Short Poems

I'm off'n wild wimmen
An Cognac
An Sinnin'
For I'm in loOOOOOOOve.

I'm going out,
flies, so relax,
make love.


Translated by Robert Hass

I'm a wanderer
so let that be my name –
the first winter rain

I'll look for you at Veernag,
in the garb of an unknown mendicent,
at Pooli, cheeni-gund,
Drengi. Give me a glimpse, Kongi

It was in her white skirts that he loved to see
her run straight through the branches and leaves, gracefully,
but still gauche, and hiding her leg from the light,
when she tore her dress, on the briars, in her flight.

If you've melted your desires
in the river of time, choose
to be a recluse, or choose
a family, the village job.

If you know the pure Lord within you,
you'll be That, wherever.

If you show patience, I'll rid you of this virtue.
If you fall asleep, I'll rub the sleep from your eyes.
If you become a mountain, I'll melt you in fire.
And if you become an ocean, I'll drink all your water.

If there is a witness to my little life,
To my tiny throes and struggles,
He sees a fool;
And it is not fine for gods to menace fools.

If there is a witness to my little life,
To my tiny throes and struggles,
He sees a fool;
And it is not fine for gods to menace fools.

If the divine is found through ablutions
surely frogs and fish would find him first
if the divine is hidden in jungles
the cattle would have discovered him by now
O Bulleh, the divine is found by those
with pure and true heart