84. Joyi Manz Basith Chhu Daryaav: Sochh Kraal

 

جوئي منز بسِتھ چٗھے دریاو

ناو در آب تے آب در ناو

Joyi manz basith chhu daryaav

Naav dar aab tai aab dar naav

Joyi: جوئي : Rill, Brook

The river abodes in the brook,

Boat is in water and water is in boat

Explanation:

This couplet presents concept of Wahdatul Wajood.

نۄقطہ پیو عٲنس، غٲن پیوس ناو

غٲن سپٗد محرم کورُن ٹاو ٹاو

تمِہ شیچِھہ منصور مارنہ آو

ناو در آب تے آب در ناو

Noqteh pyov Aaenas, gayn pyovus naav,

Gaaen sapud muhram, korun taav taav.

Tami shechhi Mansoor maarneh aav,

Naav dar aab tai aab dar naav.

The letter Ayn got dot (as diacritic), got named Gayn,

Gayn become confidant, did disclose all.

The same message got Mansoor killed,

Boat is in water and water is in boat.

Explanation:

In Sufism:

Ayn (ع) represents the seeker becoming one with the Truth; losing themselves completely in it, destroying the ego, and becoming eternal in union with Allah.

Ghain (غ) symbolizes the thin veil between the seeker and the Divine. This veil is removed when the heart is purified, allowing the light of God to shine through.

ٹاو ٹاو: Taav taav: means to proclaim loudly or announce something openly.

The journey from Ayn to Ghain reflects a spiritual transformation—from fana (annihilation of the self) to baqa (eternal existence in God). When a seeker reaches baqa, they have transcended from Ayn to Ghain. But revealing this secret,like Mansoor did,can have consequences. His open declaration of divine truth is what led to his death.

ییمِہ ساتہ قلمن تروٗے رو

تَمِہ شایِہ قلمَس ژٹہ ہے زیو

لوح پئٹ قلمس کیا کرِ گراو

ناو در آب تے آب در ناو

Yemmi saate qalman trovui ravv,

Temmi shayi qalmas chethai zevv.

Loh paett qalmas kya karri graav,

Naav dar aab tai aab dar naav.

Ravv traavun: رو تراوُن : Set out hurriedly 

Graav :گراؤ : Complain

Where the Pen tried to set out hurriedly,

At that place the Pen's tongue was cut.

What will the table of decree complaint to Pen,

Boat is in water and water is in boat.

Explanation:

The Pen, often seen as the instrument of divine decree, moves to inscribe destiny. However, when it attempted to write something beyond its capacity, particularly the second part of the Kalima ("Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah"), its nib broke. This suggests that the reality of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is so immense, so exalted, that even the Pen,created to record all fate,was unable to fully express his rank.  

The "Table of Decree" (Lawh al-Mahfuz) contains all that is predestined. The complaint is not that the decree itself was unjust, but that the very Pen assigned to write fate was overwhelmed. The Pen itself suffered in attempting to inscribe the Prophet’s reality, hinting at the ineffable grandeur of his status.

ٹٗھولے آندرے دراؤ جوہر

نہ چِھ تتھ تونتھ تے نہ چِھ تتھ پر

ہٗو ہٗو کران تورے آو

ناو در آب تے آب در ناو

Thuulai andrai draav jauhar,

Na chhi tath toant tai na chhi tath parr.

Hu hu karaan toarai draav,

Naav dar aab tai aab dar naav.

The pearl came out of the egg,

It neither has beak nor the wings.

Came chanting remembrance from the womb (of the egg),

Boat is in water and water is in boat.

Explanation:

Jauhar is a term used in philosophy and Sufism to describe something that exists on its own, independent, complete, and not needing the right moment or conditions to come into being. It’s made up of five elements:  

1. A three-dimensional body (length, width, depth),  

2. Matter,  

3. Form,  

4. The soul that speaks and reasons,  

5. Intellect.

In Sufi terms, this concept reflects the soul’s journey. The soul is like a "pearl coming out of an egg"—it awakens from the physical world and realizes its true self, something pure and independent, just like Jauhar. Though it came from something else, it no longer looks like what it came from, it’s beyond that now.

The "chanting remembrance from the womb" refers to dhikr, or the remembrance of God. Sufis believe this remembrance is natural to the soul and continues as it moves through different stages of life and awareness.

کھارہ وانہ نارہ پانہ کِتھ کنی دراو

شستئر کنِہ پیے لچِھ بدی ناو

ہانکل چ٘ھے کُنی وتِہ مو راو

ناو در آب تے آب در ناو

Khaareh waaneh naareh paaneh kith kaen draav,

Shistir kanni peyi lachhi baedd naav.

Haankal chhey kuni wati mov raav,

Naav dar aab tai aab dar naav.

How fiery it came out of the blacksmith shop,

The iron block got millions of names.

The chain is one, don't go astray,

Boat is in water and water is in boat.

This stanza resonates deeply with Sufism metaphors to express unity, the illusion of separation, and the journey of the soul. The "blacksmith shop" represents the the place where the soul is tested and shaped through trials and suffering under the guidance of the spiritual guide. The iron block is the raw soul or the ego, initially dark, unrefined, but full of potential. When forged in the spiritual workshop, the iron block gets millions of names. Once shaped, that same essence (the iron) takes on many forms and identities. In Sufism, this speaks of the unity of being (wahdat al-wujud)— that all names and forms come from the same source. Though we appear different, we are all manifestations of the same divine reality.

Despite the many links (people, religions, experiences), the "chain is one", a metaphor for the singular divine truth. Sufism teaches that all paths ultimately lead to the Beloved, and we must not get astray by different manifestations. The last line continues to support the Unity of being. 

ییمی سٗند وولٗر تَے تمی سٗنزے ناو

وولرس تہ آبس چٗھے کُنی بساو

ژھین کتہ لبؠس ناو چؠھس بساو

ناو در آب تے آب در ناو

Yemmi sund wolur tai temmi sinzie naav,

Wolras ti aabas chhui kunui basaav.

Chhen katti labes naav chhes basaav,

Naav dar aab tai aab dar naav.

One who owns the Lake, owns the boat too,

The lake and the water has same abode.

It will not find severance, boat is its abode,

Boat is in water and water is in boat.

Explanation:

This stanza beautifully illustrates the unity of existence (Wahdat al-Wujud), the oneness of all things in the Divine.

"One who owns the Lake, owns the boat too" reflects the idea that the Divine is the true possessor of all, both the vastness (lake) and the vessel (boat). All things belong to God, the One Reality.

"The lake and the water have the same abode" connotes that the lake and water are not separate, just as in Sufism, all forms and names arise from the same Essence. Everything that appears distinct is actually united in its origin: the Divine Being.

"It will not find severance, boat is its abode" symbolises that the boat cannot be separated from the lake, just as the soul (boat) cannot be separated from the Divine (lake). The seeker is never apart from the Beloved, only illusion creates the sense of distance.

The last verse as already mentioned in previous stanzas speaks about the mystical union: the Divine exists within the soul, and the soul within the Divine. It is the interplay of the finite within the Infinite, and the Infinite within the finite. Like the lover and the Beloved, not two, but one in essence.

وٕنہ کٗے دار تے وَنہ کٗے رَو

و٘نہ سئی شستر مۆکلتھ گوو

پانے پانس چٗھ ہوران داو

ناؤ در آب تے آب در ناو

Wanneh kui daar tai wanneh kui ravv,

Wannehsie shistir moklith gov.

Paanai paanas chhu horaan daav,

Naav dar aab tai aab dar naav.

I am not able to do justice with this stanza. So, I have left it untranslated. If anyone amongst you have any idea about this, please post in comments.

لٗوکہ ہنزِ لاگنیِہ موو بر چاو

یٗس کرِہ گونگٗل سٗے کرِ کراو

مَدہ وس سوچھ کرالہ ژکھ دئی تراو

ناؤ در آب تے آب در ناو

Lukkeh hindi laagnai mo bar chaav,

Yus karri gongul, sui karri kraav.

Maddi wass Soch Kraleh, chhakh dui traav,

Naav dar aab tai aab dar naav.

Laagnai: لاگنیِہ : Cultivation 

Gongul: گونگٗل : Cultivate

Kraav: کراؤ : Harvest

Don't long (for completing) the cultivation of others,

One who commences the cultivation, will have the harvest.

Come out of intoxication O Soch Kral, quit anger and hate,

Boat is in the water and water is in boat.

This stanza is simple and stresses about doing good deeds yourself and not have hope of getting any benefit from deeds done by another person.