Puniya de chann nu koi masiya,
Keekan aragh charrhaye ve!
Kyun koi daachi saagar khaatar
Maaru thal Chad jaaye ve!
Karmaan di mehndi da sajana,
Rang kiven dass charrda ve!
Je kismat mirchaan de pattar,
Peeth tali te laye ve!
Gham da motiya utar aaya
Sidak mere di nainien ve!
Preet nagar da aukha paindda,
Jindarri kijnj mukaae ve!
Kikaraan de phullaan di arrya
Kaun karende raakhi ve!
Kad koi maali malhiyaan uton,
Hariyal aan udaaye ve!
Peerran de dharkone kha kha,
Ho gaye geet kasaule ve!
Vich naroye bethi jindo
Keekan sohle gaaye ve!
Preetan de gahl churi phirendi
Vekh ke kinj kurlaavan ve!
Le chaandi de bang kasaiyaan
Mere gale phasaye ve!
Tarrap tarrap ke mar gayi arrya,
Mel tere di hasrat ve!
Aese ishk de zulmi raaje
Birhon baan chalaye ve!
Chug chug rorr gali teri de
Ghungniyan vat chab laye ve!
Kathe kar kar ke main teele
Buhkal vich dhakhaye ve!
Ik chuli vi pi na saki
Piyaar de nitare paani ve!
Vehndyan saar paye vich poore,
Jaan main honth chuhaye ve
English Translation
How can a moonless night
Make an offering to the full moon?
Why would a camel leave the desert,
For the ocean?
Tell me, how can the henna of good fortune
Color a hand,
If fate lays crushed pepper leaves
Upon ones palm?
Grief, like a cataract
Descended straight into my eyes.
It is a terrible journey thru the valley of love,
How can I spend my life like this?
Who takes care of
Acacia flowers?
Does a gardner ever
Remove the greenery from a plant?
My songs have turned bitter
From eating berries of pain.
How can I sing delicate songs of love
With my life on a bier.
I saw the knife slide across the throat of love,
But I could not cry out,
Because the butcher had stuck
A silver blade in my throat.
The intensity of my desire
For you, destroyed me,
Such were the arrows of separation
Shot by the evil enemies of love.
I gathered the gravel from your street
And chewed it as tho it were boiled grain.
I collected twigs
And pressed them close to me.
Not a drop could I drink
Of the pure water of love.
I saw the worms,
The moment I touched my lips to it.