Bhai Gurdas Bhalla (d. 1636 CE) is widely considered the most important non-canonical poet in Sikh history, having shaped the theology and ethics of the tradition for centuries. His beautiful poems, which offer an authoritative illustration of Sikh life in the early seventeenth century, defined
Sikh identity during a tumultuous period of upheaval. In Drinking from Love's Cup Rahuldeep Gill brings together for the first time a collection of the revered poet's early work, masterfully translated into English, along with the original Punjabi text.
The magic of Gurdas's poetry, says
Gill, lies in its fusion of Islamicate narrative traditions with the heroic literature of India to speak about death, martyrdom, and the spirit's absolution in love. Rhythmic, elegant, and lucid, the poems weave Sikh scripture into the lyrical fabric of Sikh spirituality. Challenging traditional
scholarship surrounding the dates of Gurdas's writing, Gill suggests that Gurdas wrote his poetry to console the Sikh community, which was in mourning over the execution of the fifth of the Sikh founders, Guru Arjan (d. 1606), by agents of the Mughal Empire. Ranking among the best of the Punjabi
language troubadours, Gurdas in his verses immortalized the fifth Guru's role as a martyr. His poems were written to encourage the faithful to stay involved in the community, resist hegemony, and reinforce Sikh beliefs during sectarian upheaval.
This book brings a contemporary flair to
Gurdas's moving stanzas, and also unearths fresh insights about his life and context.
Acknowledgments
Note to the Reader
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: English Translations with Commentary
Var 4 Hardship's Promise of Victory
Var 5 Royal Road, Path of the Pious
Var 6 Falling at Feet, We Conquer
Var 12 Slay Me for the Sikhs
Var 15 Refuge of the True
Guru
Var 16 The Fruit of Joy in the Gurmukhs Congregation
Var 17 They Waste This Precious Life
Var 21 The Guru's Congregation, God's Court
Var 23 Saints Seek Sikhs' Feet
Var 24 Protector of the Poor
Var 25 Heads of Emperors Burn
Var 26 Bearing Burdens with Love's
Cup
Var 30 Truth and Falsehood
Part 3: Explanation of Translated Terms
References
Index
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Rahuldeep Singh Gill earned his bachelor's degree, with honors, from the University of Rochester in New York and his doctorate from the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Herald, Patheos.com, and the Washington Post's On Faith blog
have published his writings. He blogs regularly at The Huffington Post. He has twice been voted Cal Lutheran's Diversity Professor of the Year and lives in Los Angeles with his family.
Making Sense - Margot Northey and Joan McKibbin
The Flight of Love - Translated with Commentary by Steven P. Hopkins
