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