Maae Ni Maae - Geet
Maae ni maae
Mere geetaaN de naena vich
BirhoN di raRak pave!
Adhi adhi raateeN -
UTH roun moye mitraaN nu,
Maae sahnu neeNd na pave!
BhaeN bhaeN sugaNdhiyaaN ‘ch -
BanhaaN phehe chaanani de
TaaveeN saaDi peeR na save.
Kose kose saahaaN di -
MaeN karaaN je takor maae
SagoN saahnu khaan nu pave.
Aape ni maeN baalaRi,
MaeN haale aap mataaN jogi
Mat kihRa es nu dave?
Aakh su ni maae ihnu
Rove buhl chith ke ni,
Jahg kite sun na lave!
Aakh su ni kha laye Tuk
HijaraaN da pahkiya,
LekhaaN de ni puTHaRe tave!
Chat laye tarel looni -
GhamaaN de gulaab toN ni,
Kaalaje nu hausala rave!
KihRiyaaN saperiyaaN toN -
MaNgaaN kuNj mel di maeN,
Mel di koi kuNj dave,
KihRa ihna dahma diyaaN -
LobhiyaaN de daraaN uhte,
VaaNg khaRa jogiyaaN rave!
PeeRe ni peeRe -
Ih piyaar aesi titali hae,
JihRi sada sool te bave!
Piyaar aesa bhaur hae ni -
Jihde koloN vaashna vi,
LakhaaN kohaaN door hi rave!
Piyaar uh mahal hae ni,
Jihde ‘ch pakheruaaN de,
Listen Mother
Listen, mother,
My songs are eyes
Stinging with grains of separation.
In the middle of the night ,
They wake and weep for dead friends.
Mother, I cannot sleep.
Upon them I lay strips of moonlight
Soaked in perfume,
But the pain does not recede.
I foment them
With warm sighs
Yet they turn on me ferociously.
I am still young,
And need guidance myself.
Who can advise him?
Mother, would you tell him,
To clench his lips when he weeps,
Or the world will hear him cry.
Tell him, mother, to swallow the bread
Of separation.
He is fated to mourn.
Tell him to lick the salty dew
On the roses of sorrow,
And stay strong.
Where are the snake handlers
From whom I can beg for a shroud to
cover me?
Somebody give me a shroud that will fit!
How can I wait like a jogi
At the doorstep of these people
Greedy for gold?
Listen, o my pain,
Love is like a butterfly
Pinned forever to a stake.
It is like a bee,
Baajh kujh hor na rave,
Piyaar aesa aaNgana hae
Jihde ‘ch ni vasalaaN da
RataRa na palaNg Dave!
Aakh maae adhi adhi raateeN
Moye mitraaN de
Uchi uchi naaN na lave!
Mate saaDe moiyaaN piCHoN,
Jahg ih shareekaRa ni,
GeetaaN nu vi chaNdara kave.
Maae ni maae,
Mere geetaaN de naena vich
BirhoN di raRak pave!
Adhi adhi raateeN -
UTH ron moye mitraaN nu
Maae saahnu neeNd na pave!
March 1961
From whom desire,
Stays miles away.
Love is a palace
Where, but for birds,
Nothing else lives.
Love is a hearth
Where the bed of fulfillment,
Is never laid.
Mother, tell him not to
Call out the name of his dead friends
So loudly in the middle of the night.
When I am gone, I fear
That this malicious world,
Will say that my songs were evil.
Listen, o mother
My songs are eyes
Stinging with grains of separation.
In the middle of the night ,
They wake and weep for dead friends.
Mother, I cannot sleep