Thread by @punnu__khan

"Tere Ishq Nachaya"

When Bulleh Shah met a religious person of Arain descent Inayat Qadri, accepted him as 'pir', the condemnation followed. Bulleh decided to leave his 'murshid'. Realizing his folly, he joined dancing caste (kanjars) & sang this to win back his master

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The ancient Sufi dance, whirling dervishes, is a spiritual tradition established by Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273) & is preserved by the Mevlevi Order. It's called "Sema" and features leaving cloaks on ground while spin in a trance-like state in which one loses his/her

identity and unites with God. Right hand is symbolically turned upward toward Almighty Allah while left hands are kept downwards towards Earth. This spinning dance is a dance of transcendence, the lament of separation and blazing yearning to unite with the One.

Sufi poetry of the subcontinent follows the same pattern but imagary used by poets comes from everyday environment and experience. It's core element is departure from the traditions, revolting against order of society to win beloved. Hence, dance/joining kanjars to shun identity.

Shah Inayat Qadri was a shaikh (spiritual teacher) to multitudes of folks in Punjab and Bulleh Shah, who belonged to Syeds (considered an upper caste) was searching for a teacher and became discipline (بیعت کر لینا) of Shah Inayat.

بُلھے نوں سمجھاون آئیاں بھیناں تے بھرجائیاں

من لے بلھیا ساڈا کہنا، چھڈ دے پلّہ ارائیاں
آل نبی اولادِ علی نوں، تُوں کیوں لِیکاں لائیاں

Bulleh Shah's sisters and sisters-in-laws came to convince him
Bulleya! please do as we tell you and leave the Arain's (his murshid’s) company
You are born into the family of Prophet (PBUH)

you are heir of Ali (R.A),
So why do you ruin your family’s name like this!

Bulleh Shah replies that one who calls him syed must rot in hell whereas, who address me as Arain shall ride the swings in heaven.
Anyways, Bulleh Shah fell in the trap of these accusations and decided

to leave his murshid. Shah Inayat gave him farewell in the words, "Tu Bullah nahi, tu bhull'yan aen (You're not Bulleh, you are lost)"
The confusion entrapped his mind while the words of his murshid kept reverberating in his mind. Upon realizing his terrible mistake, he ran back

But Shah Inayat wasn't the one who could forgive easily. Bulleh Shah decided to shun his upper caste identity and joined the dancing caste (kanjars) and danced for nearly twelve years to win his beloved back. This was a kind of penance also a revolt against the est. customs.

The Sufi Queen Abida Parveen Ji sings the opening lines. It's a clarion call for the beloved (the healer) to come and save this ailing soul from the torments of separation. And the agony of love has made one to whirl, to dance.

چھیتی بوہڑیں وے طبیبا
نئیں تے میں مر گئی آں

In early 2000s, Shoaib Mansoor produced a version in which Riaz Ali Qadri's vocals immortalized this kalaam and millions can be spotted grooving to this version even today.

ایس عشق دی جھنگی وچ مور بُلیندا
سانوں قبلہ تے کعبہ سوہنا یار دسیندا
سانوں گھائل کر کے پھر خبر نہ لئی آ

NFAK sb rendered a lengthy version in UK (circa 1983) when he weaved Bulleh Shah's kalam into Shahbaz Qalandar's kalaam "Nami Danam keh Aakhir Choo'n Dam e Deedar Mi Raqsam"

بیا جاناں تماشا کن کہ درانبوہِ جاں بازاں
بہ صد سامانِ رسوائی سر بازار می رقصم

Iqbal Bano sang it in film Nooran (1957) in which Rakshi can be seen dancing.

چُھپ گیا وے سورج باہر رہ گئی لالی
وے میں صدقے ہوواں دیویں مُڑ جے وکھالی
پِیرا میں بُھک گئی آں تیرے نال نہ گئی آں
تیرے عشق نچایا کر کے تھیا تھیا

Sain Akhtar and Inayat Hussain Bhatti rendered a heartfelt version in film Waris Shah (1964) whose music was composed by Master Ashiq Hussain

ایس عشق دے کولوں مینوں ہٹک نہ مائے
لاہور جاندڑے بیڑے کیہڑا موڑ لیائے
میری عقل جو بھلی نال مہانیاں دے گئی آ
تیرے عشق نچایا کر کے تھیا تھیا

The last lines of this kalam in the heartfelt vocals of Ustad Akhtar Sharif Aroop Wale Qawwal. What a stellar rendition this is.

بلھا شوہ نوں آندا مینوں عنایت دے بوہے
جس نوں مینوں پوائے چولے ساوے تے سوہے
جاں میں ماری ہے اڈی مل پِیا ہے دھیا
تیرے عشق نچائیاں کر کے تھیا تھیا

This kalam has been sung by dozens of singers including Sabri Brothers, Mubarak Ali Makha, Wadali Brothers, Akbar Ali, Javed Bashir, Sanam Marvi and others.

It's a dance of transcendence, the whirling in agony and ecstasy, the yearning to find the beloved.
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