN DardA mOt kOlON
When faced with death this love fears not
bhAveN suli caRhnA pE jAve
Even if it ends on the gallows
nacc nacc ke yAr manA layye
Skip, leap and turn, woo back your love
bhAveN kanjri bannA pE jAve
Even if you have to become a dancing girl

tere mEN ySq ne naccAyAN kar theyA theyA (03:30)
Your love has made me dance to its beat (Chorus)
(03:52)

sAnuN naccnoN manAn nA kare koi
Let no-one hold me back from dancing
asAN sykheyA karnA pyAr nacc ke
Through dance we learned to love
sADe naccan di sAr o kih jAne
What do they know of the essence of my dance
jyne vekheyA nahiN yk vAr nacc ke
Who have not seen what it feels like to dance even once?
mwDDhoN ySq de rasm o ryvAj e ho
The traditions of the dance are ancient
ASyq sadA manOnde yAr nacc ke
Lovers always court their love through dance
kih hoyA je bwlleh SAh nacceyA te
So what if Bulleh Shah dances, eh?
majnUN lelA dA pAyA didAr nacc ke
Majnun danced and glimpsed his Leyla.
tere mEN ySq ne naccAyAN kar theyA theyA
(04:23)

(05:01)
bwllA bhwllApir valoN, te dyl vyc GErat Ai
Bulleh neglected his Pir and his heart is ashamed
kERA DhaNg banAwAN yAro, dar te hove rasAi
How can I ever get back to him, O my friends?
merA pir manne te mEN jag te jivAN, nahiN te jivan loR nA kAi
If my Pir forgives me, I can live in this world, if not, I have no need for this life
pA lybAs tavEfAN vAlA, bwllah peri jhAnjhar pAi
Dressed as a courtesan, Bulleh wears bells on his feet
dar te AyA, bhes vaTAyA, ehA Sakal banAi
And in this guise, he came to his door
SAh ynAyat de dar te A ke, bwllah dytti Eho dwhAi
He came to Shah Inayat’s door and uttered this cry….

tere mEN ySq ne naccAyAN kar theyA theyA

kai tariqe ySq de vENdA, kai kardA nave bahAne
I have seen the ways of love, always finding new tests
kyse nuN suli te tangdA, kyse dasdA uNTh charAne
Some are impaled upon the stake, some are dismissed to tend camels,
kyse nUN Are heTh charAve, kyse jangli kare ThykAne
Some to lose their heads and others to hide in deserts
hor mEN kih dassAN, mastAne, kai kite ySq diwAne
What more can I tell you, O intoxicated one, many lose their minds to love. (07:13)

tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN

je mAhi tu qabar meri te hyk vAri pAveN pherA
O beloved, if you were to come but once to my grave,
haDDyAN qabroN bAhar A ke, mwjrA kar san terA
my bones would leap out and dance for you.
(08:05)
tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN

bAjoN qalb je kare ybAdat, kade ne banne namAzi
If when you pray, your heart is not in it, you will never be a true believer
tab tak ySq nA ho si dyl vyc, rab nA ho si rAzi
As long as there is no love in your heart, God will never be pleased.
nA ban momyn, nA ban kAfyr, nA panDit, nA qAzi
Be neither pious, nor faithless, nor pundit nor judge
bwlle Sah wTh yAr mannA le, lA ke syr di bAzi
Bulleh Shah, just get up and acknowledge your beloved,
even if it costs you your head.
(09:03)

tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN

(09:24)
bEThA hove je SAh ynAyat agge, bwllA lA ke hAr SynghAr nacce
If Shah Inayat were sitting there, Bulleh would dance in all his finery
pathar pighal ke kyuN nA hovan pAni, jadoN sAmne yAr de yAr nacce
Even a stone would melt when the lover dances for the beloved
myle tAr nAl tAr te nAc hwndA, o hE nAc kAdA jo betAr nacce
As the strings resound, the dance begins, what would a dance be without strings?
SAmi yk agge bwllAh nacceyA si, agge bwlleh de kai hazAr nacce
At night, Bulleh danced before the One and only,
and then thousands danced for Bulleh.






Section Two
(09:53)
tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN
patA nahiN kyoN mEN vekhan vele apne yAr de naccAN
I do not know why I dance whenever I see him
par eho mAn hE menuN mEN agge yAr de naccAN
But I am so proud that I dance before my love.
(10:35)
tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN

tu naGmA jad Swru kardA, mEN ose vele nacc pEndA
Whenever you begin the tune, I begin the dance
tu jys rang vi naccOnA E, mEN badle yAr de naccAN
In whatever style you wish, I dance for you my beloved
(11:22)
tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN
(11:25)
zarA A dekh mahbubA tu jANbAzaN de jhwrmat vyc
Just come and see me, o beloved, in the throng of the faithful
bahwt be Abru ho ke mEN vyc bazAr de naccAN
Shameless, I dance in the middle of the bazaar.
(11:46) tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN
to o qAtyl tamASe lai lahu merA bahOnA eN
You are the killer who spills my blood for amusement
mEN o zaxmi hAN jo nice teri talvAr de naccAN
I am the victim who dances at the behest of your sword.
(12:43)
tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN
kadi Sabnam dA qatrA nok kaNDe te nahiN tykeyA
A drop of dew can never sit upon a thorn
mEN o qatrA hAN Sabnam dA ky wtte xAr de naccAN
But I am the dew-drop that dances on its very tip.
(13:25 )
tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN
sajan mansur dA wsmAn hAruni hE nAm merA
I am that friend of Mansoor, whose name is Usman Harooni
bhAveN xalqat dave tAne, caRh wtte dAr de naccAN
no matter how people taunt me, I will dance at the execution.
(14:00)
tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN

bAhar Dhol vajjan mere ySq vAle, andar vajdi prem di khanjri E
The great drums of my passion beat outside but within is the little drum of my love
cal bwlleA, yAr manA layye, bhAveN lok kahan bhAri kanjri E
Come Bulleh, let me woo my love, though they call me a lowly dancing girl.
(14:40)
tere mEN ySq ne nacAyAN


Section Three

(1535)
ys ySq di valloN sAnuN varaj nA mAe ne
O mother, please don’t hold me back from this love
merA DwbbeyA beRA banne kOn lagAve ne
Who can save my sinking boat?
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN
My reason must have left me when I didn’t set off with you
(1643)

Section Four

ladh gayA dyl jAni de ke dard ghanErA
My love has gone, leaving me in profound pain
aj sajnA de bAjoN swhnA cAr chwpErA
Now I am without my beloved and surrounded by desolation
(mEN kys nuN kuk swnAwAN hwn
Who can I call out to now?
jAo ni koi moR leAo hwn)
Who will go and bring him back?

(1830)

vajjA tir hyjar dA loki kahnde mEnuN jhalli
Pierced by the arrow of loss, people call me mad
AjA vAstA xwdA dA nahiN te E jynd calli
For God’s sake, come back, or else this life is over.
(1846)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN

sonA lene pi gae merA suhnA kar gae des
My beloved went in search of gold and left my world bereft
sonA mylA nA pi myle mere rwppA ho gae kes
I found neither gold nor my love, but only silver hair
rwppA ho gae kes rup ras roe gavAyA
My hair went grey and my tears washed my beauty away
bit gai barsAt kant ghar hwn nA AyA
The monsoon season is now over,
but my beloved has not come home.
(19:42)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN

mangal mAngal gA ke jo sakhiAN karan sangAr
On Tuesday my friends sing songs and make themselves look fine
mEN koThe carh carh vekhdi merA kad ghar Ave yAr
While I keep going up the roof, to see when my beloved will come.
(20:23)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN

bwdhoN bwdh gawA ke mEN phyrdi DAvAN Dol
On Wednesday without my wise mentor, I wander waywardly.
mEN sejAN kikar mAndi merA yAr nahiN mere kol
How can I decorate my bed, when my darling is not here?
(21:00)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN

o gae sAjan o gae o lang gae daryA
There goes my love now, away across the river
mEN raj ke galAN nA kitiAN mere manoN nA lathdA cAh
So many things left unsaid, my heart still longs for him.
(21:37)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN


sAjan vidyA kar mwRi mEN ghar kih vekhAN jA
What is there left for me in this house
now that I have said goodbye to my love?
cAre pAve palang de mEN roNdiAN gallA
I cling to the four feet of my bed and weep.
(21:11)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN

EnAN phykiAN phulAN vyc bAs nahiN
There is no fragrance in these faded flowers
pardes gayyAN di As nahiN
No hope of seeing those who have gone away
merA sAjan mere pAs nahiN
My love is no longer by my side.
(22:45)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN

terA nAm lavAN mwkh dho ke
I purify myself and utter your name
kih mEN khattiyA teri ho ke
But what did I gain from devoting myself to you?
doveN nEn gavAe ro ke
I lost both my eyes, washed away by my tears.
(23:16)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN

kah bhwllA hwn prem kahAni
Tell the story of your love now, Bulleh
jys tan lAge so tan jAne
Only those who are stricken can know the pain
andar jhyRkAN bAhar tAne
Inner rebukes and spoken taunts
nyuN lA ke E swkh pAyA hE
These are the comforts of committed love
(23:46)
bhwlli aqal meri mEN tere nAl nA gaiAN

Section Five

(24:22)
tere ySq ne DerA mere dyl vyc kitA ve
Your love has set up camp in my heart
ve mEN zahar dA piAlA bhar Ape pitA ve
Of my own free will, I drank this poison cupful
cheti bwhRiN ve tabibA nahiN te mEN mar gayAN
Come back quickly o my healer, or I will die.
(25:46)

bwhR tabibA vekh nasibA lE xabarAN bimAr diAN
Come back, O healer, look at the state of me, consider my health
mEN mar mwkhiAN did di bhwkiAN tANgAN val val mArdiAN
On the point of death, desparate to see you,
I am in the whirling pit of loneliness.
(26:00)
bwhRi cheti bwhRi ve Come back quickly

E ySq tere dA rabbA hwn darkAr xatam nA ho jAve (?)
O God, let not your love’s disciple die now
AonA e tabibA A jaldi bimAr xatam nA ho jAve
O healer, if you will, come back quickly, lest this sick one should die.
(26:55)
bwhRi cheti bwhRi ve

(27;32)
hwn je nA AyA fyr kERe vele AveNgA
If you don’t come now, then when will you come?

tere mEN ySq ne naccAyAN kar theyA theyA
(28:05)
Es ySq di jhwngi vyc mor bwlEndA ve
In this jungle of love, I hear the peacock’s call
sAnuN qyblA te kAbA sohnA yAr dasEndA ve
telling me the beloved is both Qibla and Kaaba
sAnuN ghAyl kar ke fyr xabar nA leyyA
Having wounded me, you never asked after me.
tere mEN ySq ne naccAyAN kar theyA theyA
Your love has made me dance to its beat.
(29:00)
bwlleh SAh nuN leANdA SAh ynAyat buhe te
Shah Inayat led Bulleh Shah to his door
tere ySq ne pahnAe sAnuN sAve suhe ve
My love for him made me don these green and red clothes
jadoN mAri si aDDi odhoN myl geyA piyA
Where I stamped my dancing heel, there I found my beloved
tere mEN ySq ne naccAyAN kar theyA theyA
Whose love has made me dance to its beat.

ni mEN jAnAN jogi de nAl (28:12)
Introduction

This qawwali is a transcription of a performance by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party in front of an audience. There is no information about when and where this performance took place, but the audience expresses its appreciation by clapping, which suggests a ‘western’ or middle-class sub-continental environment. It sounds to this devotee as if it were recorded in the early nineteen-eighties.

This Qawwali can be thought of as divided into four sections. There is an introduction which is an attack on the traditionally pious in favour of the traditionally Sufi. It tells us that the contemplation of the inadequacies of the self is a more effective form of worship than the observance of ritual prayers. One is encouraged to deal with the shortcomings in one’s own life before preaching to others.

Section two is very brief, just four lines. It serves to tell the audience that the theme of the qawwali is the extremely well known Punjabi story of Heer and Ranjha, or rather, elements of that story. The story itself is not told in this qawwali. The writers (whover they may have been) and the performers, reasonably assume their audience to be thoroughly familiar with all aspects of the story, often described as a Punjabi Romeo and Juliet. It concerns two young people who fall in love against a cultural background where such behaviour is viewed as a threat to the values of society. They may not marry because of the social differences between their families. They must be kept apart for their own good and that of society in general. They pursue their love despite the ferocious resistance of Heer’s family in particular.

Section three describes the powerful emotions that bind them when they run away together, after Ranjha has come back to her village disguised as a wandering religious mendicant. The Hindi/Urdu/Punjabi word ‘Jogi’ might be translated as ‘Saint’ rather than the dictionary word ‘Yogi’. ‘Saint’ is not intended here in the sense that a traditional Christian might understand it, but in the hope that it conveys the idea of a man imbued with a strong spiritual presence, even if it is in a context which may also be about human emotional and physical love. To avoid the problem of association with Christian Sainthood, the Punjabi word Jogi has been used.

Section four describes the emotional state of Heer when she is separated from Ranjha.

The writers have included elements that are unmistakably Muslim, although neither Heer nor Ranjha is a specifically Muslim name. The communities from which they come still flourish in the Punjab on both sides of the border and are part of all three major Punjabi religious communities. This qawwali is sung as if by a female narrator, a tradition sometimes also associated with Krishnavite hymn singing.

The writers, or perhaps subsequent performers, attribute the various different songs performed in this qawwali to Bulleh Shah, an 18th century Sufi mystic and poet. He was a contemporary of Waris Shah who wrote the most famous (and very long) version of the story of Heer and Ranjha. None of the songs in this performance appear in the official collections of Bulleh Shah’s works, but the themes are very similar to many in Bulleh Shah’s poetry. He was from a high status family which was very distressed when Bulleh joined a spiritual community headed by Shah Inayat, who was from the lower end of the social spectrum. He wrote many poems about social status and the problem of ‘caste’ difference, but probably not the ones used in this qawwali.


ni mEN jAnAN jogi de nAl (28:12)

Section One

makke geyAN, gal mwkdi nAhiN, bhAvEN sO sO jwme paRh Aye
I went to Mecca, I found no answers, despite my hundreds of Friday prayers
gangA geyAN, gal mwkdi nAhiN, bhAvEN sO sO Gote khAye
I went to the Ganges, I found no answers, despite my hundreds of immersions
geyA geyAN, gal mwkdi nAhiN , bhAvEN sO sO panD paRhAye
I went to Gaya, I found no answers, despite having hundreds of texts recited
bwlleh SAh, gal tAyoN mwkdi, jadoN mEN nwN dyloN gaNwAye
O Bulleh Shah, you will find answers only when you cleanse your own heart of ego

paRh paRh Alym fAzyl hoyAN, kadi apne Ap nwN paRhyA e nahiN
You pore over the texts and call yourself a scholar but have never tried to understand yourself
jA jA waRdA mandyr masitAN, kadi apne andar tu waRyA e nahiN
You frequent mosques and temples but have never looked within your own self
EwEN roz SatAn nAl laRdA, kadi nafs apne nAl laRyA e nahiN
You fight with Satan every day, its futile, you never struggle with your own desires
bwlleh SAh asmAniN wD diyAN phaRnAN, jheRA ghar beThA ohnwN phaRyA e nahiN
Bulleh Shah you grasp at will o’ the wisps but you have never tried to capture the substance of your own heart



Section Two

rAnjhA cAk nA Akho kwRiyo, ehnwN cAk kahndi SarmAvAN
Girls, don’t call Ranjha a servant, I am ashamed to call him so,
mEN jaheyAN lakh hirAN ys nwN, te mEN kys gynti wyc AwAN
For him there are hundreds of ‘Hirs’ just like me, so where does that put me?
taxt hazAre dA E mAlyk, tAN mEN hir syAl sadAwAN
He is the lord of Takht Hazara and I am called Heer of the Syals
bwlleh SAh, rab kuk swne, tAN mEN cAk di cAk ho jAwAN
Bwlleh Shah, God hear my cry, and let me serve the servant.



Section Three

rAnjhA jogiRA ban AyA, Ene anokhA bhes waTAyA
Ranjha has become a Jogi, in a unique disguise (6:44)
ahdoN ahmad nAm dharAyA, ni mEN jAnAN jogi de nAl
The sublime is now in human guise, I am to go with the Jogi
koi kyse de nAl, koi kyse de nAl, par mEN jogi de nAl nAl
I am for the Jogi, others may follow whom they please
jogi mere nAl nAl
Me and the Jogi!
jadoN di mEN jogi di hoi, mEN vyc mEN nA rah gai koi
Ever since I became one with the Jogi, there is no ego left in me.

E rAnjhA rAnjhA kardi ni mEN Ape rAnjhA hoi
So long have I sought him that I have become part of Ranjha now
sadiyo ni mEnuN dhido rAnjhA, hir nA Akho koi
You now may call me by his name, let no-one call me Heer
mEN nahiN o Ap hE apni, Ap kare dyljoi
I exist no longer, for I am him, my own heart’s comfort
jys de nAl mEN nehuN lagAyA ode vargi hoi
So in love with him and so much like him now
ni mEN jAnAN jogi de nAl, kani mwndrAN pA ke
I am off with the Jogi, with rings in my ears



ni e jogi nahiN, koi rup hE rab dA, bhes jogi dA ys nuN phabdA
This is no Jogi, this is an aspect of God, that’s how well the guise of the Jogi suits him
ys jogi merA jyuRA khasayA, E jogi mere man vyc vasayA
This Jogi has tugged at my heart, this Jogi has settled in my soul
sac AkhAN mEN qasam qurAne, jogi merA din imAn E
The truth to tell, my hand on the Quran, this Jogi is my faith and my religion
ys jogi mEnuN kitA rogi, ni mEN ys jogi, hwn hor nA jogi
This Jogi has me in such a fever that I am fit only for him and for no-one else
ni mEN jAnAN jogi de nAl, kani mwndrAN pA ke
tar gai ve mEN tar gai loko, ve akh jogi nAl laR gai loko
Do you see, I have been saved, my eye is fixed on the Jogi
mEnuN jogan jogi di Akho, hir saleTi mar gai loko
You can call me now the Jogi’s disciple, Heer Syal is dead and gone
ni mEN jAnAN jogi de nAl, kani mwndrAN pA ke

kheRe karde kuRiAN gallAN, jogi de mehneN mEN syr te jhallAN
The Kheras are spreading lies, these accusations against the Jogi I take on myself
hor kyse nuN kwjh nA jAnnAN, jAnnAN te jogi nuN jAnnAN
I know of nothing beyond him, if I am conscious of only one thing, it is the Jogi
ys dA pAyA kyse nA pAyA, ys dA hE do jag wte sAyA
What he has learned, no-one else has learned, his shadow is cast over this world and the next
ys diAN dhwmmAN do jag wte dhwmiAN, ys diAN jwtiAN arS ne cWmiAN
His fame is in this world and the next, the heavens have stooped to kiss his feet
E jogi, jogi matwAlA, hath vyc yllallAh di mAlA
This Jogi is a Jogi possessed, the beads in his hand tell there is no God but God
ni nAm hE ys dA kamli wAlA
His name is the same as the Prophet in his blanket
ni mEN jAnAN jogi de nAl, kani mwndrAN pA ke


Section Four

je jogi ghar Ave mere
If the Jogi were to come to my house
sadqe jAvAN ghar AjA mere
I would sacrifice myself for him, let him come to my house
akhiAN wDikdiAN, dyl vajAN mArdA
My eyes are waiting for him, my heart beats out for him
A jA, tenuN akhiAN wDikdiyAN

jadoN dA tu rws gayA sADe nAl DholnA
Ever since you became displeased with me, beloved
bhwl gayA kANvAN nuN banere wte bolnA
The crows on my roof have forgotten how to crow
bhwl gayiAN xwSiAN te rws gae cAve
All happiness is forgotten, all desires have left me
aj patA lagA e vychoRA kih balA e
Today I have realised the disaster of separation
A jA, tenuN akhiAN wDikdiyAN

kai kai vAr caRhi koThe te, wtri kai kai vAri
How many times have I gone up to the roof, and how many times come down again?
nA dyl cEn nA sabr AkhiN nuN nA mEN bhwldi surat pyAri
No peace for my heart, no rest for my eyes, no forgetting your beautiful face
ySq satAi mEN devAN dwhAi, te mEN kardi gyryA zAri
Tormented by love, I weep and wail out loud
A jA sajnAN nA jA sajnAN, tu jyteyA te mEN hAri
Come my love, do not go my love, you have won and I have lost.
te AkhAN hwn AjA tenuN akhiAN wDikdiAN
I beg you come now, my eyes await you,
akhiAN wDikdiAN, dyl vajAN mArdA
My eyes await and my heart cries out to you
AjA jAn wAleyA vAstA e pyAr dA tere sadqe jAvAN
Come back for the sake of love, let me be a sacrifice for you

je jogi ghar Ave mere, mwk jAvan sab jhagRe jheRe
If the Jogi would only come to my house, everything would be settled
ni mEN lAvAN sine nAl, lakhAN Sagan manA ke
I would hold him to my heart, an auspicious new beginning

bwlleh SAh yk jogi AyA, gal sADe Ene TunA pAyA
Bulleh Shah, a Jogi came and cast a spell
E ne lwT lai hir syAl, AyA bhes vaTA ke
And in his disguise, he stole Heer Syal away
ni mEN jANAN jogi de nAl

Introduction to man aTkeyA be parvAh de nAl (14:30)

This qawwali is based on a kafi (poem, song) attributed to Shah Hussein (AD c.1538-1599), one of the more colourful poets in the history of the Sufis of the subcontinent. He was born in Lahore into a family of weavers, but he was not put to the weaver’s trade but was instead given a thorough Islamic education and could recite the Qur'an by heart at the age of ten. One day, to the horror of his more orthodox friends, he literally threw away the Qur'an. He became an all-singing, all-dancing, all-drinking mystic. He became known as ‘Lal’ Hussein, Hussein ‘the Red’ because of his bright red clothing. His scandalous behaviour brought much criticism, but he seems to have escaped punishment because of his thorough understanding of all aspects of Islam.

Among those attracted to Hussein’s preaching and life-style was a young Hindu boy called Madho Lal. There are many stories associated with Madho’s conversion to Islam, but the truth is likely to be that Madho’s Brahmin parents were scandalised by his association with this Muslim preacher and threw him out. One of the stories suggests that they killed him and that Hussein revived him. In any event, he came to live in Hussein’s community as a disciple where he remained for the rest of his life. They are buried next to each other near the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore.

Hussein’s poetic quest for the eternal, unseen, omni-present beloved is sometimes used to suggest a sexual relationship between Hussein and Madho. They were undoubtedly extremely fond of each other. The evidence offered is that Hussein was known by a combination of his own and the boy’s name, Madho Lal Hussein, which, it is argued, suggests that they were a unified personality. It is worth remembering that Hussein believed, as many Sufis do, that the ‘orthodox’ need to be confronted and shocked in order to draw attention to the hypocritical nature of their way of life. It may be that Hussein encouraged the rumours about his personal life to achieve this effect.


man aTkeyA be parvAh de nAl (14:30)
os din dwni de Sah de nAl

My soul is entangled with the indifferent one
Lord of all things visible and invisible

vasdi har dam man mere vyc surat yAr piyAre di
apne SOh nwN Ap rajhAvAN hAjat nahiN pasAre di
kahe hwsEn faqir namAnA thivAN xAk davAre di

The image of the precious beloved lives constantly in my soul
I can please my love alone I need no display
Says Hussein the worthless faqir, I am the dust on your doorstep

qAzi mwllA mati dende
khare syAne rAh dasende
ySq kih lagge rAh de nAl

Judges and clerics are full of advice,
the righteous and wise show you the path
but love needs no guidance

nadioN pAr rAnjhan dA ThAnA
kite qOl zaruri jAnA
myntAN karAN mallAh de nAl

Ranjhas dwelling is across the stream,
having given my word I needs must go
I beseech the boatman

sajan byn rAtAN hoyAN vaDiAN
rAnjhA jogi meN jwgiAni
kamli kar kar saDeA

Without my beloved the nights are long,
Ranjha is a jogi and I a jogiani
He has driven me senseless

mEN hAN ayAni nehuN kih jAnAN byrhuN tanAbAN gaDiyAN
kahe hwsEn faqir sAiN dA dar te jholiAN aDiyAN

I am a novice, what do I know of committed love,
the separation pulls at my sinews
Says Hussein, Gods faqir, I spread my robe before you

kahe hwsEn faqir namAnA
sace sAhyb nuN mEN jAnnAN
ORaq kamm allAh de nAL

Says Hussein, the worthless faqir,
I know the true Lord
In the end I will meet my maker

merA e carxA nO lakhA kwRe (13:08)

Gaflat nA kar yAr prit toN, chaD jangli rahn baserA
panchi mwR gharAN nuN A gae, te kyuN cyt nahiN kardA terA
val val ySq marendA halle, ate mEN teri tu merA
yAr farid, karAN jynd qwrbAni, je yAr pave pAve yk pherA
O my love, do not forget your beloved, come back from your life in the wilderness
The birds have flown home, why do you not do the same?
Love overwhelms me again and again, I am yours and you are mine
O Farid, I will sacrifice myself, just to see him one more time

ySq dA carxA, dwkhAN diAN puniAN,
juN juN kati jAvAN hon payAN duniAN
The spinning wheel of love, the unspun balls of grief
The more I spin them, they more they seem to double

merA e carxA nO lakhA kwRe,
nehuN katdi katdi pakAN kwRe
har carxE de geRe meN tenuN yAd kardi
My spinning wheel is priceless,
as I spin, so my love grows stronger,
And at every turn of the wheel, I remember you
(4:54)
tere bAjoN dyl deA mahrwmAN ve, sADA jiunA keRE caj dA e
mere luN luN vyc, meri nas nas vyc, teri yAd dA twmbA vajdA e
What good is my life, without you, my dear love
The heart strings of my memory resound in every pore, every vein of my being

hwn AOn dA velA A sajnA, tuN chaD de beparvAhi nuN
pwche meri nygAh hwn terA patA, har AOnde jAOnde rAhi nwN
This is the time to return, my love and leave your independence
My eyes are longing for you and asking every traveller where you might be

sAh TwTeyA nwmAniAN akhiAN dA sajnAN terA rAh takde takde
mere beparvAh hwn A vi jA thak gai e nigAh takde takde
My useless eyes are exhausted, looking out for you, my love
O independent one, come back now, my eyes are weak from looking for you

A kAgA tenwN curiAN pAvAn, kadi sADe vi bETh banere
de pEGAm koi sajnAN vAlA, mEN Sagan manAvAN tere
A ke bETh banere sADe, SAyad A jAn sAjan mere
aDiyAN cwk cwk yAr faridA, rAh takAN mEN SAm savere
Come O crow, I will feed you fancies if you come and sit on my roof
Give me news of my beloved and I will honour you
Come and sit on my roof my beloved may come
O Farid, I strain night and day to see the path you have taken,


id Ai merA yAr nahiN AyA, rabA xer hove ode dam di
hAr SyNghAr nA cange lagde, kyse ciz te nazar nA jamdi
xwSiAN vAliAN nindrAN mAnan, te mEN rAt gwzArAN Gam di
yAr myle te mEN id manAvAn, bynA yAr de id nA kamm di
Eid has come, but my beloved has not, may God look after him
Adornments do not seem right, nothing is pleasing to my sight
The happy ones sleep peacefully while I spend my nights in grief
I will celebrate Eid when my love comes back, without him Eid is empty

vajA tir hyjar dA loki kahnde mEnuN jhalli
AjA vAstA xwdA dA nahiN te E jynd calli
Pierced by the arrow of loss, people call me mad
For God’s sake, come back, or else this life is over.

jag mArdA e tAne das kythe terA mAhi
tenuN chaD gayA kali kythe ho gayA rAhi
devAN kih mEN javAb rovAN kalam kali
Everyone taunts me, ‘where is your love?’
‘ He has left you and taken to the road’
What can I answer? I weep alone

AjA har carxe de geRe mEN tenuN yAd kardi
kadi A tatRi de vehRe mEN tenuN yAd kardi
At every turn of the spinning wheel, I remember you
Come back to the courtyard, to this one who longs for you

carxA merA rang rangilA, ban gai teri yAd vasilA
dur akhiAN toN dyl de neRe, mEN tenuN yAd kardi
My spinning wheel is colourful, it is the vehicle of your remembrance
You are far from my eyes, but close to my heart and I yearn for you

mwkdi nAhiN Gam di puni, juN juN kattAN hove duni
mere dwkhRe kon nabeRe, mEN tenuN yAd kardi
The strands of sorrow seem to have no end, and as I spin, they double
Who will put an end to my sorrow? I long for you.

mEN te mang rAnjhan di hoyAN, merA bAbal kardA DhakA kwRe
I am bound to Ranjha, but my father is pressing me (to marry a KherA)

kheRe karde kuRiaN gallAN, rAnjhe de mehne mEN syr te jhallAN
The Kheras are spreading lies, I take on myself these accusations against Ranjha

lokAN bhAne cAk majhiN dA, mere bhA dA makkA kwRe
People say he is just a buffalo herdsman, but for me, he is my Mecca

lokAN bhAne ySq swkhAlA, ySq nA chaDdA phakA kwRe
People say that love is easy, but love spares nothing and no-one

bwlleh SAh ne sac kar jAtA, SAh ynAyat gwr pakkA kwRE
Bulleh Shah bears witness to the truth,that Shah Inayat is the perfect teacher

Introduction to halkA halkA sarur (23:15)

This is a qawwali which rests on wine as a metaphor for the intoxication which is caused by love, whether human or divine. The saqi or wine bearer is the agency for accessing that intoxication. He is irresistably attractive and it is within his power to bring you wine, or not. He can become the object of your love or serve as a medium for love of higher things, earthly or spiritual. The nature of sin and of God’s commandments are also considered; is there a sinful way of accessing God’s love? And once we have abandoned ourselves to the love of God, can we reasonably be expected to be completely in control of ourselves? Once we have opened our hearts to God, of what significance then are the rules whose main intention is to bring us closer to God? In the end there is only one rule, which is that love is God and the person who loves God inevitably loves God’s entire creation and treats everything and everyone in it as sacred. The qawwali also looks at the problem that we can perhaps never really know God while we are trapped in our human form and our cultural constraints. We sometimes blame God for this flaw in our being, but that only shows how weak we are.

We have been unable to find out anything about who wrote the various poems incorporated into this qawwali. Does anyone out there know? Please tell us if you do.
yyh jo halkA halkA sarur hE (23:15)

sAqi ky har nygAh pe bal khA ke pi gayA
lahroN se kheltA huA lahrA ke pi gayA
At every glance of the saqi, smitten, I drank,
Playing with the waves, joyous, I drank,

e rahmat e tamAm meri har xatA mwAf
mEN yntahA e SOq meN ghabrA ke pi gayA
O all-forgiving Prophet, forgive my every sin
At the height of passion, bewildered, I drank

pitA baGEr yzn yyh kab thi meri majAl
dar pardAh caSm-e-yAr ky SE pA ke pi gayA
To drink without permission, how could I have dared?
Secretly his eyes encouraged me to drink!

pAs rahtA hE dur rahtA hE,
koi dyl meN zarur rahtA hE
Whether he is far away, or by my side
Forever in my heart someone resides

jab se dekhA hE wn ki ANkhoN ko
halkA halkA sarur rahtA hE
From the moment I looked into His eyes
I have remained lightly drunk

Ese rahte hEN vwh mere dyl meN,
jEse zwlmat meN nur rahtA hE
He resides in my heart
like radiance in the darkest places

ab adam kA yyh hAl hE har vaqt,
mast rahtA hE cur rahtA hE
Now ‘adam’ is in a perpetual state
Of ecstasy and intoxication

yyh jo halkA halkA sarur hE
yyh teri nazar kA qwsur hE
ky SarAb pinA sykhA diyA
This lightly drunken state
Has only your eyes to blame
For they have taught me the pleasures of wine

tere pyAr ne, teri cAh ne
teri bahki bahki nygAh ne
mwjhe yk SarAbi banA diyA
My love for you, my longing for you
And your alluring eyes
Have turned me into a drunk

SarAb kEsi, xwmAr kEsA
yyh sab twmhAri navAzySeN hEN
pylAi hE kys nazar se tu ne
ky mwjhko apni xabar nahiN hE
What kind of wine, What intoxication!
All these gifts kindly bestowed by you
With what intent did you make me drink
That I have completely forgotten myself?

teri bahki bahki nygAh ne
mwjhe yk SarAbi banA diyA
Your alluring eyes have turned me into a drunk

sArA jahAN mast, jahAN kA nyzAm mast,
dyn mast, rAt mast, sahr mast, SAm mast,
dyl mast, SiSA mast, sabu mast, jAm mast
hE teri caSm e mast se har xAs o Am mast
The world and all that’s in it is intoxicated
Day and night, dawn and dusk
The heart, the bottle, the pitcher, the cup
Your languorous eyes have intoxicated one and all,

yuN to sAqi har tarAh ki tere mExAne meN hE
E vwh bhi thoRi si jo ynhiN ANkhoN ke pEmAne meN hE
O saqi, there is all sorts of wine in your tavern,
Including that little quantity which is held in the cup of your eyes!

sab samjhtA huN teri ySq vari e sAqi
kAm karti hE nazar nAm hE pEmAne kA …bas
I fully understand your coquetry, O saqi
It is the glance that works, but the cup that is blamed

teri bahki bahki nygAh ne
mwjhe yk SarAbi banA diyA
Your alluring eyes
Have turned me into a drunk

terA pyAr hE meri zyndagi
Your love is my life!

nA namAz Ati hE mwjhko nA vwzu AtA hE
sajdA kar letA huN jab sAmne tu AtA hE
I know neither the ritual prayers nor the prescribed ablution
I prostrate myself only when I am before You

bus meri zyndagi terA pyAr hE
My life is just your love!

mEN azal se bandA e ySq huN
mwjhe zwhd o kwfr kA Gam nahiN
Since the beginning of time I am a slave of love,
I am not grieved by piety or heresy

mere sar ko dar terA myl gayA
mwjhe ab talAS e haram nahiN
My head has found your threshold,
I no longer seek the house of God,

meri bandagi hE vwh bandagi
jo baqEd e der o haram nahiN
My servitude is that servitude which
is not imprisoned by temples or mosques

merA yk nazar twmheN dekhnA
ba xwdA namAz se kam nahiN
One glimpse of you,
By God, is not less than ritual prayer,

bas meri zyndagi terA pyAr hE

terA nAm luN zabAN se tere Age sar jhwkA duN
merA ySq kah rahA hE, mEN twjhe xwdA banA luN
My tongue utters your name, I prostrate myself before you
My love is telling me to make you my God

terA nAm mere lab par, merA tazkarA hE ghar ghar
mwjhe bhul jAe dwnyA, mEN agar twjhe bhwlA duN
With your name on my lips, I am known in every household,
If I let you be forgotten, then let the world forget me

mere dyl meN bas rahe hEN, tere bepanAh jalwe
nA ho jys meN nur terA, vwh carAG hi bwjhA duN
In my heart dwell innumerable images of your beauty,
I would extinguish any lamp not reflecting your radiance,

jo puchA keh kys tarah hoti hE bAryS
jabiN se pasine ki bundeN gyrA diN
When I asked , ‘How does it rain?’
He let a few beads of perspiration drop from his brow

jo puchA keh kys tarah gyrti hE byjli
nygAheN mylAeN mylA kar jhwkA diN
I asked: How does lightening strike?
He looked into my eyes, then lowered his gaze

jo puchA Sab o roz mylte hEN kEse
to cahre pe apne vwh zwlfeN gyrA diN
I asked: How do the day and night meet?
He allowed some tresses to fall over his face,

jo puchA keh naGmoN meN jAdu hE kEsA
to miThe takallwm meN bAteN swnA diN
I asked: And what of magic in song?
He spoke a few words in the sweetest voice,

jo apni tamannAoN kA hAl puchA
to jalti hui cand SameN bwjhA diN
I asked: And what of my yearnings?
He extinguished a few burning candles,

mEN kahtA rah gayA xatA e mwhabbat ki acchi sazA di
mere dyl ki dwnyA banA kar myTA di, acchA
I was left protesting, for my sin of love am I thus punished?
The world of my heart, you created and destroyed, All right!

mere bAd kys ko satAoge?
mwjhe kys tarAh se myTAoge?
kahAN jA ke tir calAoge?

Whom will you torment when you’re finished with me?
How will you annihilate me?
Where will you go and shoot your arrows

meri dosti ki balAeN lo
mwjhe hAth wThA kar dwAeN do
twmheN yk qAtyl banA diA

Pray that no misfortune befalls my love for you,
Raise your hands in a prayer of gratitude for me,
Because I have turned you into a killer

mwjhe dekho xvAhyS e jAn e jAN
mEn vahi huN anwar e nim jAN
twmheN ytnA hoS thA jab kahAN

Look at me, O desire of my soul,
I am that same half-extinguished light
You had no awareness at the time


nA calAo ys tarah twm zabAN
karo merA SwkriyA mahrbAN
twmheN bAt karnA sykhA diyA

Do not loose your tongue like this,
Give me thanks, O Benefactor!
For I have taught you how to speak


yyh jo halkA halkA sarur hE,
yh teri nazar kA qwsur hE
ky SarAb pinA sykhA diyA


mast nazroN se allAh bacAe (6:24)

This simple Urdu ghazal, performed without deviations (gyrAh), tells us that we should not be deceived by appearances. Initially it asks for God’s help in resisting the temptation offered by human beauty, it ends up with an attack on those people who devote more attention to the appearance of piety than to piety itself. This qawwali is more likely to be performed at a private party or public concert than in a shrine.

mast nazroN se allAh bacAe, mAhjamAlon se allAh bacAe
har balA sar pe A jAe lekyn, hwsnvAloN se allAh bacAe
O God save us from intoxicated glances, O God save us from moon-faced beauties
Let any affliction fall on our heads [but] God save us from the beautiful people

yn ki mAsumiyat par nA jAnA, yn ke dhoke meN hargyz nA AnA
luT lete hEN ye mwskwrA kar, yn ki cAloN se allAh bacAe
Don’t let their innocence fool you, and never fall for their tricks
they rob you with a smile, O God save us from their ploys

bholi surat hE bAteN hEN bholi, mwNh meN kwch hE magar dyl meN kwch hE
lAkh cahrA sahi cANd jEsA, dyl ke kAloN se allAh bacAe
Their faces and their conversation are innocence itself, but there is a difference between the words on their lips and the thoughts in their hearts
They have faces fully as beautiful as the moon, O God save us from their black hearts!

dyl meN hE xvAhyS e hur o jannat, Or zAhyr meN SOq e ybAdat
bas hameN SEx ji Ap jEse allAh vAloN se allAh bacAe
In his heart he longs for the the houries of paradise and outwardly he is devoted to his prayers
From religious people like you O Sheikh, may God preserve us.

ynki fytrat meN hE bewafAi, jAnti hE yyh sAri xwdAi
acche acchoN ko dete hEN dhokA, bhole bhAloN se allAh bacAe
All God’s creation knows that they are unfaithful by nature,
They deceive the very best of us, God save us from these ‘simple’ folk.

kahnA Galat Galat to chwpAnA sahih sahih (14:00)

This is another simple Urdu ghazal. Although sung in the style of qawwali, it is a piece of pure entertainment, designed to amuse rather than enlighten. Since qawwali entered the world of ‘pop’ music, a large number of similar ‘secular’ qawwalis have been recorded.

kahnA Galat Galat to chwpAnA sahih sahih
qAsyd kahA jo ws ne batAnA sahih sahih
To speak falsely is to hide the truth
Tell me, O messenger, what exactly did s/he say?

(04:34)
yyh swbh swbh cahre ki rangat wRi hui
kal rAt twm kahAN the? batAnA sahih sahih
The colour has gone from your face this early morning
Where exactly were you last night? Tell me the truth

(07:34) (deviation, gyrAh)
yyh wRi wRi si rangat yyh khwle khwle se gesu
teri swbh kah rahi hE teri rAt kA fasaAnA
This colourless face, this dishevelled hair
This morning is telling me the story of your night

(08:04)
dyl le ke merA hAth meN, kahte hEN mwjh se vwh
kyA loge ys ke dAm, batAnA sahih sahih
S/he takes my heart in her hand and s/he says to me
What exactly is this worth to you? Tell me the truth

(12:18)
ANkheN mylAo Ger se, do ham ko jAm e mE
sAqi twmheN qasam hE, pylAnA sahih sahih
You are exchanging glances with another,
While giving me my glass of wine
O Saqi, you have a sworn duty
to give me my drink in the proper manner

Introduction to ze hAl e myskin (20:36)

ze hAl e myskin is one of a number of songs popularly attributed to Amir Khusro of Delhi but which do not appear in academic collections of his work. The song ‘namidAnam ce manzyl bud’ (below) is also attributed to Amir Khusro.

Amir Khusro (1253-1325) is an almost mythical figure in the history of Indo-Muslim culture. To him are attributed the origins of qawwali, the invention of the sitar and the tabla as well as a host of other achievements. His grave is close to that of Nizam ud Din Auliya in Delhi, who was his spiritual guide. The songs attributed to Amir Khusro are still sung at Nizam ud Din’s shrine.

This song is the most well known example of a type that is composed in alternate lines of Persian and a medieval form of Hindustani, known as Hindavi or Braj or Brij or even Burj. There is no agreement about the words of the song, nor, alas, about their meaning. Ghulam Farid Sabri used to sing this qawwali regularly and he was once asked about its meaning. He replied that the enquiry would be better addressed to the ‘bwzwrgAn e din’, the Elders of the Faith. Whether this song was actually composed by Amir Khusro, or even in his lifetime we will probably never know.

This studio version provides a framework for Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to sing a series of verses popularly attributed to the early 16th century Krishnavite Hindu poetess Mira (or Mirabai) many of whose songs are in a similar variety of Braj.


ze hAl e myskiN makwn taGAfwl
attributed to Amir Khusro Dehlavi
This version 20 mins 36 seconds (20:36)
sung by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Party
(Persian language in blue, Hindavi in red)

(2:00)
ze hAl e myskiN makwn taGAfwl, varAe nEnAN banAe battiaAN
ky tAb e hyjrAN na dAram e jAN, nA leo gAhe lagAe chattiAN

Do not neglect this miserable wretch, turning away your eyes and making excuses
I cannot bear the burden of separation, please embrace me at some time

(6:45)
SabAn e hyjrAn darAz cuN zwlf, ky roz e vaslaj cuN wmr kotA
sakhi piA ko jo mEn nA dekhuN, to kEse kATuN andheri rattiAN?

The nights of separation are long like your tresses, the day of union is short, like life itself
O my friend, if I cannot see my love, how will I make it though these dark nights?

(8:05)
SAm savere nEn bychA ke, rAh takwN mEN sAjan ki
rAm hi jAne kab camkegi qysmat more Angan ki

From dawn to dusk I strain my eyes to see him coming
God only knows when the fortune of my courtyard will brighten up

(8:40)
nEn cwrA ke jab se sayAN dur kahiN pardes gae
byrhan ki akhioN se barse byn sAvan rwt sAvan ki

Ever since my lord stole away to some far off land
Abandoned, my eyes pour tears like monsoon rains in this dry season



(9:32)
barkhA rwt jab cham cham barse, manvA roe, nEnAN tarse
tAroN meN jab candA camke, dard wThe man meN tham tham ke

When the monsoon clouds pour down their rain, my heart weeps and my eyes yearn
When the moon shines amongst the stars, my heart aches incessantly

byrhA swlge jab more tan meN, cwpke cwpke man Angan meN
As ke bandhan TuT gaE hEN, bAlam mose ruTh gaE hEN
(10:00)
As the pain of separation smoulders in my body, quietly in the courtyard of my heart, the sinews of hope break, my beloved is angry with me

(10:35)
suli upar sej hamAri, kys byd so nA hove
gagan manDal par sej piyA ki, kys byd myl nA hove

My wedding bed is built on the scaffold, no sleep is possible
My love’s wedding bed is in the celestial sphere, no meeting with him is possible

johari ki gat johari jAneN jo koi johari hove
ghAyal ki gat ghAyal jAneN ke jyn lAgi hove

Only the jeweller knows the art of jewelery
Only the wounded know what it is to be stricken

dard ki mAri ban ban DolwN ved nA mylio koi
mirAN ki tab piR miTe jab ved sANvariA hove
eri meN to prem divAni merA dard nA jAne koi (11:20)

Stricken with pain, I stumble through wildernesses and find no healer
Mira’s pain will only lessen if the healer is my beloved
I am crazed by love, no-one understands my pain




(12:15)
yak A yak az dyl do caSm e jAdu ba sad farebam ba bwrd taskiN
kyse paRi hE jo jA swnAve hamAre pi ko hamAri battiAN

All of a sudden, two eyes of magic stole my peace of mind with a thousand tricks
Who is there who cares enough to tell these words to my beloved?


(13:30)
joganiA kA bhes banA ke pi ko DhuNDhan jAwN ri
nagri nagri dwAre dwAre, pi pi shabd swnAwN ri

Dressed as a devotee I will go in search of my beloved
I will chant his name in every village, at every doorstep

dars bhikAran jag me ho ke, darSan bychiyA pAuN ri
tan man wn par vArwN sajni, joganyA kehlAwN ri (13:55)

Roaming the world begging for a glimpse I will find him when so humbled
When I devote my body and soul to him, then, my friends, can I be called his disciple
Ready to sacrifice body and soul, O friend, I will be known as His devotee

(14:15)
cuN Samme sozAN cuN zarrA herAN, ze mehr AmAN bagaStwm Akhir
nA nind nEnAN nA ang cEnAN nA Ap Ave nA bheje pattiAN

Melting like a candle, as bewildered as the smallest particle, I orbit around you like the sun
There is no sleep for my eyes, no rest for my body, you neither came, nor sent a message



(15:40)
piyA mylan ki As hE man meN nEnoN meN barsAteN hEN
tanhAi ke cwp ANgan meN meri wn se bAteN heN

In my soul there is hope of being with him, and my eyes are filled with floods of tears
In the silence of my lonely courtyard, I converse with him

(16:10)
more bANke sajile sANvaryA lyllAh mwjhe ab dars dykhA
byn darSan mar nA jAwN kahiN morA jivan hE tore darSan meN

My wayward, beautiful love, for God’s sake show yourself
Without sight of you, I may die, my life depends on seeing you

(16:50)
tohe yAd karat morA aNg aNg hE, morA bhAg swhAg tore saNg hE
yk bAr jo A more ANgan meN, ho jAuN swhAgan sakhian meN

Every part of my body remembers you, you are my fate, you are my mate
If you should come but once into my courtyard, my friends would know I am your bride

(17:20)
mohe chab dykhlA more sANvariA tore prit meN ho gai bANvariA
tohe nagar nagar meN DhunD phyri tohe kukat hwN meN ban ban meN

Reveal to me your beauty beloved, I am driven crazy by your love
I have sought you in every village and called out for you in every jungle

(17:56)
mohe prit tehAri mAr gai twm jit gae mEN hAr gai
mEN hAr ke bhi bal hAr gai EsA prem basA more tan man meN

Your love has been the death of me, you win and I lose
I lost the game and lost myself, your love took over my body and soul

(19:33)
ba haq e roz e vysAl e dylbar, ky dAd mArA fareb xwsro
sapit manke darAe rAkhuN jo jAe pAuN piA ki khattiAN

I swear by the day of union with my beloved that I, Khusro, was deceived
I would give him/her white pearls if only I knew where to find his/her treasure chest.


ze hAl e myskiN makwn taGAfwl…..





Introduction to
namidAnam ce manzyl bud Sab jAe ky man budam (16:19)

This ghazal is attributed to Amir Khusro of Delhi. Nusrat uses only three couplets. The bulk of the performance is devoted to another Persian ghazal by an unknown author, ‘namidAnam ky Axyr cuN dam e didAr miraqsam’. A Punjabi version of this ghazal is performed in the qawwali ‘tere mEN ySq ne naccAyAN’ transcribed and translated above.

namidAnam ce manzyl bud Sab jAe ky man budam (16:19) (Persian)

manam mahv e xeyAl e u, na midAnam kwjA raftam
Swdam Garq e vysAl e u, na midAnam kwjA raftam
I am absorbed in thoughts of you and do not know where I went
Obliterated in the ecstasy of union, I do not know where I went

namidAnam ce manzyl bud, Sab jAe ky man budam
ba har su raqs e bysmyl bud, Sab jAe ky man budam
I do not know the place it was, where I was that night
All around there was ecstatic dancing, the place I was that night
(4:45)
namidAnam ky Axyr cuN dam e didAr miraqsam
magar nAzam baiN zoqe ke peS e yAr miraqsam
In the end, I do not know why I dance the moment I see him
But I am proud of the passion that in front of the beloved, I dance
(5:25)
tu har dam misrAe naGmA o har bAr miraqsam
ba har tarze ke miraqsAniam e yAr miraqsam
Every time you begin the tune I begin to dance
In every style that you want me to, I dance
(7:15)
bayA jAnA tamASA kwn ke dar anbohe jAnbAzAn
basad sAmAn e rwsvAi sar e bAzAr miraqsam
Come beloved and see that, in the throng of those who would give their lives for you
With a hundred instruments of disgrace, in the heart of the bazaar, I dance
(8:45)
twvAN qAtyl ke az bahr e tamASA xun e man rezi
manAN bysmyl ke zer e xanjar e xuN-xAr miraqsam
You are the killer who sheds my blood for amusement
I am the victim and beneath your slaughtering dagger, I dance
(10:35)
agarce qatrA e Sabnam nagoyad barsar e xAre
manam AN qatrA e Sabnam ba noqe xAr miraqsam
Although a drop of dew cannot rest on the point of a thorn
I am that dew drop which dances on the thorn’s very tip.

(11:10)
manam wsmAn e hAruni ky yAr e Sex e mansuram
malAmat mikwnad xalqe o man bar dAr miraqsam
I am Usman Haruni, friend of Sheikh Mansur
The mob is hurling insults as, at the execution, I dance

(12:00)
pari pekar nigAre sarv qade lAlA rwxsAre
sar A pA Afat e dyl bud Sab jAi ky man budam
Angelic beauties with the stature of cypress trees and faces like tulips
From head to toe, it was a calamity for the heart in the place I was that night

(13:10)
xwdA xwd mir e majlys bud andar lAmakAN xwsro
mwhammad Samm e mahfyl bud Sab jAi ky man budam
God Himself presided over that assembly in the infinite, O Khusro
And Muhammad was the light of the gathering in the place I was that night

(14:40)
(Urdu) vwh SammA wjAlA jys ne kiyA cAlis baras tak GaroN meN
The light that shone in caves for forty years

(15:00)
(Urdu) e rasul Or bhi Ae jahAN meN lekyn mwhammad Samm e mahfyl
Other prophets have come into the world but Muhammad was the light of the gathering

(15:25)
(Urdu) mwhammad mwstafA mahbub rahbar sarvar e alam
Muhammad, the chosen one, beloved, guide, lord of the
world

(Urdu) jys ke dam se masjud e malAyk ban geyA Adam
Because of whom Adam became the object of worship by angels

namidAnam ce manzyl bud Sab jAe ky man budam



gali de vycoN kOn laNgeyA? (9:41)

This Punjabi qawwali by an unknown author chooses as its metaphor a busy market village. The beloved’s presence has a profound effect as s/he passes through the narrow street next to the narrator’s dwelling.

cEn vachoRA Aon nA deve
rAti soNvAN son nA deve
This separation never lets me rest
I try to sleep at night but it will not let me

meri khwl gai paTak de ke akhni
gali de vycoN kOn laNgeyA?
My eyes opened with a start
Who just passed through my alleyway?

(3:30)
kyte yAr nA hove E pendi Sak ni
gali de vycoN kOn laNgeyA?
Could it be my beloved, I wonder,
who has just passed through my alleyway?

(5:00)
roz age vi jahAn EthoN laNgdA
EdA laNgnA te hor kyse DhaNg dA
The whole world passes by here every day
There is something different about the way he passes through

Edi aDi vaje sine Thak Thak ni
gali de vycoN kOn laNgeyA?
The sound of his heels makes my heart thump
Who has passed through my alleyway?

koi laNgeyA jahAn koloN vakh ni
gali de vycoN kOn laNgeyA?
(Who is this unique person who has just passed through my alleyway?)
Someone different from the whole world has passed through my alleyway


(7:45)
kal dA boldA banere wte kAg ni
hove oho nA jagAon AyA bhAg ni
Since yesterday the crow has been crowing on my roof*
Perhaps he has come to awaken my fortune

jhAti mAro tAN bwhe di cik cak ni
gali de vycoN kOn laNgeyA?
Lift the bamboo veil and peep out to see
who has passed through my alleyway?

(8:25)
barsAN bAd aj kakh akhi RaRkeyA
merA dyl aj EveN tAN naiN dhaRkeyA
After years a piece of straw has today inflamed my eye*
My heart is not throbbing in vain

dyl EveN te naiN karendA dhak dhak ni
gali de vycoN kOn laNgeyA?
The heart does not beat so wildly without reason
For who has just passed through my alleyway?


*Note: The crowing on the roof and the irritation of the eye are both supposed to herald the arrival of an unexpected guest















A note on the transliteration system
‘Systematic Roman Urdu’ (Eur-Urdu)
Urdu/Persian consonants - Examples - Rough Standard UK English Equivalent
b kyA bAt Ordinary ‘b’
bh mere bhAi As in ‘clubhouse’
c camcA ch As in church (no audible ‘h’)
ch choTi chwri As in witchhunt (‘h’ clearly audible)
d dudh Dental ‘d’, (tongue near teeth)
dh dudh As in bloodhound (dental ‘d’, ‘h clearly audible)
D DanDA Retroflex ‘d’ (tongue hits back of roof of mouth)
Dh Dhili DhAli As in clodhopper but retroflex ‘d’ and audible ‘h’
g gaNgA Ordinary ‘g’
gh desi ghi As in plughole, h clearly audible
G Garib Fricative ‘g’, like French ‘r’, a bit growly
h hamArA hAl Ordinary ‘h’
j jadid Ordinary ‘j’
jh mwjh se As in bilge-hole (aspirated ‘j’)
k kahAN? Ordinary ‘k’ but with no audible ‘h after it
kh khylARi Ordinary ‘k’ with audible ‘h’, brickhouse
l lAl qyllA Ordinary ‘l’ made near front of mouth
m mwmkyn Ordinary ‘m’
n nigAh Ordinary ‘n’
N mEN hwN Nasal ‘n As in string (no ‘g’)
q lAl qyllA Like ‘k’ but said deeper in throat
r mere bhAi Lightly rolled ‘r’
R baRi bAt Retroflex ‘r’ (tongue hits back of roof of mouth)
s swbut Ordinary ‘s’ (These three ‘s’ words ....)
s sylsylA Ordinary ‘s’ (..use different letters ..)
s surat Ordinary ‘s’ (.....of the Urdu alphabet)
S Ser o SAyri sh as in ship-shape, mission, station
t tamASA Dental ‘t’ (tongue near teeth) no audible ‘h’ after it
th thoRA thoRA As in coathanger, dental ‘t’ audible ‘h’
T TuTnA Retroflex ‘t’ (tongue hits back of roof of mouth) no ‘h’
Th Thag As in boathouse, retroflex ‘t’, audible ‘h’
t tAlyb Dental ‘t’, no ‘h’, (different letter in Urdu)
v vidhvA Very soft ‘v’
x xAndAn Gutteral fricative As in Scottish loch
z zymmadAri Ordinary ‘z’ (These four ‘z’ words..............)
z zabAn Ordinary ‘z’ (..use four different letters......)
z zAhyr Ordinary ‘z’ (........in the Urdu, Persian......)
z zarur Ordinary ‘z’ (.............and Arabic alphabets.)
Z TelivyZan The fricative ‘zh’ sound as in television)
y yakAyak Ordinary ‘y’



Urdu vowels - Examples Rough Standard - UK English Equivalent
a sab ras ‘the bloody bus does enough’
A Ap kA nAm kyA hE? Long ‘a’ as in ,art, heart, mirage, moustache,
e mere xeyAl meN ‘Then Ben said’
E mEN ne kiyA hE Big open ‘e’ (listen for examples)
y dyl Short ‘i’ as in ‘fix it’ ‘women’
i meri bivi Long ‘i’ as in ‘leave, grief, receipt’
o zor As in ‘four, more, broad’
O kOn? Big open ‘o’ (listen for examples)
w twm ‘should, look’
u zarur ‘move, food’


This alphabet was devised to facilitate convenient transcription of Urdu, Punjabi and Indian Persian into the Roman alphabet. It represents sounds rather than the Urdu letters. SO se, sin and svAd are represented by ‘s’, and ze, zvAd, zoe and zAl are represented by ‘z’. The underlying principle is that each Urdu sound should be represented by one letter available in English language word processing programmes. Punjabi has wide dialectal variation but Punjabi and Indian Persian are considered to be similar in pronunciation to Urdu for the purposes of this essay. Note that the combination ‘ah’ followed by a consonant is usually pronounced more like ‘eh’ (kahnA, rahnA, etc). Note also that in Punjabi, the ‘h’ is not pronounced in all dialects, but is included here for the sake of clarity, because it sometimes affects the tone of the word.

August 2009

Systematic Roman Urdu (Eur-Urdu)

Urdu consonants	Examples
b	kyA bAt
bh	mere bhAi
c	camcA
ch	choTi chwri
d	dudh
dh	dudh
D	DanDA
Dh	Dhili DhAli
g	gaNgA
gh	desi ghi
G	Garib
h	hamAra hAl
j	jadid
jh	mwjh se
k	kahAN?
kh	khylARi
l	lAl qyllA
m	mwmkyn
n	nigAh
N	mEN hwN
q	lAl qyllA
r	mere bhAi
R	baRi bAt
s	swbut
s	sylsylA
s	surat
S	Ser o SAyri
t	tamASA
th	thoRa thoRa
T	TuTnA
Th	Thag
t	tAlyb
v	vidhvA
x	xAndAn
z	zymmadAri
z	zabAn
z	zAhyr
z	zarur
Z	TelivyZan
y	yakAyak

Urdu vowels	Examples
a	sab ras
A	Ap kA nAm kyA hE?
e	mere xeyAl meN
E	mEN ne kiyA hE
y	dyl
i	meri bivi
o	zor
O	kOn?
w	twm
u	zarur

This alphabet was devised to facilitate convenient transcription of Urdu into the Roman alphabet. It represents sounds rather than the Urdu letters. se, sin, svAd are represented by ‘s’, and ze, zvAd, zoe and zAl are represented by ‘z’. The underlying principle is that each Urdu sound should be represented by one letter available in English language word processing programmes. Note that the combination ‘ah’ followed by a consonant is usually pronounced more like ‘eh’ (kahnA, rahnA, etc).

Sept 08

A note on the transliteration system
‘Systematic Roman Urdu’ (Eur-Urdu)
Urdu/Persianconsonants Examples Rough Standard UK English Equivalent
b kyA bAt Ordinary ‘b’
bh mere bhAi As in ‘clubhouse’
c camcA ch as in church (no audible ‘h’)
ch choTi chwri As in witchhunt (‘h’ clearly audible)
d dudh Dental ‘d’, (tongue near teeth)
dh dudh As in bloodhound (dental ‘d’, ‘h clearly audible)
D DanDA Retroflex ‘d’ (tongue hits back of roof of mouth)
Dh Dhili DhAli As in clodhopper but retroflex ‘d’ and audible ‘h’
g gaNgA Ordinary ‘g’
gh desi ghi As in plughole, h clearly audible
G Garib Fricative ‘g’, like French ‘r’, a bit growly
h hamArA hAl Ordinary ‘h’
j jadid Ordinary ‘j’
jh mwjh se As in bilge-hole (aspirated ‘j’)
k kahAN? Ordinary ‘k’ but with no audible ‘h after it
kh khylARi Ordinary ‘k’ with audible ‘h’, brickhouse
l lAl qyllA Ordinary ‘l’ made near front of mouth
m mwmkyn Ordinary ‘m’
n nigAh Ordinary ‘n’
N mEN hwN Nasal ‘n as in string (no ‘g’)
q lAl qyllA Like ‘k’ but said deeper in throat
r mere bhAi Lightly rolled ‘r’
R baRi bAt Retroflex ‘r’ (tongue hits back of roof of mouth)
s swbut Ordinary ‘s’ (These three ‘s’ words …..)
s sylsylA Ordinary ‘s’ (…. use different letters ….)
s surat Ordinary ‘s’ ( …….of the Urdu alphabet)
S Ser o SAyri sh as in ship-shape, mission, station
t tamASA Dental ‘t’ (tongue near teeth) no audible ‘h’ after it
th thoRA thoRA As in coathanger, dental ‘t’ audible ‘h’
T TuTnA Retroflex ‘t’ (tongue hits back of roof of mouth) no ‘h’
Th Thag As in boathouse, retroflex ‘t’, audible ‘h’
t tAlyb Dental ‘t’, no ‘h’, (different letter in Urdu)
v vidhvA Very soft ‘v’
x xAndAn Gutteral fricative as in Scottish loch
z zymmadAri Ordinary ‘z’ (These four ‘z’ words …..)
z zabAn Ordinary ‘z’ (…. use four different letters …..)
z zAhyr Ordinary ‘z’ ( …….in the Urdu, Persian ….. )
z zarur Ordinary ‘z’ ( ….. and Arabic alphabets.)
Z TelivyZan The fricative ‘zh’ sound as in television)
y yakAyak Ordinary ‘y’








Urdu vowels Examples Rough Standard UK English Equivalent
a sab ras ‘the bloody bus does enough’
A Ap kA nAm kyA hE? Long ‘a’ as in ,art, heart, mirage, moustache,
e mere xeyAl meN ‘Then Ben said’
E mEN ne kiyA hE Big open ‘e’ (listen for examples)
y dyl Short ‘i’ as in ‘fix it’ ‘women’
i meri bivi Long ‘i’ as in ‘leave, grief, receipt’
o zor As in ‘four, more, broad’
O kOn? Big open ‘o’ (listen for examples)
w twm ‘should, look’
u zarur ‘move, food’


This alphabet was devised to facilitate convenient transcription of Urdu, Punjabi and Indian Persian into the Roman alphabet. It represents sounds rather than the Urdu letters. SO se, sin and svAd are represented by ‘s’, and ze, zvAd, zoe and zAl are represented by ‘z’. The underlying principle is that each Urdu sound should be represented by one letter available in English language word processing programmes. Punjabi has wide dialectal variation but Punjabi and Indian Persian are considered to be similar in pronunciation to Urdu for the purposes of this essay. Note that the combination ‘ah’ followed by a consonant is usually pronounced more like ‘eh’ (kahnA, rahnA, etc). Note also that in Punjabi, the ‘h’ is not pronounced in all dialects, but is included here for the sake of clarity, because it sometimes affects the tone of the word.

July 2009