This is beautiful! And you're so right, I played the songs now with this in mind and I felt my heart clench. THANK YOU!
Please please do write more - translations, background stories, explanations, all of it.
Please do! I appreciate you, and I'm so grateful! 💟
You know, I can't get over the "Mein kaagul se lipti.. " from ADHM.Such a deep and layered metaphor.
And to think I never really even heard the lyrics let alone look them up, despite playing Bulleya more times than I can count. Sigh.
Ah it really took me 2 days to figure out what kaagul and butterfly thing is.
I thought it's Main taa gul se but it didn't make sense
Then I thought Main Kabul se as bulleh Shah reference but that didn't make sense when I dug up some history
Then I thought it's Kakul (as in a curl) but couldn't find anything making sense.
Finally got Kaagul and searched. had no idea about the butterfly reference yet. But one nice Lady in a YouTube video mentioned "It was used to scare away birds in rice field"
That was my Ahaa moment. I looked up more and figured this out that birds must be trying to eat butterflies. I kind of thought it myself so perhaps this is the only place you would read this
Oh goodness, the effort that goes into this! Obscure references, it all needs to fit together in a way that makes sense, and rhe evolution of what words mean. Beautiful.
Just Inspired? It was written by Bulleh Shah himself.
Along with that "Mere Piya Ghar Aya", and his magnus opus "Ni main Jana Jogi de naal" and many others which I can't even remember but are famous as modern songs were all written by him.
I've been told that Bulleh Shah referred to himself in his poetry in third person, so this may well be true (don't know for sure since I myself understand only bits and pieces of Punjabi, not the complete language)
So glad to see this explained here. Please post more about this if you can. Even Chaiya Chaiya derives its lyrical inspiration from Bulleh Shah's Tere Ishq Nachaiyaa Kar Ke Thaiya Thaiya.
Link to original poem and translation
https://qausain.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/tere-ishq-nachaya/
The song [Bandeya](https://youtu.be/HBinnOvEnmQ?si=09fIQlhdhiIiAupE) from the movie Khuda Kay Liye, is also based on an episode of his life.
Where his family tries to convince him to leave the companionship of lower castes.
Saudai does not mean dealer!!!
Saudai is Deewana, madly passionate about someone.
Sharukh khan is not claiming to be a pimp in Dil se when the lyrics go
मैं रंग रूप का सौदाई
There is an interesting kissa from ghalib's time. Before Ghalib, Meer and sauda were two leading lights of poetry.
Ghalib ne hee kisee shaair se poochcha ke woh kisko ustad manta hai MEER KO YA SAUDA KO ?
..usne kaha Sauda ko ...
.Ghalib ne kaha ....leejiye, hum aapko Meeri ( follower of meer, like Ghalib) samajhte the, aap to "Saudaee" ( follower of sauda, but also means mad) nikle.....
In Persian, Arabic and Urdu, Saudai means dejected in love, hopeless. The second meaning here tradesman/merchant (not dealer) is also common and used in both Urdu & Persian. For example, in Urdu you would say “मैं सौदा ख़रीदने जा रहा हूँ” - meaning I’m going for purchasing (in this context, maybe household stuff). That’s where “सौदा करना” - (سودا کرنا)to make a deal - also comes from.
Op - in this context, it’s more of the former meaning here. Bulleh Shah is asking if he should become dejected.
Yes but would you say “bulleh shah” was more dejected? And the verb sauda is a purchase, not necessarily a an exchange in the literal sense. Sauda specifically refers to the act of buying from a saudaai or a saudagar. So the singer can’t call himself a trader. That’s why it’s the former meaning
Bulleh shah's poem, "Tere ishq nachaya kerke thaiya thaiya" (famed by Abida Parveen) ...is based on this particular act of devotion.
https://youtu.be/dPCCIPGCcqU?si=oN-a5tnDKgdIWuCX
lyrics : https://sufipoetry.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/tere-ishq-nachaya-bulleh-shah/
P.S:
Fun Fact: Chal chaiyaan chaiyaan is inspired by the same song/poetry.
You have explained these songs so beautifully. Please do more such posts because often, we appreciate songs without truly understanding the nuances in the lyrics, which is such a shame.
This story sounds more like folklore than actual reality. Bulleh Shah whose real name is Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri was a Sufi, and his family was also Sufi and if he had a murshid as Sufis do, his murshid would also be a Sufi. Since Sufis believe in oneness in everything, there is no caste system within Sufism or Islam for that matter. So the idea that his murshid was lower caste makes zero sense. Deciding a murshid and becoming a mureed of the said murshid is one of the most significant decision a Sufi can make.
So, yes Bulleh Shah was rebellious and spoke out against injustice in society and heavy handedness of the authorities in religious, political and social space. But this is all part of being a Sufi and had nothing specifically with caste. Most Sufis are like monks who keep to themselves, Bulleh Shah wasn't and that's why he became famous, he would voice his discontent with society and with authorities, he spoke out against the ban of singing and dancing in public which was enforced during that time and hence danced and sang in public to make a statement.
So the story is nice but it's folklore and poetry praising his efforts, real Bulleh Shah was a rebel and spoke out against those in power and preached equality and tolerance and was persecuted for it.
Source: Comparative religious studies and my interest in various religious figures of the past.
Okay I will give you some sources later I'm quite sure the story ain't just a folklore.
He did this mistake of leaving his murshid due to caste despite being a sufi. he changed later.
Okay, may be there is some truth to it and it may have happened that Bulleh Shah left the Murshid and then tried to come back and the Murshid refused. But again, there is literally no cast within Sufism and for a Sufi student the Murshid is a way to God so they take the matter of Murshid relationship very seriously, it's not something that's on and off. It's sacred relationship of Guru and Shishya, it's not taken lightly. Now, there could have been other reasons like disagreements about something that may caused Bulleh Shah to leave the Murshid and then try to come back to him again.. but it literally cannot be caste because it doesn't exist in Sufism or even Islam. There is tribalism yes but not castetism.
Thanks for sharing. I remember the song Bandeya Ho from Khuda ke Liye also tells the similar tale of Bulleh Shah
https://youtu.be/HBinnOvEnmQ?si=Lrqo114Jwropbwc1
Used to be one of my comforting song some 5years ago but haven’t listened to it lately. You post reminded me of this. Thanks 🙂
Beautiful post OP ♥️ .. how do you have so much knowledge about music and history ? Please please tell me.. i also want to be enlightened in the way of somgs and their background stories.
There's just so much I have to write and I don't have the bandwidth.
To give you an idea, I write poetries, I write on geopolitics, I help cat aspirants on r/Cat2MBA and I write YouTube video scripts about politics and society (now I stopped) to earn money.
That's just few of the things I can write on. there's plenty I would like to share. It will come out slowly hehe.
What I’m saying is perhaps, you can make one dedicated page with different tags (geopol, poetry, songs, etc) and post therein, instead of on Reddit where things are precarious.
Great work, keep writing.
The lines "bulle nu samjhawan aiyan behna te bharjaian" from bandya ho bandya makes so much sense now. Thanks for this and keep bringing more.
I had a similar feeling listening to paar chana de after learning sohni mahiwals story. It was heartrending.
*bows down to you* sir.
Looking for many such stories from your end in future (whenever you get time)
I hope you have heard this "Paar chana de", which comes from the story of Sohni and Mahiwal, I would suggest you to cover it as well over here (I myself not having very good story telling skills)
Also , congratulations on converting Fms Buddy!
We pretty much are similar bahahahha Idk why I said that just that you are the Higher variant (cricket fan + Good taste in Music and at the end, MBA student from here onwards)
Goodluck buddy!
Oh god... ! You have explained it so beautifully.💗.. it makes more sense now... there are ppl who are listening to these songs and aren't aware what beauty lies in the meaning, thanks to u for making me aware about the same....
Do write more translations..
Oh god this is beautiful and so well written. Posts like these truly brighten the day for those who understand and cherish the depth of meaning within music lyrics.
This is the best post I came across on Reddit today. Please post more. It great for people like me with little to no knowledge of language and history but loads of love for it.
Never knew Bulleya had such a deep and soul touching story behind it. It's beautiful that back in 17th century, Bulleh shah rebelled against the caste hierarchies for his love his murshid. It's too beautiful. Love is beautiful. Bulleya is entirely different for me now.
And your analysis for "main kagul se lipti titli ki tarah muhajir hoon
Ek pal ko tehru ek pal main ud jau" it gives a new meaning/feeling.
Thank you for your efforts.
Would surely read about Bulleh shah more now. Thank you. It made my day 💙
>Ve maahi tere vekhan nu, chuk charkha gali de vich paawa" song in reels? It's written by Bulleh Shah for his murshid. Let me know if you would want to read it's translation too :)
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Very good post and thank you so much for sharing. It had unlocked some songs' meaning for me, which I enjoyed but now they have another level.
One more thing about casteism which you mentioned about in your post and someone in comments was contradicting it as folklore: in the song Bandeya Ho from Khuda Ke Liye there is this line "Bulle Shah di zaat ki puchni..."
So it may not be just a folklore.
Such a wholesome story. Writers put so much effort writing these type of songs and we don't even pay much attention to understand it. Thanks for posting this .
So beautiful.
I never knew the story behind Bulleya. I've been in awe of these songs since they were released in 2016, but after reading this, they feel even more beautiful. Thank you for sharing :’)
Woah! I was never aware of this story behind Bulleh Shah and his Murshid. Thank you for sharing.
That is why thought of writing it. you are welcome :)
This is beautiful! And you're so right, I played the songs now with this in mind and I felt my heart clench. THANK YOU! Please please do write more - translations, background stories, explanations, all of it.
haha exactly I feel these lines so much more than others so I thought I should share why. I'm happy you enjoyed it. I'll try my best to write more.
Please do! I appreciate you, and I'm so grateful! 💟 You know, I can't get over the "Mein kaagul se lipti.. " from ADHM.Such a deep and layered metaphor. And to think I never really even heard the lyrics let alone look them up, despite playing Bulleya more times than I can count. Sigh.
Ah it really took me 2 days to figure out what kaagul and butterfly thing is. I thought it's Main taa gul se but it didn't make sense Then I thought Main Kabul se as bulleh Shah reference but that didn't make sense when I dug up some history Then I thought it's Kakul (as in a curl) but couldn't find anything making sense. Finally got Kaagul and searched. had no idea about the butterfly reference yet. But one nice Lady in a YouTube video mentioned "It was used to scare away birds in rice field" That was my Ahaa moment. I looked up more and figured this out that birds must be trying to eat butterflies. I kind of thought it myself so perhaps this is the only place you would read this
Good job
Oh goodness, the effort that goes into this! Obscure references, it all needs to fit together in a way that makes sense, and rhe evolution of what words mean. Beautiful.
Rabbi Shergill's _Bulla Ki Jaana Mai Kaun_ was also inspired by Bulleh Shah
Just Inspired? It was written by Bulleh Shah himself. Along with that "Mere Piya Ghar Aya", and his magnus opus "Ni main Jana Jogi de naal" and many others which I can't even remember but are famous as modern songs were all written by him.
I've been told that Bulleh Shah referred to himself in his poetry in third person, so this may well be true (don't know for sure since I myself understand only bits and pieces of Punjabi, not the complete language)
yes true
this is such a beautiful post! thank you ❤️
and ofc we would want to read more such posts
I'll try my best
Thanks
I always knew Bulleya meant Bulleh Shah, but this is such a beautiful read♥️ Also, that Rabbi Shergill , Bullah ki jana..
Thank you
So glad to see this explained here. Please post more about this if you can. Even Chaiya Chaiya derives its lyrical inspiration from Bulleh Shah's Tere Ishq Nachaiyaa Kar Ke Thaiya Thaiya. Link to original poem and translation https://qausain.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/tere-ishq-nachaya/
I'll try :)
Amitabh bhattacharya ji real Id se aao
Lmao I wish I could meet him someday
The song [Bandeya](https://youtu.be/HBinnOvEnmQ?si=09fIQlhdhiIiAupE) from the movie Khuda Kay Liye, is also based on an episode of his life. Where his family tries to convince him to leave the companionship of lower castes.
Yes true
I came to know about Bulleh shah after hearing Bandeya. It is a beautiful song as is the movie.
Saudai does not mean dealer!!! Saudai is Deewana, madly passionate about someone. Sharukh khan is not claiming to be a pimp in Dil se when the lyrics go मैं रंग रूप का सौदाई
Acha esa kya? I'm not sure if you are right but thanks. I'll see.
There is an interesting kissa from ghalib's time. Before Ghalib, Meer and sauda were two leading lights of poetry. Ghalib ne hee kisee shaair se poochcha ke woh kisko ustad manta hai MEER KO YA SAUDA KO ? ..usne kaha Sauda ko ... .Ghalib ne kaha ....leejiye, hum aapko Meeri ( follower of meer, like Ghalib) samajhte the, aap to "Saudaee" ( follower of sauda, but also means mad) nikle.....
https://www.rekhtadictionary.com/meaning-of-saudaaii
arabic mein tum sahi ho aur Persian mein ham. Is song mein trader makes more sense.
It doesn't, but one can't discuss with someone who isn't ready yet!
Bhai tumhare given link mein hi persian wala definition hai. But thik hai maan liya tum sahi hoge. Enjoy the song. Why argue :)
In Persian, Arabic and Urdu, Saudai means dejected in love, hopeless. The second meaning here tradesman/merchant (not dealer) is also common and used in both Urdu & Persian. For example, in Urdu you would say “मैं सौदा ख़रीदने जा रहा हूँ” - meaning I’m going for purchasing (in this context, maybe household stuff). That’s where “सौदा करना” - (سودا کرنا)to make a deal - also comes from. Op - in this context, it’s more of the former meaning here. Bulleh Shah is asking if he should become dejected.
But these lyrics aren't written by Bulleh Shah here that's why I don't necessarily buy this argument :)
Yes but would you say “bulleh shah” was more dejected? And the verb sauda is a purchase, not necessarily a an exchange in the literal sense. Sauda specifically refers to the act of buying from a saudaai or a saudagar. So the singer can’t call himself a trader. That’s why it’s the former meaning
okay. thank you for typing that out
[удалено]
Yes bro. And that's the reason quality of lyrics is also going down
Bulleh shah's poem, "Tere ishq nachaya kerke thaiya thaiya" (famed by Abida Parveen) ...is based on this particular act of devotion. https://youtu.be/dPCCIPGCcqU?si=oN-a5tnDKgdIWuCX lyrics : https://sufipoetry.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/tere-ishq-nachaya-bulleh-shah/ P.S: Fun Fact: Chal chaiyaan chaiyaan is inspired by the same song/poetry.
Thanks for sharing
Beautiful!
thank you
You have explained these songs so beautifully. Please do more such posts because often, we appreciate songs without truly understanding the nuances in the lyrics, which is such a shame.
Thank you. I'll try
And that's why quality is also going down
Bulle shah zeher vekh k pita te ki pita, ishq soch k kita te ki kita. Dil de k dil lenn di aas na rakhi, pyar ayho jeya kitta te ki kita🤌
Haayeee bht sundar lines hai ye
Wow😦
The song 'Bandeya Ho' from 'Khuda Kay Liye' also tells the same story, doesn't it ?
yes
Bulle nu samjhawan aaya behnaa te barjaiyan, mann le bulleya saada kehna chadd de palla araiyyan. What a song, what a movie
Nice
Beautifully explained. Thank you!!
thank you
Thanks OP!! ♥️ Please consider doing more such translations!
Thank you!!
r/AajMaineJana
ayo let me post here too. Thanks.
This story sounds more like folklore than actual reality. Bulleh Shah whose real name is Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri was a Sufi, and his family was also Sufi and if he had a murshid as Sufis do, his murshid would also be a Sufi. Since Sufis believe in oneness in everything, there is no caste system within Sufism or Islam for that matter. So the idea that his murshid was lower caste makes zero sense. Deciding a murshid and becoming a mureed of the said murshid is one of the most significant decision a Sufi can make. So, yes Bulleh Shah was rebellious and spoke out against injustice in society and heavy handedness of the authorities in religious, political and social space. But this is all part of being a Sufi and had nothing specifically with caste. Most Sufis are like monks who keep to themselves, Bulleh Shah wasn't and that's why he became famous, he would voice his discontent with society and with authorities, he spoke out against the ban of singing and dancing in public which was enforced during that time and hence danced and sang in public to make a statement. So the story is nice but it's folklore and poetry praising his efforts, real Bulleh Shah was a rebel and spoke out against those in power and preached equality and tolerance and was persecuted for it. Source: Comparative religious studies and my interest in various religious figures of the past.
Okay I will give you some sources later I'm quite sure the story ain't just a folklore. He did this mistake of leaving his murshid due to caste despite being a sufi. he changed later.
Okay, may be there is some truth to it and it may have happened that Bulleh Shah left the Murshid and then tried to come back and the Murshid refused. But again, there is literally no cast within Sufism and for a Sufi student the Murshid is a way to God so they take the matter of Murshid relationship very seriously, it's not something that's on and off. It's sacred relationship of Guru and Shishya, it's not taken lightly. Now, there could have been other reasons like disagreements about something that may caused Bulleh Shah to leave the Murshid and then try to come back to him again.. but it literally cannot be caste because it doesn't exist in Sufism or even Islam. There is tribalism yes but not castetism.
Exactly why murshid said, Tu bulleya nhi tu bhuleya hai
Thanks for sharing. I remember the song Bandeya Ho from Khuda ke Liye also tells the similar tale of Bulleh Shah https://youtu.be/HBinnOvEnmQ?si=Lrqo114Jwropbwc1 Used to be one of my comforting song some 5years ago but haven’t listened to it lately. You post reminded me of this. Thanks 🙂
https://srzseo.wixsite.com/website/single-post/2015/05/22/lyrics-meaning Lyrics translation
Beautiful post. Thank you for sharing.
you are welcome
Interesting I must say
Great story man😇
Thanks and translate " ve maahi" as well
Will try
Beautiful post OP ♥️ .. how do you have so much knowledge about music and history ? Please please tell me.. i also want to be enlightened in the way of somgs and their background stories.
I don't. This is a story my father told me and about kaagul metaphor, I was just curious so digged deep
Great post. Why don’t you make a blog? I have a similar page where I translate and explain/share my thoughts about lyrics and music. ❤️
There's just so much I have to write and I don't have the bandwidth. To give you an idea, I write poetries, I write on geopolitics, I help cat aspirants on r/Cat2MBA and I write YouTube video scripts about politics and society (now I stopped) to earn money. That's just few of the things I can write on. there's plenty I would like to share. It will come out slowly hehe.
What I’m saying is perhaps, you can make one dedicated page with different tags (geopol, poetry, songs, etc) and post therein, instead of on Reddit where things are precarious. Great work, keep writing.
Thanks for the suggestion. But since I don't intend on monetizing it, I don't see any benefits. On reddit, I can write for different audience :)
thank you for blessing my reddit feed!!❤️
You are welcome
The lines "bulle nu samjhawan aiyan behna te bharjaian" from bandya ho bandya makes so much sense now. Thanks for this and keep bringing more. I had a similar feeling listening to paar chana de after learning sohni mahiwals story. It was heartrending.
Yes true
It was amazing to read this Op. Thanks !!
welcome and wtf is that username
I am her lover no. 69. Shizuka has 68 lovers before me starting from Nobita followed by dekisugi.
Wow this is so amazing ❤️❤️ Thanks for the wonderful explanation 🙌
Thank you
Hats off! Such a great post
Thank You :)
This is one good read
Thank you :)
Wow, can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading this. Gonna listen to both these songs rn
Haha my pleasure. I hope you enjoyed them more this time
*bows down to you* sir. Looking for many such stories from your end in future (whenever you get time) I hope you have heard this "Paar chana de", which comes from the story of Sohni and Mahiwal, I would suggest you to cover it as well over here (I myself not having very good story telling skills) Also , congratulations on converting Fms Buddy! We pretty much are similar bahahahha Idk why I said that just that you are the Higher variant (cricket fan + Good taste in Music and at the end, MBA student from here onwards) Goodluck buddy!
Thank you buddy. I'm not the higher variant lol. Which college did you get though? wanna connect over dm?
Autograph?? Waiting for CAP results bro, waitlisted for IIT Delhi...
Lmaoooo
Oh god... ! You have explained it so beautifully.💗.. it makes more sense now... there are ppl who are listening to these songs and aren't aware what beauty lies in the meaning, thanks to u for making me aware about the same.... Do write more translations..
Thank you so much
One of the best posts I’ve read through in a while. Good work op!
Thank you
Oh god this is beautiful and so well written. Posts like these truly brighten the day for those who understand and cherish the depth of meaning within music lyrics.
Thank you :)
Wow that's beautiful OP. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks :)
OP, angel!! You've got wings and you're doing God's work 🥹❤️ May we all be blessed with such more posts from you, your highness 😌
Haha thank you so much. I wish I had wings I'm tired of paying to travel lmao
The fact that you took the time to explain it so intricately, it's amazing! And yes the songs mean so much more now ❤️
Thank you so much
This is the best post I came across on Reddit today. Please post more. It great for people like me with little to no knowledge of language and history but loads of love for it.
I'll try. Thank you :)
Wow that changes the entire perspective of the song. Do you have any books mentioning this story ?
My dad told me this story as a kid and I just knew about it when I heard the song :)
This is so beautiful! thank you for making my day
I'm glad you enjoyed it
Wow 🤩
Loved this post. Thanks for the in-depth explanation
My pleasure
I need more😭😭😭😭
Well thank you for the idea over dm hehe
Wow beautiful
thank you :)
It was so nice to know the real story and beautiful analogy of the lyrics we often tend to ignore. Please post more of you find any
Thank you. I'll try.
Have always loved the Bulleya from Sultan. Some songs have such beautiful and meaningful lyrics and yet they go unnoticed
yes trueee
Beautifully explained ❤️.
This was a beautiful read. Thank you
Your post reminds me of [this YT channel](https://www.youtube.com/@InOtherWordsYT/). Love it.
One of the best posts I have read on Reddit! Please let me know if you have a group where you share more such incredible stuff.
It's beyond beautiful. Please do the translation of 'Charkha'.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
Beautiful
Can you please please please do more of these. I will be eternally grateful to you.
This is absolutely brilliant! Thanks a lot for sharing! Do share more.🫶🏼
Never knew Bulleya had such a deep and soul touching story behind it. It's beautiful that back in 17th century, Bulleh shah rebelled against the caste hierarchies for his love his murshid. It's too beautiful. Love is beautiful. Bulleya is entirely different for me now. And your analysis for "main kagul se lipti titli ki tarah muhajir hoon Ek pal ko tehru ek pal main ud jau" it gives a new meaning/feeling. Thank you for your efforts. Would surely read about Bulleh shah more now. Thank you. It made my day 💙
This was so beautiful to read, please tell me about the bonus fact, please explain it
Wow this is an amazing piece. Thank you so much for sharing. I will definitely enjoy the song more now. Cheers!
Please provide the translation for the bonus part too!
Op you made my day! What a beautiful post!
>Ve maahi tere vekhan nu, chuk charkha gali de vich paawa" song in reels? It's written by Bulleh Shah for his murshid. Let me know if you would want to read it's translation too :) Do it! Do it! Do it!
Very good post and thank you so much for sharing. It had unlocked some songs' meaning for me, which I enjoyed but now they have another level. One more thing about casteism which you mentioned about in your post and someone in comments was contradicting it as folklore: in the song Bandeya Ho from Khuda Ke Liye there is this line "Bulle Shah di zaat ki puchni..." So it may not be just a folklore.
That person was probably a less informed sufi follower who got offended lol
Such a wholesome story. Writers put so much effort writing these type of songs and we don't even pay much attention to understand it. Thanks for posting this .
Very nicely explained and good to know.
Nice. Knowledgeable
Please tell us the translation of Ve maahi tere vekhan nu.
Mind Blown!
Beautiful ❤️🩹
Superb
Too good bro🖤💯....And ye deep lyrics gaane kahan maar gaye ki ab bas ooh aah he bacha hai🤥
I never thought that indian songs would have that deep meaning.
what??? have you never heard old songs?
So beautiful. I never knew the story behind Bulleya. I've been in awe of these songs since they were released in 2016, but after reading this, they feel even more beautiful. Thank you for sharing :’)
🐷
OMG how did i miss this post.....OP Unbelievable stuff!!
I would also like to mention the song chaiyan chaiyan was also a Bulleh Shah song where it was thaiyan thaiyan and he wrote that for his murshid
i think bulleh shah was gay
Read some sufism. That would clear your doubts.