Desi Train

I’m obsessed. Bulla ki Jana by Rabbi Shergill has been playing on and on for the last 4 days and I can’t have enough of it. Too late to the party.

Better late than never. Blame it on Dish Network for coming in 3 times, checking for signals and saying “Sorry, signal no here. Cut this tree, ground that 12 foot wall, raze the building to the ground, and you will have all your South Indian channels Paco. Mega Pack 49.99.” The fourth time they started using the heads to understand why I had been pointing to the opposite direction. And voila. Desi Channels zoom in right to my house now. You can get the desi packs from two different satellites. Usually the dish guys keep thinking of just one satellite and if it doesn’t work, bye bye.

Bulla Ki Jana is working on both levels for me. One, the lyrics, by a Sufi Saint, Bulleh Shah who I had heard of but didn’t know much about. And the other is the beautiful song itself, woven so delicately by Shergill.

What is beyond our day to day struggles for survival, beyond our dreams, beyond our huge self-blinding swollen egos, beyond every desire, love, pain, fear, apathy, grief, lust, pride, anger. Even beyond the positive ones like courage, acceptance and peace (courtesy: The Sedona Method). What is beyond all that? Ultimate and Absolute freedom? Everlasting immersion into the Higher Power? Enlightenment? Self – Realization?

Questions…but no, am not looking for answers. Right now, Bulla calls, and I wanna be free… even from silly questions as above…

To listen to the song: http://www.apniisp.com/pop_hindisongs.html
To see the video, visit this link on Badmash.org
I didn’t know this song was the first video on MTV Desi

There will be some who’ll be immersed in the song’s music - completely intoxicated. While some may get a glimpse of release, from everything binding, by listening to the lyrics.

If you are intrigued and want to know about the writer of this song Bulleh Shah, you can get it here or on Wikipedia

Not many may know of the struggles Shergill and his promoters had to go through before they finally made it. Tehelka has the complete story.

Thanks to Amod Verma for giving us the translation in English as under:

Bulla ki jaana main kaun
Bulla, who knows who I am? X 4
Na mei moman vich masetan
Neither I am a believer (who stays) in a mosque
Na main vich kufar dian reetan
Nor do I indulge in actions of disbelief
Na main pakan vich paleetan
Nor am I the pure one amongst the impure
Na main andar bed kitaban
Neither I exist in books of Vedas
Na main rehnda phaang sharaban
Nor do I stay drunk
Na main rehnda mast kharaban
Nor do I remain stoned, rotting
Na main shadi na ghamnaki
Neither I am happy nor sad
Na mei vich paletan pakeen
Nor am I in the (argument of) Purity and Impurity
Na main aaabi na main khaki
Neither I am (made) of water nor of earth
Na main aatish na main paun
Nor am I fire nor air
Bulla ki jana main kaun
Bulla, who knows who I am? X 4
Na main arabi na lahori
Neither Iam Arabic nor Lahori
Na main hindi shehar Nagaori
Nor am I (resident of) the Indian City Nagaori
Na hindu na turk pashauri
Nor Hindu nor Turk Peshaweri
Na main bhet mazhab de paya
Neither have I found the secret of religion
Na main aadam hawwa jaya
Nor did understand Adam and Eve
Na koi apna naam dharaya
Nor did I create a name for myself
Avval aakhar aap nu jana
From beginning to end, I tried to understand myself
Na koi dooja hor pacchana
I did not come to know of anyone else
Mai ton na koi hor syana
I am not just another wise one
Bulle shah kharha hai kaun
Bulla Shah, who is this standing?
Bulla ki jaana main kaun
Bulla, who knows who I am? X 4
Na main moosa na pharon
Neither I am Moses nor Pharoah
Na main jagan na vich saun
Neither I am awake nor asleep
Na main aatish na main paun
Neither I am fire nor Air
Na main rahnda vich Nadaun
Nor do I live among fools
Na main baitthan na vich bhaun
Neither I am sitting nor am I in a tornado
Bulle shah kharha hai kaun
Bulla Shah, who is this standing?
Bulla ki jana main kaun
Bulla, who knows who I am? X 4
OOO…
Bulla ki jana main kaun
Bulla, who knows who I am? X 4

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 19th, 2005 at 2:33 pm and is filed under Music.
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