Meda Ishq Vi Toon
7 Oct 2017

Singer: Pathanay Khan (1926-2000)
Poet: Khwaja Ghulam Farid (1845-1901)

An awesome composition that answers the 'Who Am I?' question as follows: 'You are Everything!'

Sung by Pathanay Khan in his rich, mellifluous voice. You may read more about Pathanay Khan here.

An incident from Pathanay Khan's life, as recounted in this Wikipedia article

In 1976, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, then prime minister of Pakistan, invited him to Islamabad for a private performance. When Pathanay Khan sang "Jindarri lutti tain yaar sajan, Kadi mor maharan tay wal a watan", Bhutto broke into tears. After the programme, Bhutto asked Pathanay Khan three times if he had any 'wish' to make that he could then fulfill. Each time the singer's reply was, "Bhutto Sahib, aap ko gharib awaam ki parat ho" (translation: "Bhutto Sahib, take care of the poor"). At this, Bhutto hugged Pathanay Khan and said "I will surely take care of the poor".

What brings me joy is that Meda Ishq Vi Tu (an example of Sufi & Bhakti poetry) has the same ultimate message as the 'Who Am I?' approach in Advaita Vedanta. Both of them explain, 'I am nothing; You are everything!' Meda Ishq Vi Tu drives home this point through a series of examples spanning both physical phenomena ('my body is You', 'my ornaments is You', …), and mental phenomena ('my fear is You; my joy is You, …').

Roman Script

Gathiyan Meriya Khol ????
???? ???? ????
???? ???? ????
???? ???? ????

Translation

Missing lyrics: if you understand the first 3-4 lines in Pathanay Khan's recording, please send me an email. Many thanks!

Roman Script

Meda Ishq Vi Toon Meda Yaar Vi Toon
Meda Deen Vi Toon Eeman Vi Toon

Meda Jism Vi Toon Meda Rooh Vi Toon
Meda Qalb Vi Toon Jind Jaan Vi Toon

Meda Kaba Qibla Masjid Mimbar
Mushaf Te Quran Vi Toon

Translation

My Ishq (love) is You, My Yaar (beloved, friend) is You
My Deen (religion, faith) is also You, My Eemaan (belief, creed) is also You

My Jism (body) is also You, My Rooh (spirit, soul) is also You
My Qalb (heart) is also You, My Jind-Jaan (life, zindagi) is also You

My Kaaba Qibla (towards which we pray) and Masjit Mimbar (mosque, pulpit where sermon is given) are also You
The Mushaf (divine instructions) and Quran (the divine book) is also You

Roman Script

Mede Farz Fareezay, Hajj, Zakataan
Soum Salaat Azaan Vi Toon

Meri Zohd Ibadat Ta'at Taqwa
Ilm Vi Toon Irfan Vi Toon

Mera Zikr Vi Toon Meda Fikr Vi Toon
Mera Zouq Vi Toon Wajdan Vi Toon

Meda Sanwal Mithra Shaam Saloona
Man Mohan Janaan Vi Toon

Meda Murshid Haadi Peer Tareeqat
Shaikh Haqaa'iq Daan Vi Toon

Meda Aas Ummeed Te Khattaya Wattaya
Takia Maan Taran Vi Toon

Mera Dharam Vi Toon Meda Bharam Vi Toon
Meda Sharam Vi Toon Meda Shaan Vi Toon

Meda Dukh Sukh Rowan Khilan Vi Toon
Meda Dard Vi Toon Darmaan Vi Toon

Meda Khushiyan Da Asbaab Vi Toon
Mede Soolaan Da Samaan Vi Toon

Mera Husn Te Bhaag Suhaag Vi Toon
Meda Bakht Te Naam Nishaan Vi Toon

Translation

My Farz Fareezay (compulsory religious duties & obligations), Hajj (pilgrimage), Zakataan (charities) is also You
My Soum Salaat (prayers, namaaz), Azaan (call for prayer) is also You

My Zohd (piousness, asceticism), Ibadat (prayers), Ta'at (my obedience, follow (the instructions)), Taqwa (belief in God) is also You
My Ilm (education) is also You, my Irfan (wisdom (spiritual), gnosis) is also You

My Zikr (verbal remembrance of God) is also You, my Fikr (mental remembrance of God) is also You
My Zouq (enjoyment, pleasure) is also You, my Wajdan (absorption, completely mesmerized) is also You (for example, zouq-e-nigaah = pleasure of sight; chanting; whirling in circle; act of losing oneself while remembering God).

My Sanwal Mithra (sweet friend, 'mitra'), Shaam Salona (my darling, my honey)
My Man Mohan (loving beloved; literally means 'Winner of the Heart'; in India, Manmohan refers to Krishna), Janaan (heart and soul, soulmate) is also You

My Murshid (spiritual teacher), Haadi (spiritual guide), Peer (spiritual guide, 'elder'), Tareeqat (spiritual path, 'tareeqa', 'method', 'technique') is also You
Shaikh Haqaa'iq (somebody who tells you the truth), Daan (donation) is also You

My Aas (desire), Ummeed (hope), Khattaya (gains) and Wattaya (losses) is also You
Takia (what I see), Maan (pride) Taran (deliverance) is also You

My Dharam (righteous behavior) is also You, my Bharam (something we feel proud of) is also You
My Sharam (modesty) is also you, my Shaan (glory) is also you

My Dukh (sorrow, misery), Sukh (joy), Rowan (crying), Khilan (playing?, blossoming?) is also You
My Dard (pain) is also You, Darmaan (cure of pain) is also You

My Khushiyaan Da Asbaab (reason for joy, means of joy) is also You
My Soolaan Da Samaan (things that pierce me with pain) is also You

My Husn (physical beauty) and Bhaag (fortune) Suhaag (beloved, marriage, marital partner) is also You
My Bakht (destiny) and Naam Nishaan (footprints, name & place) is also You

Roman Script

Meda Dekhan Bhalan Jachan Jochan
Samjhan Jaan Sunjaan Vi Toon

Mede Thadray Saah Te Monjh Munjhari
Hanjroon De Tofaan Vi Toon

Mede Tilk Tilo'ay Seendhaan Mangaan
Naaz Nihoray Taan Vi Toon

Medi Mehndi Kajal Misaag Vi Toon
Medi Surkhi Beera Paan Vi Toon

Translation

My Dekhan Bhalan (caretaking?, looking after?), Jachan Jochan (understanding, evaluating) is also You
/ My Samjhan (understanding), Jaan Sunjaan (??) is also You

My Thadray Saah (cold breaths) Te Monjh Munjari (crying, sobbing) is also You
My Hanjroon De Tofaan (storm of tears) is also You

My Tilk Tilo'ay (beauty spots?) Seendhaan Mangaan (splitting of hair in the middle) is also You
My Naaz Nihoray (style?) Taan (confidence?) is also You

My Mehndi (decorative designs made using henna), Kajal (kohl, eye cosmetic), Misaag (collyrium?, instrument for teeth cleaning?) is also You
My Surkhi (red lipstick), beera paan (betel leaf and areca nut preparation), is also You

Roman Script

Medi Wehshat Josh Junoon Vi Toon
Meda Garya Aa'h O Faghan Vi Toon

Meda Awwal Aakhir Andar Bahir
Zahir Te Pinhaan Vi Toon

Meda Badal Barkha Khimniyan Gajaan
Barish Te Baraan Vi Toon

Meda Mulk Malir Te Maro Khalra
Rohi Cholistaan Vi Toon

Je Yaar Farid Qabool Karay
Sarkaar Vi Toon Sultaan Vi Toon

Na Taan Kehtar Kamtar Ahqar Adna
La-Shay La-Imkaan Vi Toon

Translation

My Wehshat (dread, fear), Josh (enthusiasm), Junoon (passion) is also You
My Garya (lot of crying), Aa'h O Faghan (crying with pain, lamentation) is also You

My Awwal (first, foremost, beginning), Aakhir (last, end), Andar (inside), Bahir (outside) is also You
My Zahir (manifest, whatever is obvious) and Pinhaan (whatever is hiding, unmanifest) is also You

My Badal (clouds), Barkha (rain), Khimniyan (thunder?) Gajaan (lightning?) is also You
Barish (rain) and Baraan (rain) is also You

My Mulk (country) Malir (??) and my Khalra (??) is also You
Rohi Cholistaan (Rohi and Cholistan are names of the same desert close to Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan) is also You

If Farid (name of the poet who wrote this composition) accepts (Qubool) the (will of the) Beloved
Sarkaar (the chief) and the Sultan (the ruler) are also You

Na Taan (??) Kehtar (??) Kamtar (??) Ahqar (??) Adna (??)
La-Shay (??) La-Imkaan (??) are also You

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