Death before Dying: The Sufi Poems of Sultan Bahu

by Sultan Bahu, Jamal J. Elias (Editor)

These 115 poems introduce readers in English to Sultan Bahu (d. 1691), a Sufi mystical poet who continues to be one of the most beloved writers in Punjabi. Bahu, whose name translates as "With God," remains highly popular in Pakistan and India today―even illiterate Punjabis can recite his poetry by heart.

Genres: Poetry, Islam, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 1998

About the author

Sultan Bahu (also spelled Bahoo) was an Sufi mystic, poet and scholar active mostly in the present-day Punjab province of Pakistan. He belonged to the Sufi order known as Qadiri, and the mystic tradition he started has been known as Sarwari Qadiri.

Little is known of Bahu's life, other than a hagiography written by a descendant of his seven generations later, entitled Manaqib-i Sultani. Sultan Bahu was born in Shorkot, Jhang in the current Punjab Province of Pakistan. More than forty books on Sufism are attributed to him, mostly in Persian, and largely dealing with specialised aspects of Islam and Islamic mysticism.

However, it is his Punjabi poetry which had popular appeal and earned him lasting fame. His verses are sung in many genres of Sufi music including qawwali and kafi, and tradition has established a unique style of singing his couplets.

Literary Works

The exact number of books written by Sultan Bahu is not known but it is assumed to be more than one hundred, forty of them on Sufism and Islamic mysticism alone. Most of his writings are in the Persian Language except Abyat-e-Bahoo which is written as Punjabi poetry.

Reviews

[Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful mystic poetry that I'm sure I would appreciate a LOT more if I read Arabic. Alas, I do not.

[joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

some cool bangers. translation was a little more literal than I had wanted??? amazing + rich metaphors, lots of references to birds. solid footnotes - interesting gender dynamics with narrator occasionally being characterized as female. sufi poetry, as always, fascinates.
I think this is one of those books that I would have enjoyed more if I were more knowledgeable on the topic and could create more connections // understand some of the metaphors better. I will probably reread after a jaunty tumble down jstor.

[Ayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The original translation in shahmukhi Punjabi side by side with the English translation was a huge aid. It helps understand the flow of the poems.

[Aloysiusi Lionel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting compilation of poems, culled from the research and translation project of Jamal Elias. Introducing suprising parallel themes between Christian, Hindu and Islamic philosophies, this book laid out for the curious readers the peculiarity of South Indian cultural symbols. Graced by explanatory notes on Sufi mysticism on every page and every group of lines, Death Before Dying brought me to the mysterious and suspended me in the ionosphere of the mystical, attesting--as I observed and reflected--that it is indeed faith, and not religious institutions contesting for dominance, that will draw the "lover" close to the "Beloved". This delightful rendering of the Sultan's poems has one of the most captivating lines in poetry: "Thousands have been lovers, Bahu, but love is in the fortunes of only a few." Read on, pursuers of true love!

[Mehebub Mahomed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great translation, the poetry of Sheikh Bahu are of the other level, the pinnacle of post Nizami Sufi era of India! So proud to be a student and hopefully a follower of his teachings on universal unconditional love.

Worthy to read it in small pieces, and always consult when the heart is in need of advice