Listening to Shah Hussain today, one of 4 of my favorite punjabi sufi poets - the others being Baba Sheikh Farid, Baba Bulleh Shah and Sultan Bahu. Shah Hussain writes poetry in Lehnda Punjabi, or multani, the kind of punjabi that I grew up hearing in our household. So it appears especially sweet to me. 

Shah Hussain was the pioneer of the kafi form of Punjabi poetry.  I am reminded one day that I was talking to my friend and collaborator Rajesh Prasanna and I told him of my desire to do some Multani Kafi's in the future.  He responded quickly by saying that would be exciting ... and he started playing raag multani. And I had to stop him ... multani kafi is actually a style of singing which is the same as a thumri; it is called kafi in punjab!

This is a kafi written by Ghulam Farid. I have tried to transcribe the recordings to get the lyrics; as much as possible I have tried to transcribe this to the original Multani (Siraiki).

इशक अनोखड़ी पीड़ ।सौ सौ सूल अन्दर दे ।
नैन वहायम नीर ।अल्लड़े ज़खम जिगर दे ।

बिरहों बखेड़ा सख़त आवैड़ा ।खवेश कबीला लाविम झेड़ा ।
मारग मा प्यु वीर ।दुसमन लोक शहर दे ।

तांग अवल्लड़ी सांग कलल्लड़ी ।जिन्दड़ी जलड़ी दिल्लड़ी गलड़ी ।
तन मन दे विच्च तीर ।मारे यार हुनर दे ।

ग़मजे सेहरी रमज़ां वैरी ।अक्खियां जादू दीद लुटेरी ।
जुलमीं ज़ुलफ़ ज़ंजीर ।पेची पेच कहर दे ।

पीत पुन्नल दी सिक पल पल दी ।मारूथल दी रत अज़ल दी ।

डुक्ख लाविन तड़भीड़ ।जो सरदे सो करदे ।'

तुल नेहाली डेन डिखाली ।सबर आराम दी विसरिअम चाली ।
लूं लूं लक्ख लक्ख चीर ।कारी तेग़ तबर दे ।

यार फ़रीद न पायम फेरा ।लाया दरदां दिल विच्च देरा ।
सर ग्युम सीस सरीर ।नैसां दाग़ कबर दे ।