I've just posted the last of the Lalla poems in my collection. There are 146 of them, the most likely to be authentic, and sufficiently documented. To give this some perspective, Grierson did 109, B. N. Parimoo did 101, Shambhu Nath Bhatt and Janki Nath Bhan did 161 in the Köshur Sama:cha:r collection (only 138 of which were accepted by Jayalal Kaul as being probably authentic), the same 138 were published and translated by Nil Kanth Kotru, and Jaishree Kak Odin had 148 in her collection. I benefited from the work of all these people, and Jaishree was also extremely helpful in providing materials, as was Virendra Qazi. ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 13

JK/NKK 13
kya:h bôDukh mu:hà bavà-södàrà dare,
sôth luharith pèyiy tamà pa:nkh     |
yamà-baTh karànay kö:ly choràdare,
kavà zanà ka:siy marànàny Sa:nkh     ||

Why has delusion
caused you to sink in the current
of the ocean of existence?
Having dismantled the dike,
you are stuck in the mire
of ignorance.
In due time,
the soldiers of Yama
will drag you, bleeding.
How will you deal with
the fear of death?

Note: In Indian mythology, Yama is the god of death.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 101

JK/NKK 101
karàm zà ka:ran treh kômbith,
yèvà labakh paralokas ankh     |
vvoth khas su:rya-manDal tsômbith,
tavai tsaliy marànàny Sankh     ||

Going beyond the two works
and the three causes,
you will gain insight
into the other world.
Arise, ascend, and pierce through
the disk of the sun,
In that way you
will chase away
the fear of death.

Note: The "two works" are good works and bad works. The three causes are three "stains" or imperfections that cause limitation of perception. Overcoming them allows one to perceive the non-physical world. Through this experience we can overcome the fear of death, as Lalla had.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 17

JK/NKK 17
niyam karyoth garba:,
tsètas karba: pèyiy     |
maranà bronThày marba:,
mörith tà martabà hàriy     ||

While in the womb,
you made a vow,
when will you remember?
Die (to the world)
before your death,
and after death
you will have reached
the highest state.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 106

JK/NKK 106
ra:zà hams ö:sith sapadukh kôlày,
kusta:m tsôluy kya:hta:m hèth     |
graTà gav band tay graTan hyôt gôlày,
graTà-vôl tsôluy phal-phôl hèth     ||

You were once a royal swan,
but now your voice is silent.
Someone has taken away
something that was yours.
The mill got stuck,
the grain channel became blocked,
and the Miller ran away
with the grain.

Note: Any writer would say that this is a depiction of writer's block. In Lalla's case, though, it has to be something more. A possible interpretation is that Lalla, addressing herself, had lost focus on the Self and become entangled with the world. The "miller," then, would be Shiva, and I have therefore capitalized the word in my translation. But no one knows for sure what she meant.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 115

JK/NKK 115
mad pyom sèndu zalan yut,
rangan li:lamy karyèm kà:ts     |
kà:ty khyèm manuSi ma:msàky nali:,
svay bà lal tà gav me kya:h     ||

I drank as much wine
as the waters of the Sindh,
playing many rôles on
the stage of life.
No matter how many lumps
of human flesh I ate,
I am still the same Lalla,
and what has it
profited me?

Note: This poem is a reference to Lalla's many previous lives. The "lumps of human flesh" she "ate" probably refers to the many bodies in which she had reincarnated. But if those lives were lived in ignorance of the Self, what profit was there in them for her?

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 53

JK/NKK 53
tsèth amar-pathi thövize,
tih trö:vith lagi zu:De     |
tati tsah no Sankhize sandö:rize,
dvadàSur ti kvachi no mu:De     ||

Direct your mind
to the deathless path,
for if you leave it,
you will go astray.
While there, have neither
fear nor doubt.
A baby in its mother's lap
has no need
to move about.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 41

JK/NKK 41
manas tà bava saras chutö,
ku:pa nira na:rà chvakh     |
lèkh lazi tà bàna: kune,
tuli tul tay tu:l na: könh     ||

The mind and the ocean
are alike in their fury,
but insults lose their sting,
and their effect is small.
When you put them
on the scales,
they have no weight at all.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 117

JK/NKK 117
dèn tshèzi tà razan a:se,
bu:tal gaganas-kun vèka:se     |
tsandri ra:hu-grôs ma:va:se,
Siva pu:zun gav tsit-a:tma:se     ||

The day ends
and night comes,
the earth reaches out
to meet the sky.
The newborn moon
swallows the eclipse-demon.
True worship of Shiva
is awareness
of the Self.

Note: This poem is full of difficult symbolism, and there are different opinions as to its interpretation. I believe that the poem is about the triumph of higher consciousness over ignorance. Rahu is the name of the eclipse demon in Indian mythology and astrology, and here symbolizes the darkness of ignorance. The moon symbolizes higher consciousness. Conscious awareness of the higher Self is the antidote to mundane ignorance, and is the true way to worship Shiva.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR

As currently planned, my Lalla collection will include transliterated original texts and translations of 146 poems. Of these, 138 have now been done, and eight have still to be done. These last few translations should be completed within the next week, so the culmination of a twenty-year project is very near. Any thoughts on the best way to publish this labor of love will be welcomed.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 32

JK/NKK 32
Svamanà ga:run manz yath kande,
yath kandi dapa:n svaru:p na:v     |
lu:b mu:h tsaliy Su:b yiyi; kande,
yath kandi ti:z tay sor praka:S     ||

Search for the soul
in this very body,
this body that we call
by the name of Self.     |
Give up greed and delusion,
and this body will be glorious,
this body will shine
with a light like the sun.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 60

JK/NKK 60
mö:rith pö:ntsh bu:th tim phal-hönDiy,
tsi:tan da:nà tà vakhur khèth     |
tadai za:nakh paramàpad tsönDi:,
hiSi: kôSi khor könh-ti na: khèth     ||

Kill the five demons
like fattened rams,
having fed them
on the ritual cakes
of self-awareness.
Then, O restless woman,
you will know the Supreme,
and breaking the rules
will do you no harm.

Note: The five "demons" are lust, anger, greed, etc. (kam, krodh, lu:b, and two others that I'm forgetting--perhaps a reader will remind me what the others are). According to Grierson, the phrase that I have translated as "breaking the rules" literally means "the left-handed conduct," which would suggest the "vama marga" form of Tantrism. Lalla may have meant that, but there are other possibilities.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 116

JK/NKK 116
asi: ö:sy tay ösi: a:sav,
asiy dor kari patavath     |
Sivas sori nà zyun tà marun,
ravas sori nà atagath     ||

In the past we have been,
and we shall be again.
Through long ages
we have come and gone,
like Shiva's
creating and dissolving,
or the rising and setting
of the sun.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 95

JK/NKK 95
he gvara: parameSvara:,
ba:vtam tsè chuy antar vyôd     |
dvaSivay vvapàd:n kandà-pura:,
huh kavà turun tà ha:h kavà tôt     ||

O supremely respected teacher,
explain to me, for you know
the inner meaning:
both breathings rise
from kanda-pura;
why is "huh" cold,
and "hah" hot?

Note: This question is answered in JK/NKK 96, previously translated. Kanda-pura means "city of the bulb," and indicates an area at or near the pubic mound.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 42

JK/NKK 42
rut tà krut soruy pazèm,
kanan nà bozun achan nà ba:và     |
oruk dapun yèli vvandà vuzèm,
ratna-di:p prazàlèm varzàni va:và     ||

Both good and bad,
I must tolerate all.
My ears will not hear,
nor my eyes see.
When the inner call
rises in my mind,
the jewel light will
shine for me,
even in the wind
of the storm.

Note: In this poem Lalla completes and resolves the dialog she began with herself in JK/NKK 43, previously translated. It's about learning to be less sensitive to, or even ignore, the taunts and jeers of others.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 18

JK/NKK 18
muDas gya:nàc kath no vönize,
kharas gor dini ra:viy dôh     |
sèki Sa:Thas phal no vövize,
ra:vàri zi nà kôm-ya:jan ti:l     ||

Do not speak words
of wisdom to a fool.
Giving molasses to an ass
is a waste of time.
Do not plant seeds
in sandy banks.
nor waste oil in
cooking cakes of bran.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 61

JK/NKK 61
vvath rö:ny artsun sakhar,
athi al-pal tà vakhur hèth     |
yôdvanay za:nakh paramàpad akSar,
hiSi: kôSi khor könh-ti na: khèth     ||

Arise, lady,
to prepare the offering,
with wine, meat and
cakes in hand.
As long as you know
the supreme syllable,
the left-handed ways
will do you no harm.

Note: It is likely that this poem is from an early period in Lalla's life, when she was forced to follow family custom in matters of religion, rather than her own inclination. B. N. Parimoo pointed out that when one addresses oneself (as Lalla does here) in Kashmiri, it is tantamount to grumbling about having to do something. The wine, meat, and cakes that Lalla mentions are three elements of Tantric worship. As Lalla points out, as long as you know the supreme syllable (OM), even the left-handed ways will not harm you.

Taking a hint from Grierson, and following the example of my Lalvakh tapes (sung by the wonderful Arti Tiku Kaul and produced by my friend and mentor Virendra Qazi), I have replaced the garbled and meaningless variants of the last line of this poem with the last line of the closely-related poem JK/NKK 60, which is probably what was intended anyway.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR KS 152

KS 152
dod kya:h za:ni yas no bane,
gamàky ja:mà ha: vàlith tane     |
garà-garà phi:ràs pèyam kane,
Dyu:Thum nà ka:nh ti panàni kane     ||

What does one know about pain
who has not suffered it?
Covering my body
with a robe of sorrow,
I went from door to door,
and found only stones.
I did not find anyone
who was on my side.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 96

JK/NKK 96
nö:bhistha:nas tsèth zalàvàni:,
brahmastha:nas SiSirun mvakh     |
brahma:NDas chuy nad vahavàni:
tavay turun huh ha:h gav tôt     ||

The region of the navel
is a blazing pyre.
The abode of Brahma
is of the nature of ice.
Through all this
a great river flows.
Therefore, "huh" is cool,
and "hah" is hot.

Note: I have seen two variants, in addition to this version of the poem, which makes for a confusing situation. Lalla had noticed two types of exhalations, one of which, called by her "huh," was cool, while the other, which she called "hah," was hot. She asked her guru about this many times, as related in several poems, and this is the explanation that she received. The "abode of Brahma" is at the top of the head, in or near the sahasrara chakra (the thousand-petaled lotus). The "flowing river" is the energetic channel flowing between the "kanda," or "bulb," in the region of the pubic mound, and the top of the head. Depending on the type of exhalation, the vital airs are influenced primarily by one or the other of these extremes. All of this is related to the yogic practice of "pranayama," or breath control.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR KS 135 / AK 1930-6

KS 135 / AK 1930-6
azapa: ga:yatri hamsà hamsà zapith,
aham trö:vith suy adà raTh     |
yèmy trov aham suy ru:d pa:nay,
bà na ö:sun chuy vvapàdi:S     ||

Recite the unchanted mantra
(hamsa or so'ham)
with every breath.
Having cast away "I,"
meditate on Him.
They who renounce
the ego,
find the Self.
The lesson
to be learned
is that there is
no "I."

Note: When one chants the famous "so'ham" mantra (I am He), with repetition it tends to become "hamsa," which means "swan." In either case, the sound of the mantra imitates the sound of the breath, so one can chant this mantra by simply breathing. When this is done, the mantra is said to be "unchanted" ("ajapa" in Sanskrit, or "azapa" in Kashmiri). In another poem, Lalla told us that she had removed "aham" ("I"") from the so'ham mantra, leaving only "sa" (He). This was her figurative way of saying that she had rejected the sense of a separate "I."

 
ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 138

JK/NKK 138
yih yih karm kôrum suy artsun,
yih rasani vvatsorum tiy manthàra     |
yahay lôgamo dihas partsun,
suy yih param Sivun tanthàra     ||

Whatever work I did
became worship.
What my tongue pronounced
became mantra.
What my body experienced
became tantra
of Supreme Shiva.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 136

JK/NKK 136
pa:nas lö:gith, ru:dukh mè tsà,
mè tsè tsa:NDa:n lu:stum dôh     |
pa:nas manz yèli Dyu:NThukh mè tsà,
mè tsè tà pa:nas dyu:tum tshôh     ||

While I was attached to myself,
You hid from me.
Searching for both of us,
I wore out the day.
But when you showed yourself
to me in myself,
then You and I
celebrated our union
in ecstasy.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 127

JK/NKK 127
àndariy a:yès tsöndarày ga:ra:n,
ga:ra:n a:yès hihè hih     |
tsày he na:ra:n, tsày he na:ra:n,
tsày he na:ra:n yim kam vih     ||

I went within,
looking for the
(mystic) moon,
I came out searching
for the same.
But it was You,
O Narayana,
all was You.
Why all these rôles?

Note: In the poem, Lalla does not use the word "mystic," but it is understood that she is not searching within for the ordinary moon. She is referring to a stage of the kundalini experience in which one sees an inner "moon" in the sahasrara chakra, from which drips a nectar known as "shashikal," the "digit of the moon," mentioned several times in these poems. When she looks for a similar experience in the outer world, she finds that everything is the all-pervading Narayana, who is also Shiva. Lalla's choice of the name "Narayana" is thought-provoking. It is a deity name generally used by Vaishnavas (worshippers of Vishnu), but here it is used by Lalla, the Shaivite. I would translate "Narayana" as "the One whose vehicle is a personal (or human) form." It is frequently used as a name of Krishna. Lalla may have written this poem during one of the periods when she was being strongly influenced by the Bhagavad Gita. She has referred, elsewhere, to such influence.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR KS 128 / AK 1930-8

KS 128 / AK 1930-8
damà-damà omka:r man paranovum,
pa:nay para:n tà pa:nay boza:n     |
su:'ham padas aham golum,
tèli lala bà vö:tsas praka:Sastha:n     ||

With every breath I taught
my mind the sacred OM.
From "I am He,"
I took away "I am."
Then, both hearer
and heard,
the seer
and the sight,
I, Lalla, reached
the place of light.

Note: The version above is a bit free, but I like it, as do others. Here is a more literal translation:

AK 1930-8 (KS128)
I ever taught my mind the sacred OM,
I myself did hear, I did myself recite.
From "I am He," I took away "I am."
Then I, Lalla, reached the place of light.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 70

JK/NKK 70
gagan tsày bu:tal tsày
tsày chukh dèn pavan tà ra:th     |
arg tsandan poS pony tsày,
tsày chukh soruy tà lö:giziy kya:h     ||

The sky and the earth
are You.
You are the day,
air, and night.
You are the grain
for the ritual,
the sandal paste,
the flowers,
and the water, too.
You are all things,
so what can I offer
to You?

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 71

JK/NKK 71
dva:daSa:ntà manDal yas di:vas thöjiy,
na:sika pavanà ana:hatà rav     |
svayam kalpan antih tsöjiy
pa:nay di:v ta artsun kas     ||

One who knows the dvadashant
as the shrine of God,
and the vital air that
rises to the nose
as the sun of
ana:hata,
finally loses false ego,
and, knowing the Self
as God,
who then is there
to worship?

Note: There seems to be more disagreement than agreement with regard to the meaning of "dva:daSa:ntà manDal." Everyone is in agreement that "mandala" in this context means "chakra." Sir George Grierson thought it meant the brahmarandhra, which corresponds to a particular location in the brain. B. N. Parimoo thought it meant the heart chakra, usually depicted as a lotus with twelve petals ("dvadashant" means twelve). Nil Kanth Kotru avoided the question entirely by not translating the word "dva:daSa:nt." But I have always assumed that it meant the sahasrara chakra, the thousand-petaled lotus, which many yogic texts describe as being "twelve finger-breadths above the top of the head," and which is the highest psychic center associated with the chakra system. I still believe that, and it also corresponds to Gopi Krishna's writings about his own kundalini experience. Lalla also used the word "ana:hata" in this poem, which means "unstruck." It refers to the "unstruck sound" corresponding to "OM."

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 26

JK/NKK 26
a:yas ti syôduy tà gatshà ti syôduy,
syadis hôl mè karyam kya:h     |
bà tas ö:sàs a:garay vyazày,
vyadis tà vyandis karyam kya:h     ||

I came straight and
I'll return straight.
What can a crooked
person do to me,
who am straight?
I was known to Him
from the beginning.
What can anyone do
to me, who am known
and familiar to Him?

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 58

JK/NKK 58
mèthya: kapaTh asath trovum,
manas kôrum suy vvapàdi:S     |
zanas andar ki:val zonum,
anas khènas kus chum dvi:S     ||

I gave up cheating, untruth,
and hypocrisy.
I saw the One in all others,
and taught that lesson
to the mind.
Why, then, not accept
their food?

Note: There are social prohibitions against accepting food from a person of another caste or religion. Lalla is pointing out that, especially for one who has a high degree of realization of the Self, this makes no sense.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 103

JK/NKK 103
Su:nyuk mö:da:n kôDumpa:nas,
mè lali ru:zàm nà bvad na hoS     |
vèzày sapanis pa:nay pa:nas,
adà kami hili phôl lali pampoS     ||

I traversed the field
of the void by myself.
I, Lalla, was left
without reason or
body-awareness.
I became aware
of my rue Self,
and then from
water weeds
a lotus bloomed
for Lalla!

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR KS 117/BNP 99/AK 1930-9b

KS 117/BNP 99/AK 1930-9b
svan dra:v vö:hani tà mal gav vöthith,
yèli mè anàla:hà dyutàmas ta:v     |
katur zan göyas lolà vègàlith,
yèli kaThakôS tsôl niSi rav dra:v     |
Lal bà ruzàs tèli Sihilith,
Yèli tsètas pèv bà tas na:v     ||

The impurity of gold
had burnt away
when I put it onto the forge.
Like a sheet of ice,
I was melted by love.
When the frost was gone,
the sun came out.
I, Lalla, was at peace
when I recollected
that "I" is just one
of His names

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 125

JK/NKK 125
di:Si a:yas daSi di:Si ti:lith,
tsàlith tsôTum Suny adà va:v     |
Sivày vuchum Sa:yi Sa:yi mi:lith,
Syatàtrè trôpimas tà Sivày dra:v     ||

I came from my country
and wandered in
ten directions,
speeding through
the wind and the void.
I saw Shiva and
met Him everywhere.
I closed the nine
(apertures of the body),
and Shiva
came forth

Note: At this (perfect) stage of her realization, Lalla found only Shiva in herself.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 105a, 105b

JK/NKK 105a
lal bà dra:yès kapàsi-poSècè sàtsày,
kö:Di tà du:ny körnàm yatsày lath     |
tàyè yèli khö:rnàm zö:yiji tàyè,
bovàry va:nà göyèm alö:nzày lath     |

I, Lalla, set out,
hoping to bloom
like a cotton flower.
The cleaner and
the carder gave me
hard blows,
When they spun me into yarn,
they stretched it tight,
hanging it on the
weaver's loom.

JK/NKK 105b
dvaby yeli chö:vànas dvaby-kany pèThày,
saz tà sa:ban màtshànam yatsày     |
sàtsi yèli phirànam hani-hani kö:tsày,
adà lali mè prö:vàm parama-gath     ||

When the washerman
pounded me on
the laundry stone,
he scrubbed me
hard with soap.
When the tailor
worked his scissors,
piece by piece,
then I, Lalla,
reached the highest
state.

Note: Lalla tells us here that she began her spiritual journey "hoping to bloom like a cotton flower," which sounds easy, natural, maybe even lyrical. Instead, her continued progress was hard, bruising, and she had to be remade, reshaped, to reach the "highest state." She quickly dispenses with romanticism and vain imaginings, giving us the hard truth that we are going to have to do some re-engineering of self to reach Self.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 128

JK/NKK 128
yimày Sè tsè timày Sè mè,
Sya:màgala: tsè byôn tö:This     |
yuhôy bènàbi:d tsè tà mè,
tsà Sèn sva:mi: bà Sèyi möSis     ||

You and I have the same six
O Blue-Throated Lord,
yet separated from you,
I have suffered.
This is the difference
between you and me:
you are the master
of the six,
while I have
forgotten them.

Note: I used to believe that the "six" that Lalla referred to were the six chakras. But apparently she was referring to the six attributes of the Lord (omniscience, etc.), which for us embodied ones are manifested instead as six "kañcukas," or limitations.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 123

JK/NKK 123
kunyar-ay bozak kuni no rozakh,
kuniran kôrnam hunya:ka:r     |
kunày ö:sith dvan hund jang gom,
suy berang gom körith rang     ||

If you understand oneness,
you won't live anywhere.
This oneness has made me
nothingness.
Though I am one,
the conflict of two
continues.
He who is without color,
has dyed me
in colors.

Note: Shivamaya, Shiva's power of illusion, causes the world to resemble a giant cosplay party. We are given our rôles, and we play them. One dresses as a pirate, another as a president, but it does not indicate, or change, who we really are. One who is wise, will still possess wisdom, and a fool will still be a fool.

Behind all of this sporting, all these disguises, there is really only Shiva.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 131

JK/NKK 131
tsày di:và gartas tà darti: srazakh,
tsày di:và ditith kranzan pra:n     |
tsày di:và Thani rôstuy vazakh,
kus za:ni di:và con parima:n     ||

You, O God, bring forth
the earth and all its life.
You, O God, have given
life to our bones.
You, O God, resonate
without sound.
Who, O God,
can know
your measure?

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 83

JK/NKK 83
tà:ri salil khôTà tày tà:re,
hèmi tri gay bina:bin vimarSa:     |
tsaitany rav ba:ti sab same,
Sivamay tsara:tsar zag paSa:     ||

Cold congeals water
into ice and snow.
Reflecting, you see
the difference and
non-difference of
the three forms.
When the sun of
consciousness shines,
all are the same,
and the world of
moving and
unmoving things
is seen to be
only Shiva.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 135

JK/NKK 135
tsà na: bà na: dey na: dya:n,
gay pa:nay sarvà-kriy möSith     |
anyav Dyu:NTukh kenhti na: anvay,
gay sath layi par pöSith     ||

There is neither you nor I,
nor an object of contemplation,
nor contemplation itself.
All action has been forgotten,
The blind saw there no
relationship or support,
but the seven (worlds),
having seen the Supreme,
became merged
in Him.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 134

JK/NKK 134
va:kh ma:nas kval akval na: ate,
tshvapi mvadri ati na: praveS     |
roza:n Siv-Sakt na: ate,
mvati yai kunh tà suy vvapàdeS     ||

There is neither word nor thought,
non-transcendent nor
transcendent there.
Vows of silence and
yogic postures
will not grant you access.
There is no Shiva or Shakti
abiding there.
Whatever remains,
is the lesson.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 133

JK/NKK 133
abyö:sy savika:s layi vvathu:,
gaganas sagun myu:l sami tsraTa:     |
Su:ny gôl tay ana:may mvatu:,
yahoy vvapàdi:S chuy baTa:     ||

By constant practice
(of yoga)
the manifested universe
rises to absorption
in the universal
Self.
The limited world
of qualities
gets merged into one,
homogeneous,
ethereal Whole.
When the Void melts away,
only the Supreme,
in its purity,
remains.
This is the true teaching,
O Brahmin.

Note: Lalla could state that this was "the true teaching," because she had experienced it herself. Lalla is the teacher for that time, for this time, and for all times, because her teaching, rather than being a mere continuation of tradition, is based on her own actual experience. As a mystic who shares her experience (and that, with the skill of a poet), Lalla probably has no equal in the world.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

 

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 85

JK/NKK 85
ba:n gòl tày praka:S a:v zu:ne,
tsöndàra gòl tày mvatuy tsèth     |
tsèth gòl tày kenh-ti na: kune,
gay bu:r buvah svah vèsarzith kèth     ||

The sun sets,
and moonlight comes,
the moon sets,
the mind is left.
The mind dissolves,
and nothing remains.
Earth, air, and sky
have all departed.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 57

JK/NKK 57
Siv chuy thali thali roza:n,
mo za:n hyond tà musalma:n     |
trukhày chukh tà pananuy pa:n parza:n,
svay chay sa:hibas sà:tiy za:ni: za:n     ||

Shiva abides everywhere,
everywhere.
Do not distinguish
between "Hindu"
and "Muslim."
Be wise and know
your own Self,
that is your real
acquaintance
with the Lord.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 79

JK/NKK 79
rav matà thali thali tö:pitan,
tö:pitan vvatam vvatam di:S     |
varun matà lu:kà garà ötsitan,
Siv chuy kru:Th tày tsen vvapàdi:S     ||

Does not rhe sun
shine everywhere?
Does it shine only
on holy places?
Doesn't Varuna visit
everyone's house?
Shiva is hard to
attain,
so listen
to the lesson.

Note: Varuna is the god of water.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 81

JK/NKK 81
yàhai ma:ta: ru:pi pay diye,
yàhai ba:rya ru:pi karà viSi:S     |
yàhai ma:ya ru:pi zi:v hèye,
Siv chuy kru:Th tày tsen vvapàdi:S     ||

As mother, she gives milk,
as wife she plays
another role,
as maya,
she snatches
life away.
Siva is
hard to
attain,
so listen
to the lesson

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 78

JK/NKK 78
svay chuy Sil pi:Thas tà paTas,
svay chuy Sil prathàvun di:S     |
svay chuy Sil pheràvànis graTas,
Shiv chuy kru:Th tày tsen vvapàdi:S     ||

The same stone is a pedestal
or a pavement,
is part of the earth,
or a turning mill.
Shiva is hard to attain,
so listen
to the lesson.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

                                                                                                                                                                 

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 77

JK/NKK 77
zanàni za:ya:y ràty tày kàtiy,
körith vvadàras bahu kali:S     |
phi:rith dva:r bazàni vö:ty tàtiy,
Siv chuy kru:Th tày tsen vvapàdi:S     ||

We are born hale and hearty,
after causing great pain
to our mother's womb.
Then we return
to the same door,
and wait
to do it again.
Shiva is hard to
attain,
so listen
to the lesson.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 122

JK/NKK 122
ana:hata kha-svaru:p Su:nya:lay,
yas na:v na varN na ru:p na gutra     |
aham-vimarSè na:d-bindày yas vôn,
suy di:va aSvava:r pèTh ceDès     ||

The unstruck sound
whose nature is sky
and who abides in the void,
who has no name, nor caste,
nor form, nor lineage,
who is self-awareness,
as well as the sound
and the dot,
that is the god
who rides the horse.

Note: It is not possible for me to give adequate commentary to this poem. It is, though, the answer to the question posed in JK/NKK 121. The unstruck (ana:hata) sound can be heard by persons practicing deep meditation. The sound and the dot (nada-bindu) are technical terms with meanings on several levels. OM is one example, where there is a vocalic sound written with a dot over it, so that the syllable will be finished with a nasal, such as "m," "n," or "ng." The dot, or "bindu," also has other meanings. Sound is conceived of as having creative power (thus the importance of mantras). These are matters to discuss with a qualified teacher. I am just a translator.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 121

JK/NKK 121
Siva gur tày ki:Sav palânas,
brama: pa:yàrèn vvalàsyès     |
yu:gi: yu:gà-kali parza:nyès,
kus di:va aSvava:r pèTh ceDès     ||

Shiva is the horse, Keshava (Vishnu) the saddle,
and Brahma: adorns the stirrups.
The yogi, through yoga,
recognizes Him.
Who is the god
who rides the horse?

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 114

JK/NKK 114
trayi nèngi sara:h sàry saras,
aki nèngi saras arSès jay     |
harmvakha kaunsarà akh sum saras,
sati nèngi saras Su:nya:ka:r     ||

Three times I saw
the lake overflowing,
one time the water
reached the sky.
I saw a single bridge
from Harmukh
to Kaunsar.
Seven times I saw
the lake emptied.

There are several interpretations of this poem's symbolism, and I am not in a position to be adding another. Most writers agree, though, that Lalla is talking about memories of past lives.The Valley of Kashmir stretches from the Harmukh Peak in the north to the Kaunsar Springs in the south. It is said to have been a lake full of water in earlier times.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 113

JK/NKK 113
yath saras sari phôl na: vètsi:,
tath sari sakalày pö:ny cèn     |
mRg sRga:l ganDy zalahasti:,
zèn na: zèn tà tôtuy pèn     ||

From the lake that is too small
to hold a mustard seed,
all creatures drink water.
Deer, jackals, rhinoceros,
and sea-elephants,
are no sooner born
than they fall in.

Note: This is one of Lalla's riddles.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 56

JK/NKK 56
graTà chu phera:n zere zere,
ôhàkuy za:ni graTuk tshal     |
graTà yeli pheri tay zö:vyul nere,
gu: va:ti pa:nay graTà-bal     ||

The mill turns steadily
once set in motion.
Only the axle knows
the mill's secret.
Once the mill turns,
producing fine flour,
the grist arrives
on its own
for grinding

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ