The album Muh Dikhai showcases one of the poems of Prof Mohan Singh– the title song of the album uses extracts of his Punjabi poem Rabb.
Prof Mohan Singh is one of the greatest names in modern Punjabi poetry and has written several poetry collections. Here is the entire poem. The translation is not exact but I have tried to capture the essence of the words
रब्ब इक्क गुंझलदार बुझारत
रब्ब इक गोरख-धन्दा ।
खोल्हण लगिआं पेच एस दे
काफ़र हो जाए बन्दा ।
God- such an intricate riddle
He’s that ultimate puzzle
That the one who tries decipher
Often gets pronounced a cynic
काफ़र होणो डर के जीवें
खोजों मूल ना खुंझी
लाईलग्ग मोमन दे कोलों
खोजी काफ़र चंगा ।
But the fear of being labeled that
Shouldn’t be the reason to stop seeking
For a cynic in quest is so much better
Than the blind believer, who is clueless
तेरी खोज विच अकल दे खंभ झड़ गए
तेरी भाल विच थोथा ख़्याल होया ।
लक्खां उंगलां गुंझलां खोल्ह थक्कीआं,
तेरी ज़ुलफ़ दा सिद्धा ना वाल होया ।
In seeking You, all wisdom shed
In waiting for You, all thoughts meaningless
The tired fingers untangled countless knots
But failed to unravel even one tiny bit
घिग्गी बझ्झ गई संखां दी रो-रो के,
पिट्ट-पिट्ट के चूर घड़्याल होया ।
चीक-चीक के कलम दी जीभ पाटी,
अजे हल्ल ना तेरा सवाल होया ।
The blowing conchs choked
The striking gong crumbled
The scribbling pen’s nib splintered
Yet, the mystery remained
तेरी सिक कोई सज्जरी सिक तां नहीं,
इह चरोकणी गले दा हार होई ।
इह उदोकणी जदों दा बुत्त बणिआ,
नाल दिल दी मिट्टी त्यार होई ।1।
This love for You isn’t new
It’s an old part of our being
It started while the body found shape
And was being infused with feelings
तेरे हिजर विच किसे ने कन्न पाड़े
अते किसे ने जटां वधाईआं ने ।
बूहे मार के किसे ने चिले कट्टे,
किसे रड़े ‘ते रातां लंघाईआं ने ।
Grieving in your separation some pierced their ears
And some wore their hair so long
Some tortured and harmed themselves
Some walked the path of austerity
कोई लमकिआ खूह दे विच पुट्ठा,
अते किसे ने धूणिआं ताईआं ने ।
तेरे आशकां ने लक्खां जतन कीते,
पर तूं मूंह तों ज़ुलफ़ां ना चाईआं ने ।
Some dangled into wells upside down
Some smeared their body with ashes
A thousand tricks were tried a thousand times
But You refused to reveal Yourself
तेरी सिक्क दे कई तेहाए मर गए,
अजे तीक ना वसल दा जुग लभ्भा ।
लक्खां सस्सिआं मर गईआं थलां अन्दर,
तेरी डाची दा अजे ना खुरा लभ्भा ।2।
Many died with their wish of attaining your love
Till now no one knows the way for a union
Thousands of Sassis have since died in the desert
Failing to find a trace of Your camel’s footprint
किसे फुल्ल-कुरान दा पाठ कीता,
किसे दिल दा पत्तरा खोल्हआ वे ।
किसे नैणां दे सागर हंगाल मारे,
किसे हिक्क दा खूंजा फरोलिआ वे ।
Some read all the Holy Scriptures
Some followed their heart’s calling
Some cried an ocean, all in vain
Some chose to silently introspect
किसे गल्ल्हां दे दीवे दी लोअ थल्ले,
तैनूं ज़ुलफ़ां दी रात विच टोलिआ वे ।
रो रो के दुनिआं ने राह पाए,
पर तूं हस्स के अजे ना बोलिआ वे ।
Some frantically with flushed cheeks
Sought You in the nothingness, so dark
The whole world thus struggles on
And is yet to win your affections
दीदे कुलंज मारे तेरे आशिकां ने,
अजे अत्थरू तैनूं ना पोहे कोई ।
तेरी सौंह, कुझ रोण दा मज़ा ही नहीं,
पूंझण वाला जे कोल ना होए कोई ।3।
In their incessant crying your lovers lost their eyes
But the tears had no effect whatsoever
By God, what use is shedding them
When the one supposed to wipe them isn’t around
तेरी मांग दी सड़क ते पिआ जेहड़ा,
उस नूं हील्आं नाल परताइआ तूं ।
हरसां, दौलतां, हुसनां, हकूमतां दा,
उहदे राह विच चोगा खिंडाइआ तूं ।
The one who chose the road to You
You obstructed his path with dangers
Worldly happiness, riches, good looks and power
You strew in his way like bait
किसे कैस नूं लग्गा जे इशक तेरा,
उस नूं लेली दा लेला बणाइआ तूं ।
किसे रांझे नूं चढ़आ जे चा तेरा,
उस नूं हीर दी सेजे सवाइआ तूं ।
If a Qais fell truly in love with you
You made him as passionate as Laila’s majnu
One who sought you madly like Raanjha
You made him experience Heer’s love
साडे हंझूआं कीता ना नरम तैनूं,
साडी आह ने कीता ना छेक तैनूं ।
असीं सड़ गए विछोड़े दी अग्ग अन्दर,
लागे वसद्आं आया ना सेक तैनूं ।4।
Our tears couldn’t soften you
Our sighs couldn’t affect you
We crumbled under the fire of separation
But you didn’t wince or feel the heat
किसे छन्ना बणाइआ जे खोपरी दा,
तूं बुल्ल्हिआं नाल छुहाईआं ना ।
किसे दिल दा रांगला पलंघ डाहआ,
तेरे नाज़ नूं नींदरां आईआं ना ।
Some made a cup of their skull as offering
You refused to put your lips to it
Some offered their adorned heart as a bed
But it wasn’t good enough for you to rest
किसे जुत्तिआं सीतिआं चंम दिआं,
तेरी बे-परवाही ने पाईआं ना ।
रगड़-रगड़ के मत्थे चटाक पै गए,
अजे रहमतां तेरिआं छाईआं ना ।
Some offered you shoes fashioned from their skin
But you remained indifferent to the offering
The forehead was bruised bowing down to you
But you refused to acknowledge and give your blessings
मार सुट्ट्या तेरिआं रोस्आं ने,
फूक सुट्ट्या बे-परवाही तेरी ।
लै के जान तूं अजे ना घुंड चाइआ,
ख़बरे होर की ए मूंह विखाई तेरी ।5।
Your disregard destroyed us
Your indifference set us ablaze
Even offering our life wasn’t enough
What else would it take to get just one glimpse
जे तूं मूंह तों ज़ुलफ़ां हटा देवें,
बिट बिट तक्कदा कुल संसार रह जाए ।
रह जाए भाई दे हत्थ विच संख फड़्या,
बांग मुल्लां दे संघ विचकार रह जाए ।
If you would choose to show yourself
The world would stand and stare in awe
The priest would be left with the conch in his hand
The mullah would be left in the midst of his prayer call
पंडत हुरां दा रह जाए संधूर घुलिआ,
जाम सूफ़ी दा होया त्यार रह जाए ।
कलम ढह पए हत्थों फ़िलासफ़र दी,
मुनकिर तक्कदा तेरी नुहार रह जाए ।
The Pandit would be left with his sindoor paste
The Sufi would not touch his ready cup
The pen would slip off the philosopher’s hand
The angels would in awe just stand and stare
इक घड़ी जे खुल्हा दीदार दे दएं,
साडा नित्त दा रेड़का चुक्क जावे ।
तेरी ज़ुलफ़ दा सांझा पिआर होवे,
झगड़ा मन्दर मसीत दा मुक्क जावे ।6।
One glimpse only, and
Our daily struggle would be over
We would all be united in your love
The eternal strife in the name of religion would be no more
EverythingShafqat 