Sindhi Sufi poetry emphasizes the unity of all things. Sachal Sarmast, the great Sufi poet of Sindh, in the following stanzas, is speaking of the many forms humanity takes as well as its common divinity - beyond the illusory distinctions that separate people.

"Cha-u miya'aN ishk-u keeaN,
TooN saveiN sel-a bana'aeeN tho,
Ya'a tooN a'aheeN za'at-i diva'ano!
Ya'a kedDa'a Tha'aha Thaha'aeeN tho.

Say friend with your love,
You take hundreds of forms,
Either being crazy is your nature!
Either showing off is your norm.

"Ka'athaeN mulaa ka'azee tooN,
Ka'athaeN sayed sadDa'aeeN tho,
Ka'athaeN mukhu brahamaRnu tooN,
Ka'athaeN Mba'ang-a Mbudha'aeeN tho."

Priest or judge sometimes are you,
Holy descent you claim at times too,
A true Brahmin sometimes are you,
You also call for prayers as Muezzin do."

"Ka'athaeN muNhaN meN mahra'ab-u,
Ka'athaeN tilko lagGa'aeeN tho;
Ka'athaeN tasbeeya'aN tooN soreeN,
Ka'athaeN jaRNiya'aN pa'ayeeN tho."

Your face in mahrab(1) sometimes,
Red dot(2) on your forehead sometimes;
Rosaries at times you pray,
Holy threads also you wear.

"Ka'athaeN pereN aheeN piya'ado,
Ka'athaeN boora bachha'aeeN tho; Ka'athaeN poThiyooN paTa'aeeN tho."

Walking barefoot onward you travel,
Whence you put on fancy powders too;
Muslim sermons from the pulpit you deliver,
Whence you lecture from Hindu scriptures too.

"Ka'athaeN zurbafti kaba'aooN,
Ka'athaeN leerRaa larRka'aeeN tho;
Ka'athaeN dDayee sharaee fatva,
Ka'athaeN Mansur-u ma'ara'aeeN tho."

Fancy clothes you wear at times,
At times rags are your adornments;
Whence religious decrees you issue,
Whence you get Mansur(3) killed.

"Ka'athaeN Hanumaan-u koThaaeeN,
Ka'athaeN dDahaysar-u dDasa'aeeN tho;
Ka'athaeN ram-u ya'a seetaa,
Ka'athaeN LachhmaRNu lekha'aeeN tho."

Whence Hanuman you name yourself,
Whence Ddahesar you call yourself,
Whence Ram or Sita you become,
Whence Lachman you portray yourself.

"Ka'athaeN Namrood Abra'aheem-u thee,
Kaeey beekha banNa'aeeN tho;
Ka'athaeN Firoa-nu ya'a Moosa'a,
Sabha surata sama'aeeN tho."

Becoming Nimrod or Abraham whence,
Much miracles you perform;
Becoming Pharoah or Moses whence,
You exist in all forms.

"Ka'athaeN badusha'ah-u mulk-a jo,
Sa'aro des-u daba'aeeN tho;
Ka'athaeN thee gharuz-u gada'agar-u,
Ka'athaeN ToliyooN Tika'aeeN tho."

Whence ruler of the land you are,
The entire nation you oppress;
Whence poor petitioner you are,
Whence many guests you lodge.

"Ka'athaeN mufti tooN "khudaaee,"
Ka'athaeN annal hakk-u farma'aeeN tho."

Sometimes, Oh Godly one, the religious leader you are,
Sometimes, "I am Truth," loud and clear you declare.

"Mazhaban mulk-a mein manNhoon munjhaya,
Sheikh-a peer-a pandat-i behad bhulaya,
Key nimazoon niwrRi parRhan kin-i mandar-a wasaya,
ODdo keen-a aya akul-a wara ishq khay."

"Religions and castes have confused people,
Shaikhs, Pirs and Pandits have misled many,
Some bow in the mosques, some stay in mandirs,
But the possesors of knowledge did not approach Love."

(1) an area of a mosque (where Muslims pray)
(2) red dot on forehead (which Hindus wear)
(3) a 10th century Sufi who was crucified in Baghdad by the religious orthodoxy for saying "I am Truth"

"Kufr-a aeen Islam-a mein thaa bharin-i ubuta per-a,
Hiku Hindu Mbiyo Musalman-u, triyon vichu vidhaauun ver-u,
Andhan-i uundhahi na lahii, tini khe sachu chavando ker-u,
Para 'ruuhala' raah-a na piriin jii, jaa gharriia ddittho siin gherru,
Ta rabu mirrnii hikrro, jehen men na phandu na pheru,
Sa kaadde kandii peru, jaa sutii kaabe allaha men."

"In disbelief and belief, they commit evil;
One Hindu, another Muslim, third betwixt enmity;
The Blind cannot observe darkness, Who shall tell them the truth,
But 'Roohala', 'Tis not the path of Beloved, whose way we saw in a flash,
The Creator we find is One without deception, without difference;
Where shall she point her foot? Who lies within the House of God!"

"Vakt-u uhaaii vela, doii duuru karna jii,Br> Kaddhu mazhaaib-a man maan, saajhura saarna savela,
Hinduu momin-a saan milii, muhabata jaa karu mela,
Mataan thiay avela, olahu sijju na ulhay!"

It is high time, banish the differences,
Rid your heart of religions, let a new day dawn,
The Hindu and the Muslim together join hands in love,
Hope not becomes too late, in the West sun does not rise!"

"Allaah Allaah chho kariin?
Paarna ii Allaah jjaarnu"

"Think not thyself a slave,
Thou art the Lord of the land.
In slavery there is no safety.
Thou thyself by thyself in beauty,
Thou art the all-knowing He.
Why cry Allah! Allah!
Know thou art Allah.
Says Sachal, of this
There is not a whit of doubt.

"Key thaa chavani suufu, ke tha chavani sebu,
Una jo kehrro ebu, phalu murriyoii hekrro."

Some call it 'suufu', some call it 'saybu',
Why blame the apple? the fruit is merely the same!"

['sufu' and 'saybu' are the names of apple in Sindhi]

"O cup bearer I want not grape-wine
Give me to drink of the wine of unity
And be freed of all separation"

"Hell is nothing more than a menace
And Heaven a disgraceful solace
I have banished the dread and the greed."

Poetry Of Sachal Sarmast
Poetry Of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai
Poetry Of Saami

Sindh : My Motherland My Fatherland

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Makhdoom's Quest For The Truth

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Makhdoom's Quality Quest