The Wisdom of Saif-ul-Malook: Ethics, Mortality, and Divine Mystery
In this extensive final part of the Saif-ul-Malook prologue, Mian Muhammad Bakhsh moves beyond the praise of the Divine to the practical and spiritual struggles of the human soul. From the famous warnings on the transience of life to the deep secrets of Ishq and Tawheed, these verses serve as a compass for seekers. This collection includes rare couplets on the etiquette of the heart and the finality of the grave.
Thematic Connections: Wisdom & Transience
◈ Baba Farid ud Din Ganj Shakar: The root of Punjabi Sufi wisdom on the ‘Gor’ (Grave) and the departure of the caravan.
◈ Shah Hussain: “Jag Mein Jeevan Thora” — A call to focus on the eternal while navigating the fleeting “noise” of worldly existence.
◈ Omar Khayyam: “Ee Deeda Agar Kor Na Gor Babeen” — A Persian perspective on the mystery of mortality and the “seeing” eye.
Section 1: The Sunsets of Life (Gor & Fana)
دشمن مرے تے خوشی نہ کرئیے، سجناں وی مر جاناں
دیگر تے دن گیا محمد ، اوڑک نوں ڈب جاناں
Dushman Mare Te Khushi Na Kariye, Sajnan Vi Mar Jaana
Deegar Te Din Gaya Muhammad, Oraq Nu Dub Jaana
Do not rejoice when your enemy dies, for your friends must also pass away;
The day has already reached the afternoon, O Muhammad; eventually, the sun must set.
جیون جیون جھوٹا ناواں ، موت کھلی سر اُتے
لکھ کڑور تیرے تھیں سوہنے تے خاک اندر رَل ستّے
Jiwan Jiwan Jhoota Naawan, Maut Khali Sar Utte
Lakh Kror Tere Thin Sohne Te Khaak Andar Ral Sutte
Calling this “life” is a false name, while Death stands poised over your head;
Millions more beautiful than you have already crumbled into the dust.
Section 2: The Character of a Seeker (Sufi Ethics)
جس دل اندر عشق نہ رچیا ،کتے اس تھیں چنگے
خاوند دے در راکھی کر دے صابر ،بھکھے، ننگے
Jis Dil Andar Ishq Na Rachya, Kutte Us Thin Change
Khawand De Dar Rakhi Karde Sabir, Bhukke, Nange
The heart that has no trace of Love is worse than a dog;
For a dog guards its master’s door faithfully, even when patient, hungry, and bare.
راتیں زاری کر کر روون، نیند اکھیں دی دھوندے
فجرے اوگنہار کہاون، ہر تھیں نیویں ہوندے
Raatein Zaari Kar Kar Rovan, Neend Akkhin Di Dhonde
Fajre Ouganhaar Kahawan, Har Thin Nivein Honde
By night they weep in supplication, washing sleep from their eyes;
By dawn, they call themselves sinners, remaining more humble than anyone else.
Section 3: The Path of Unity (Tawheed)
نہ میں مسلم نہ میں کافر، خبر نہیں کس چالی؟
نالے ایہہ دل عشقوں بھریا، نالے ہے مڑ خالی
Na Mein Muslim Na Mein Kafir, Khabar Nahi Kis Chaali
Naale Eh Dil Ishqon Bharya, Naale Hai Mur Khali
I am neither [just] a Muslim nor a Kafir; I know not what state I am in;
At once this heart is overflowing with Love, and yet it remains utterly empty.
جاں توں گم ہوویں وچ اِسدے اپنی چھوڑ نشانی
ایہہ توحید محمد بخشا،دسے کون زبانی
Jaan Tu Gum Hovein Vich Isde Apni Chorr Nishani
Eh Tawheed Muhammad Bakhsha, Dusse Kaun Zabani
When you lose yourself within Him and leave no trace of your ego behind;
That, O Muhammad Bakhsh, is True Unity—who can explain it with the tongue?
Insight: The Philosophy of the ‘Lone Rider’
This concluding section of the prologue reveals Mian Muhammad Bakhsh’s ultimate objective: the annihilation of the self (Fana) into the Divine. By moving from the ethics of dealing with enemies to the high stations of Tawheed, he shows that the journey of Saif-ul-Malook is not just a fairy tale, but a manual for the human spirit.
Vocabulary: Wisdom of the Sage
- Deegar (دیگر): Afternoon; symbolic of the end of life.
- Oraq (اوڑک): Eventually; at the last moment.
- Khawand (خاوند): Master; Lord; Husband (symbolic of the Divine).
- Nivein (نیویں): Humble; lowly.
- Tawheed (توحید): Oneness; the Sufi realization of Divine Unity.
- Murshid (مرشد): Spiritual guide.