I sing in languages I cannot speak

a tangle of overlapping tongues

teasing threads of different textures

spun from the same source

I sing in بھاشا
بولی
زبان 

all

sprung from the same soil, 

the same ache, I sing

of داتا
دستگیر
پیر

font of spirit and marrow-deep

desire, path to وجد where all

language is one I sing bells

around a camel’s throat 

as seekers sing while beating 

begging bowls in time

to their ڈاچی’s rolling steps

I sing of broken shackles, leaving

overripened plains for dunes

I sing of devotion, renunciation

so sweet the burning sands turn

supplicant I sing my hands aching

for a ڈھولکی, my feet for dancing bells

golden گھنگرو to sound each step

the song circling to the beginning

where the پیر was always waiting

Transliteration

I Sing 

I sing in languages I cannot speak
a web of overlapping tongues
tantalising threads of different textures
spun from the same source
I sing in bhasha, boli, zabaan all
sprung from the same soil carrying
the same ache I sing
of datah, dastgir, pir,
font of spirit and marrow-deep
desire, path to vajd where all
language is one I sing bells
around a camel’s throat sounding
as seekers sing beating begging bowls
in time to their dachi’s rolling steps
I sing of broken shackles of leaving
the overripened plains for the dunes
I sing of devotion, renunciation
so sweet the burning sands turn
supplicant I sing my hands aching
for a dholki, my feet for dancing bells
golden ghungroo to sound each step
the song circling back to the beginning
where the pir was always waiting

Glossary

bhasha, boli, zabaan: ‘Language’ in Bhraj Bhasha, Hindustani, and Urdu, respectively, though all are understood in Urdu.

datah, dastgir, pir: Words used almost interchangeably when referring to Sufi spiritual teachers, derived from different languages. Datah is one who is revered and loved, dastgir is literally someone who holds one’s hand, and pir is guide/saint/master/teacher

vajd: spiritual ecstasy

dachi: female camel

dholki: two-headed skin drum

ghungroo: a string or strap of bells tied around a dancer’s ankles. Seen mostly in Indian Classical dance.