Translated from Sindhi by Lajwanti. K. Jaisinghani and Gayatri Lakhiani Chawla
I myself am Punhoon, O sister this I have not forgotten
I don’t turn my back on this truth,
tell me what other I would be
In Kutch and Bambore
It is I who dwells
where else should I journey?
People say you have many Aashiq
I, myself take your name
In all the corners of the world
my face is unique
I do not pretend to be another
Sachu says that I myself O yaar,
fall in the abyss of love.
पाणपुन्हूंआउंआहियां, अड़ीभेनरिभुलीनाहियां.
थियो थियूं मुनकिर गाल्हि इनहीअ खुं,
चओ बियो तड़॒हिं छाहियां.
केचु भंभोरु भी बसंउं असांजी,
कहिड़े तरफ़ आउं काहियां.
हरिको चवे ता सहसें आशिक़,
नांउ पाणई तूं लाहियां.
हिति हुति आहे सूरत मुंहिंजी,
ठाहुन को बियो ठाहियां.
पंहिंजो पाणई सां यार सचू वे,
नींहुं इहो ई लाहियां.
(सुरु कल्याण)
Ae yaar today the messenger comes to me
His arrival is a vanishing drug for my grief,
I am beholden to you for your kindness
A thousand times and more
my Mehboob
comforted my heart
consented by my Mehboob
Come to me and trust me,
blend in my coeval love
rather than fleet elsewhere
My Mehboob has promised to come to me
Sachu says to himself,
an abiding vow has been made
to draw closer to me
पाणहींपारूंयार, क़ासिदुमंडेअजुआयो!
अचणसंदे उनजे,उथी विया आज़ार,
थोरे केड़ो तनि लायो..
ड़िना दिलासा दिलि खे, रहिबर राति हज़ार,
संदनि रूह जो रायो.
. हैड़े होड़े न वजी, अचिजि में अइतबार,
मुहबत मिड़योई मायो.
अचण जा महबूब कया, पका क़ौल क़रार,
सचू तो डे हुयुनि सायो.
(सुरु ससुई)
Friends we will leave this city of Bambhore and go
I am in euphoria,
this worries me time and again,
not even like the fine grains of sand
can I live without you?
Here the mind does not work,
the strength of love is stronger
that will take us further
To move towards my Pritam
I will toil hard
leaving all other thoughts behind,
we will dwell there together
O friend folk go to Ketch
unbottle my heavy heart
tell my Pritam
all my heartaches face to face.
Sachu says that looking at my Saajan
my yearning has picked up a storm
treading straight into my Saajan’s house
भेनरिहीभंभोरु, अर्सीछड़ेवेंदास्
वसि न आहियां पांहिंजे, पूरनि कयड़ो पूरु,
हिति सती न रहंदासू.
जाइ अकुल जी नाहि का, इश्क़ ड्रेखारियो हिति ज़ोरु,
उहो वटठी वेंदासूं,
पोरहियो कंदियसि पिर जो, छड़े बियो तक तोरु,
अस्सीं जा की जीअंदास्..
काकियूं वजी केच में, लाहे हींएं जो होरु,
डुख डोरापा डॉंदासूं,
५ सचू डिठे सज़णनि, शौक़ मचायो शोरु,
तन जे पखी पहुंदास्.
(सुरु. बरवो)
Mehboob you are in my thoughts in my heart
On the path that is paved by barriers
I shall sustain it,
Endurance will be my strength
All of a sudden,
I am struck by cupid’s arrow
Pray for me friends, that my Mehboob
for whom I die shall come back
and pride shall come back
Now the pain of separation is erased,
joy resides now in my bag of pathos
Sachu says in the courtyard of my house,
my Sardar will descend
मुंहिंजो हींअड़ो होतनि साणु,
कहिड़ी करियां बी आउं ता गालहिड़ी गालहिड़ी.
बिन्दुर सन्
दी वाट ते, पुरज़ा कंदियसि पाणु.
अची लगो म्ं ओचितो, ब्ारोचे जो बाणु.
डुआ करेजो जेड़ियूं, शाल मोटे मुईअ जो माणु.
वियड़ो दर फ़िराक़ जो, डेई डुखीअ खे डाणु.
अड्कणि ईंदो तांहिंजे, सचू सो सरवाणु.
(सुरुबरवो)
Ae divine one, you have become a flanner,
what is the reason I know not?
You become disloyal and showed disloyalty
you were a Shahenshah earlier
why did you give up the chair?
Who will recognize this face?
all of this is a marvel
He revealed his own soul,
the body does not exist
Do not be in delusion and forget
that you are soul,
that you are human
What is inside is outside
who will sacrifice themselves for this truth?
Sachu sant says that his preaching should be understood
again, and again intensively in depth.
-Gayatri Lakhiani Chawla and Lajwanti Jaisinghani
शाहुथियोसैलानी, नजञाणांकेहीअगालहिखं.
थी गदागर करे गदाई, शरफु छड़े सुलतानी.
सूरत इनहीअ केरु सुज्ञाणे, है है सभु हैरानी.
ज़ाहिरि पंहिंजी ज़ाति कयाऊं, जोड़ करे जिस्मानी.
भोल न बिए कंहिं अन्हीं भुलिजो, ऐन अथव इन्सानी.
उहो अंदरि उहो बाहिरि, केरु थींदो कुरबानी.
सचू सिर्र सिरे” करि जारी, जानि जुसो सभु जानी.
(सुरुआसा)
NOTES: *Punhoon- the prince of Ketch *Mehboob- Lover *Bambhore- A city in Sindh *Ketch- A city in Sindh *Saajan-lover *Pritam- Husband * Sardar- leader *Shahenshah- King of kings *Sai – Dear one *Sant- saint *Aashiq-lover
Material Source: ‘Sachal ji Kavita’(Sahitya Akademi) by poet Lachman Hardwani’s
Sachal Sarmast (1739-1829) is a Sindhi Sufi poet born in Daraza, near Ranipur, Sindh. His real name was Abdul Wahab Farouqi. He was nicknamed ‘Sachal’ or ‘Sachu’.Sachu means truthful and Sarmast means ecstatic in Sindhi and Urdu, he is also known as the ‘truthful mystic’ or ‘Ecstatic Saint of Truth’. The kafi is a classical form of Sufi poetry, these kinds of poems are sung and recited mostly in high and low pitch musical renditions. He uses Sindhi folktales like Sasui and Punhoon to juxtapose the feelings of the seeker who is pursuing the Divine.
Prof. Lachman Parasram Hardwani was born in Sewhan, Sind Pakistan (3-5-1942). He is an eminent poet, translator, and lecturer, well known in Sindhi literature for preserving the Sindhi language with the flavor using the Devnagiri script. His repertoire comprises translating Sindhi literature into Hindi, Marathi, and English. He has published books and dictionaries in Sindhi (Devnagiri script), Marathi, and Hindi. He has received an award for translation for his book ‘Yuga Jo Antu’ by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, India, and the ‘Sindhu Bhushan Puraskar,’ ‘Sahitya Rachna Sanman’ and ‘Priyadarshani Puraskar.’
TRANSLATORS
Lajwanti. K. Jaisinghani was born in Undivided India. She is well versed with Gurmukhi script, Devnagari script, Arabic, and Sindhi languages. She is a spiritual teacher and is active in singing Kalaams by Sachal Sarmast and Abdul Latif at the Satsangs and prayer meetings.
Gayatri Lakhiani Chawla is an award-winning poet, translator, and French teacher from Mumbai. Her works have been widely published in International anthologies and periodicals. Her poems are featured in the ‘Modern English Poetry by Younger Indians’ anthology published by Sahitya Akademi, Red River Book of Haibun, the Kali project, and ‘Open Your Eyes.’ Her poem won the Commendation Prize at ‘The All India Poetry Competition’ 2013(New Delhi). She is the author of two poetry collections, ‘Invisible Eye’ and ‘The Empress.’ ‘Invisible Eye’ was long-listed for Cochin Lit Fest Poetry Prize 2018. ‘The Empress’ was Winner –II of the 2018 U.S. National Poetry Contest by Ræd Leaf Foundation for Poetry & Allied Arts and the Write Publish Publicize Contest at the Bengaluru Poetry Festival 2019. Her poem won a special mention award in the Architectural Poetry Annual Competition by Architectural Journalism and Criticism 2020. She is the winner of The New Normal Poetry competition by Poetry Paradigm, Oxford Bookstore, and Exceller Books. She has recently won the Rahi Kadam Inspiration Award 2021.
Lachman Parasram Hardwani
Lajwanti. K. Jaisinghani 
Gayatri Lakhiani Chawla
