ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR KS 56 (AK 1932-11)

KS 56 (AK 1932-11)
lèkà tà thvakà pèTh Sèri hètsàm,
nènda: sapanim path bronTh ta:ny     |
lal ches kal za:nh no tshènim,
adà yeli sapanis vèpihe kya:h     ||

I took insults and slander,
rumors were started
about me and my life
both then and before.
I am Lalla, and my
yearning for Him
never broke.
Then, when I achieved
my goal, what else
could matter?

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 38

JK/NKK 38
ga:l göndinèm bol pöDinèm,
döpinèm tiy yas yuth rotse     |
sahaza kvasàmav pu:z karinèm,
bà amalö:ny tà kas kya: mvatse     ||

Let them hurl abuse
and slander at me,
let them call me
whatever they like.
Or they can worship
me with real flowers,
(Either way,)
why should they
 care, or I,
who am
spotless?

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 43

JK/NKK 43
mandàchi hö:nkal kar tshenèm,
yèli hèDun gelun asun pra:và     |
a:ruk ja:mà kar-sanà dazèm,
yeli andryum kha:ryuk rozèm va:rà     ||

When will my chain
of shame be broken?
When I can bear
taunts and jeers.
When will the pity-robe
burn off me?
When the wild
inner horse
is under control.

Note: In Lalla's symbolism, the inner horse is the mind.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 47

JK/NKK 47
parun polum apôruy pôrum,
kesar vanà volum röThith Sa:l     |
paras pranum tà pa;nas polum,
adà gom molu:m tà zi:nim ha:l     ||

What I read I followed,
and the unread
I learned directly.
I brought down the lion
from the forest,
subdued like a jackal,
What I preached to others,
I practiced myself.
Then knowledge dawned,
and I won the race.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 46

JK/NKK 46
parun svalab pa:lun dvarlab,
sahaz ga:run sikhim tà kru:Th     |
abya:sàki ganirai Sa:stra môThum,
tsi:tan a:nand nèScay gom     ||

Reading is easy,
following is hard.
Subtle and difficult
is the search for the Self.
In the midst of practice,
I forgot the scriptures,
but I became unwavering
Consciousness and Bliss

Note: Lalla is not talking about just any "consciousness" and "bliss," but about Divine Consciousness and Bliss. One of the "definitions" of That which Is is Sat-Cit-Ananda (Real or True-Consciousness-Bliss). Lalla tells us here that she attained this state, in other words that she realized the Self. At that point, one has no more need of scriptures

My translation of the last line of Lalla's quatrain reflects my theory that the word "nèScay" is equivalent to the Sanskrit word "niScala," meaning "immovable, steady, unwavering.".

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 45

JK/NKK 45
avètsö:ry pothèn chi ha: ma:li para:n,
yithà totà para:n 'ra:ma' panjiras     |
gi:ta: para:n tà hi:tha: laba:n,
pörim gi:ta:tà para:n chès     ||

Those, dear, who have no
discernment read the holy
books as a parrot in its
cage repeats "Rama."
They read the Gita
as a pretense.
I have read the Gita
and am still reading it.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ THE POEMS OF LALLA OF KASHMIR JK/NKK 16

JK/NKK 16
tsarman tsöTith ditith pöny pa:nas,
tyuth kya: vavyoth tà phalihi: sov     |
muDas vvapàdi:S göy ri:nzy dumaTas,
kani da:ndas gor a:parith rov     ||

You have cut your own hide
and pegged it down.
What seed did you sow
to reap a rich harvest?
Giving instruction to a fool
is like throwing marbles at a dome.
Feeding molasses to a tawny bull
is a waste of time.

Note: The "hide" is our own body, fastened to the material world with pegs of desire and attachment. The harvest will depend on what we sow. Lalla finishes with two examples of the uselessness of teaching a fool. Molasses is sometimes given to cows to increase their milk, but to feed it to a bull is a waste.

ॐ नमः शिवाय ॐ