Naked Song

by Lalla, Coleman Barks (Translator)

Lalla (1320-1392), the 14th Century North Indian mystic, is a lioness. She rides the breath, and she knows the way of courage. Her attention is focused in these poems not through any cultural, or conventionally religious, lens. Lalla’s naked awareness is the truth she knows, and that is always in motion, as she herself was, wandering and singing these songs in medieval Kashmir.

Genres: Poetry, Spirituality, India, Mysticism

79 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1992

About the author

Lalla, also affectionately called Lalli, Lal Ded, Lal Diddi ("Granny Lal"), or Lalleshwari, was born near Srinagar in Kashmir in northern India.

Little is known with certainty about her life, other than hints that come to us through her poetry and songs.

She was a young bride, married, tradition says, at the age of twelve. After moving into her husband's family home, she was abused by her mother-in-law and ignored by her husband.

A story is told about "Lalla's Lake" -- one day when returning from the well with a clay water jug on her head, her husband lost his temper over her delay and struck the jug in his anger. The clay vessel broke but, miraculously, the water held its shape above her head. This becomes an important symbol of the heavenly nectar that rains down from the crown.

Finally, Lalla could endure no more mistreatment and, in her early 20s, she left. She became a disciple of a respected saint in the Kashmir Shaivism tradition of yoga and she took up the life of a holy woman dedicated God in the form of Shiva. Lalla began wandering about, village to village, going naked or nearly naked, and singing songs of enlightenment.

Lalla's songs are short, using the simple, direct language of the common people, yet she touches on complex yogic techniques and the most elevated states of awareness.

The name Lalla can be translated as either "seeker" or "darling."

Lalla is deeply loved by both Hindus and Muslims in Kashmir today, even amidst the terrible fighting ravaging the land. There is a saying that in Kashmir only two words have any meaning: Allah and Lalla.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the most beautiful poetry I have ever read...Lalla shows us that we must be part of the world but not of the world. Ethereal and deep; emotions are looked at from the perspective of both individual and collective depth. This collection is sure to be a favorite on your poetry shelf.

[Ashish Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful poems by Lalleshwari.
I can imagine how beautiful it much be in Kashmiri language.

[Ivan Granger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The soul, like the moon,
is now, and always new again.

And I have seen the ocean
continuously creating.

Since I scoured my mind
and my body, I too, Lalla,
am new, each moment new...

[Eugene Pustoshkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Lalla, you’ve wandered so many places
trying to find your husband!

Now at last, inside the walls

of this body-house, in the heart-shrine,

you discover where he lives.

I made pilgrimages, looking for God.
Then I gave up, turned around,
there God was inside me!

Oh Lalla, why do you keep on wandering, and begging?

Make just a little effort. Act!
And God will appear in the form
of a love that fills your heart.”

© Lalla

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a few days since I read this, and I don't know if I can give a good review of it anymore.

Lalla was a 14th century Kashmir poet who decided to go naked and wander around, dancing. Her poems can strike me at first as too mystical or containing shades of new agey buddhism, or the voice can be a bit like the 'wise' voice of the poet. And indeed some of her poems are like that, which is either unfortunate, or lost in translation, or must be considered along with her entire body of work.

But a lot of her poems are more complex. The 'wise' voice cracks at times and shows vulnerability, doubt. Also, her philosophy seems reminiscent of buddhism, zen, sufism, and a few other things, but is actually quite complex and probably unique to her. I love personal philosophies, they are so much more interesting than orthodox ways of thinking along prepared lines of thought. She can talk about something in the abstract/ideal philosophy but then stick in some really interesting concrete nouns that I was not expecting.

In the following poem, I like how didactic it at first appears, but then she puts her own name in there, as if she were giving herself a pep talk! And that bit about moderation... is wisdom but so unlike wisdom afterall that it's refereshing:

When you eat too much,
you forget your truth,

and fasting makes you conceited,
so eat with some discipline,
and consciously. Be
an ordinary human being.

Then the door will open,
and you'll recognize the way.
Lalla, be moderate!

Especially interesting are the double poems here, translated as two poems but originally one poem. They hinge on a word containing two meanings, so that the poem can be read in two different ways. Here is an example, where the main pun in these two poems are "onion" and "breath":

(read as "onion")

I locked the doors and windows.
I grabbed the onion-thief
and yelled for help.

I tied him up in an inside closet
and threatened him with Om. Om.

(read as "breath")

I shut the body openings
and found out what steals

the even-breath, the truth
of Who we are.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense, playful mystic poems from a 14th-century Indian woman poet.

Wonderful.

[Reba Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone dear to me mailed me a copy of this poetry collection, and I've been reading it on and off since the pandemic was declared.

"I went everywhere with longing
in my eyes, until here
in my own house

I felt truth
filling my sight."

I finished the book this evening, and immediately wanted to re-read it from the beginning. I rarely feel that way about a poetry collection. Highly recommend, even to non-poetry readers.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read this online at http://www.scribd.com/doc/54317629/La... .

[Katia Mossin · Rating 1 out of 5]

these reviews are for an english book. not russian - different translator and contents. smart marketing, thought, russian translation is quote poor- as if author used google translator...
Обнажённая песня. Стихи и песни святой из Кашмира -

[Tod Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous!