Path of Love: 30 Yunus Emre Inspired Poem

Ishq tera hai dawa, har dard ki Ya Rabb,
Tere bin kaun hai, jo sune meri faryaad sab.
Your love is the cure for every pain, O Lord,
Besides You, who is there to hear all my laments?
Main toh ik zarra khaak, tu samandar be-kinaar,
Teri rehmat ka taalib, tera banda gunahgaar.
I am but a particle of dust, You are a boundless ocean,
A seeker of Your mercy, Your sinful servant.

Duniya hai ik saraaye, musaafir hain hum sabhi,
Asal ghar toh hai waheen, jahaan hai Tu aye Ghani.
The world is an inn, we are all travelers,
The real home is there, where You are, O Self-Sufficient One.

Dil mein basa le yaar ko, ghair ko kar de door,
Yahi hai raah-e-najaat, yahi hai asal suroor.
Settle the Beloved in your heart, keep others away,
This is the path of salvation, this is the true delight.

Marne se pehle mar jaa, yeh hai raaz-e-hayaat,
Nafs ko maar de jo, paaye woh darajaat.
Die before you die, this is the secret of life,
One who kills the ego attains high ranks. (Sufi concept: “Mautu qabla an tamutu”)

Tasbeeh pherne se, kya milega tujhe,
Dil ko saaf kar pehle, phir Rabb ko pukaar le.
What will you gain by turning prayer beads?
First, purify your heart, then call upon the Lord.

Sab insaan baraabar, na koi ooncha na neech,
Khuda ki nazar mein toh, dil hi hai asal cheez.
All humans are equal, none high or low,
In God’s sight, the heart is the real thing.

Mohabbat baant’ta chal, nafraton ko mitaa,
Yunus ka yahi paighaam, har dil mein basaa.
Keep distributing love, erase hatreds,
This is Yunus’s message, settled in every heart.

Ilm woh jo Khuda tak, pahuncha de tujhe,
Baaqi sab toh qisse, hain waqt ke likhe.
Knowledge is that which takes you to God,
All else are just tales written by time.

Kya rakha hai maal mein, kya rakha hai shaan mein,
Asal daulat toh hai, ishq-e-Rahmaan mein.
What is there in wealth, what is there in grandeur?
The real wealth is in the love of the Merciful.

Main bhi taalib-e-deed, tu bhi taalib-e-deed,
Aao mil kar dhoondein, yaar ki naveed.
I too am a seeker of the vision, you too are a seeker of the vision,
Come, let’s search together for the good news of the Beloved.

Zubaan se na keh, amal se dikha de,
Sacha ishq kya hai, duniya ko bata de.
Don’t say with the tongue, show with actions,
Tell the world what true love is.

Takabbur na kar bande, khaak tera anjaam,
Aajizi ikhtiyaar kar, milega ooncha maqaam.
Do not be arrogant, O servant, dust is your end,
Adopt humility, you will attain a high station.

Dil agar paak nahin, toh ibaadat be-kaar,
Zaahiri sajdon se, kya hoga beda paar.
If the heart is not pure, then worship is useless,
How will the boat cross over with mere outward prostrations?

Ishq ki aag mein jal, toh kundan banega,
Phir yaar ke qadmon mein, tera maskan banega.
Burn in the fire of love, you will become pure gold,
Then at the Beloved’s feet, your abode will be.

Har shai mein usi ka, jalwa nazar aaye,
Jis ne dil ki aankhon se, pardah uthaaye.
His manifestation will be seen in everything,
By one who lifts the veil from the eyes of the heart.

Main aur tu ka farq, mitaa de aye dost,
Wahdat ke samandar mein, ho jaa tu mast.
Erase the difference of ‘I’ and ‘you’, O friend,
Become intoxicated in the ocean of unity.

Duniya ki mohabbat, dil se nikaal de,
Yaar-e-haqeeqi ki, talab ko paal le.
Remove the love of the world from your heart,
Nurture the desire for the True Beloved.

Ka’aba-o-but-khaana, sab dhoond phira main,
Yaar ko paaya jab, apne hi dil mein.
I wandered searching Kaaba and idol-house, everywhere,
I found the Beloved when I looked within my own heart.

Jo khidmat-e-khalq kare, wohi hai Khuda ka banda,
Isi ke liye jannat, isi ke liye hai khanda.
One who serves creation is God’s servant,
For him is Paradise, for him is laughter (joy).

Sabr kar aye dil, har mushkil tal jaayegi,
Rehmat-e-Khudaawandi, tujh pe baras jaayegi.
Be patient, O heart, every difficulty will pass,
God’s mercy will shower upon you.

Nafs-e-ammaara se, bachna hai bada kaam,
Yahi hai Jihaad-e-Akbar, yahi hai inaam.
To be saved from the commanding self (ego) is a great task,
This is the Greater Jihad, this is the reward.

Duniya ik mela, do din ki bahaar,
Aakhir sab ko jaana, chhor yeh sansaar.
The world is a fair, a spring of two days,
Ultimately, everyone has to go, leaving this world.

Ishq-e-haqeeqi jab, dil mein sama jaaye,
Phir koi khwaahish, baaqi na reh paaye.
When true love enters the heart,
Then no other desire can remain.

Jo tode dil kisi ka, woh kya paayega chain,
Khuda ki makhlooq se, kar tu mohabbat-o-lain.
One who breaks someone’s heart, what peace will they find?
Show love and kindness to God’s creation.

Main toh hoon deewaana, tere naam ka Ya Rabb,
Teri yaad mein guzre, meri har subah-o-shab.
I am mad for Your name, O Lord,
May my every morning and night pass in Your remembrance.

Zaahid ki ibaadat, jannat ki hai aas,
Aashiq ko toh bas hai, deedaar ki pyaas.
The ascetic’s worship is for the hope of Paradise,
The lover only has the thirst for the Vision.

Na kar gumaan tu apni, hasti pe aye naadaan,
Ik phoonk se mit jaaye, yeh tera sabhi saamaan.
Do not be proud of your existence, O foolish one,
With one puff, all your belongings will vanish.

Sacha kalaam wohi, jo dil se nikle,
Jis ko sun kar pathar, bhi pighal jaaye.
True words are those that come from the heart,
Hearing which, even a stone would melt.

Yunus ki tarah tu bhi, ishq mein ho jaa fana,
Phir dekh kaise mile, tujh ko Rabb-e-Kibriya.
Like Yunus, you too become annihilated in love,
Then see how the Majestic Lord meets you.