Mein Kya Janu Raam
“Oh God how can I figure out Your unfathomable ways?”
Probably my favorite qawwal. The imagery, the rhythm, the sincere intensity, the pure poetry of the performance is almost overwhelming
Every wise man has given up
what strange disguises man has adopted in this curious world of Yours
God how can I figure out your unfathomable ways?
O wise man, understand this, but do not use this understanding
Do not use it, why?
Reason is cunning, it changes its face too often
Abraham leapt into Nimrod’s flames
reason is fascinated by outward charms
O wise man, understand this
reason dictates pleasure
Love dictates suffering
reason dictates wealth
Love dictates poverty
reason strives for glory
Love strives for wilderness
reason strives for the glitter of the world
Love for the beloved’s humble home
So you wise men, understand this
but do not use this understanding
If you can understand something, then do so
But say nothing
If you speak, say only:
Oh God how can I figure out
Your unfathomable ways?
Do the perverse stars in the sky belong to you or me? How can I figure that out?
You are educated people-I am making my point in an unusual way
I am yearning for the one whom I cannot forsake
I am searching for the one whom i cannot find
Why?
O God you are invisible
and it is futile to search for the Invisible One
But what am I to do?
The invisible is omnipresent
Why?
O God, you are found in everything
O God, you are found in everything-Why?
What a way You have with You
Wherever I look I see You
O God you are found in everything
without a doubt
Yet you are still invisible
When I set out to search for you I kept saying “invisible”, “invisible”
“in visible”…”in visible”…
How can I figure this out, why?
Your glory is everywhere
wherever I look I see you
You are everywhere
You are everywhere in everything and in You
Beloved I have seen you everywhere
Obvious here, concealed there
At times human, at times divine
At times possible, at times certain
perishing here, eternal there
a prince here, a pauper there
Love here, yearning for love there
Here a sacrifice, there an executioner
Sounds of truth and of lies
A flowing river and a shore
In the places of worship
in the tragic tales of legendary lovers
in the goblet of a king
in the full moon
in the verses of the Qur’an, flowing water, mortality
and in the splendor of martyrdom
O God when You are everywhere-then can I ask
Who has come to this altar with prayer beads?
If your name is uttered with every bead, then what of the bead itself?
If you reside in a settlement, then who is in the wilderness?
If You are the flame, then who is the moth?
If you are the cup-bearer, then who is in the cup?
If you are in Mecca, then who is in idols?
Oh God how can I figure out
Your unfathomable ways?