Bulleh Shah
Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri (Punjabi: سید عبداللہ شاہ قادری (Shahmukhi); ਸੱਈਦ ਅਬਦੁੱਲਾਹ ਸ਼ਾਹ ਕ਼ਾਦਰੀ (Gurmukhi); 1680–1757), known popularly as Baba Bulleh Shah (or Bullhe Shah) (Punjabi: بُلّھے شاہ (Shahmukhi); ਬੁੱਲ੍ਹੇ ਸ਼ਾਹ (Gurmukhi)) and Bulleya, was a Punjabi philosopher, reformer and Sufi poet during 17th-century Punjab. He was a mystic poet and is universally regarded as “The Father of Punjabi Enlightenment”. He was a “revolutionary” poet who spoke against powerful religious, political and social institutions and, thus, his influence can be seen on many noted socialists and rights activists. He lived and was buried in Kasur in present day Pakistan.
“Bulleya” primarily means Bulleh Shah, a 18th-century Sufi mystic and poet, and is a vocative form to address him. The word can also mean “to call,” “forgotten,” or “calling out to oneself,” and the lyrics often use the name to signify a spiritual guide, a longing for connection with the divine, or an expression of overwhelming love and self-discovery.
Reference to the poet Bulleh Shah: The most common meaning is a direct reference to the 17th-century Punjabi Sufi poet, whose work often explored themes of love, spirituality, and questioning social norms.
Spiritual longing: In songs, “Bulleya” is used to address a spiritual guide or to express a deep yearning for connection with the divine or a higher self.
“To call”: In a broader sense, the word can mean “to call” or “to call out to”. For example, in a line from the song Sultan, “Raanjhan de yaar bulleya,” it translates to “give me my love, Bulleya,” as in “give me my love, O Bulleh Shah”.
“Forgotten”: The word “Bulleya” can also be a variation of the Hindi word “bhuleya” or “bhulaiya,” which means “forgotten”. For example, one of the songs includes the line, “Tu bulleya nhi, tu bhuleya hai,” which means “You are not Bulleya, you are forgotten”.
Inner voice: The term is also used to represent the inner voice that guides one on their spiritual journey and to express the overwhelming emotion and yearning to follow one’s heart.