The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Two North Indian devotional poems bring Holi and colour into Sufi expression: a kaafi attributed to Bulleh Shah invokes Islamic phrases as it imagines playing Holi, while a qawwali attributed to Amir Khusrau celebrates the spiritual radiance of meeting Nizamuddin Auliya. Maaz Bin Bilal translated the versions discussed here. They offer examples of poetic engagement with Holi imagery, not proof that Muslims everywhere—or any single community uniformly—celebrated the festival.
A Holi poem attributed to Bulleh Shah
The first poem is a kaafi attributed to Bulleh Shah, also spelled Bullhe Shah. Its opening line makes the poem’s unusual devotional combination explicit: “I will play Holi beginning in the name of the Lord, saying bismillah.” The English translation and Roman-script text presented by Maaz Bin Bilal are discussed in a 2016 Scroll.in article.
Rather than leaving Holi as a purely festive image, the poem places its colours alongside Islamic devotional language. Its references include the profession of faith, the Qur’anic primal covenant, and fanā fi Allah—the Sufi idea of the self’s annihilation in God. The pairing of “In the name of God” with Holi is central to the poem’s effect: festival imagery becomes a way to speak about spiritual devotion and transformation. Scholarly translation notes explain these religious references in the poem.
A colour qawwali attributed to Amir Khusrau
The second poem is a colour-themed qawwali attributed to Amir Khusrau. It begins, “There’s colour today, O mother, there’s a glow today.” The speaker celebrates an encounter with the beloved and the finding of the spiritual guide Nizamuddin Auliya. In this devotional reading, colour evokes the radiance of spiritual encounter as well as the sensory world of Holi.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
The qawwali’s emotional centre is the master’s presence: colour becomes a language for ecstatic devotion in a Chishti setting. That is not the same emphasis as in the Bulleh Shah-attributed kaafi, whose opening directly joins Holi with Islamic formulas and Sufi concepts.
What the poems show—and what they do not
| Poem | What colour does | Devotional emphasis | Attribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holi kaafi | Connects Holi’s colours to spiritual devotion and transformation. | Explicit Islamic language, including bismillah, the profession of faith, the primal covenant and fanā fi Allah. | Attributed to Bulleh Shah; the translation discussed is by Maaz Bin Bilal. |
| Colour qawwali | Suggests the glow of a spiritual encounter as well as sensory colour. | Celebrates the beloved and the guide Nizamuddin Auliya in a Chishti devotional context. | Attributed to Amir Khusrau; the translation discussed is by Maaz Bin Bilal. |
Together, the poems show how Sufi poetry can recast a festival image as devotional expression. They do not establish a uniform Muslim practice of Holi celebration. The 2016 Scroll.in article presents them as examples of a wider cultural tradition, but that framing should not be taken as evidence that every Muslim community shared the same practice.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the attributions remain qualified
The poems are conventionally associated with Bulleh Shah and Amir Khusrau in the sources considered here, but the available evidence does not establish either poem’s individual authorship with certainty. This caution is especially relevant to qawwali: a King’s College London dissertation notes that texts attributed to Khusrau continue to circulate through performance traditions and that the historical connection between Khusrau and qawwali is more complicated than popular accounts often suggest. That context supports retaining “attributed to”; it does not settle the authorship of “Aaj Rang Hai.”
For further reading on Bullhe Shah’s poetry and literary context, see the scholarly collection Sufi Lyrics: Selections from a World Classic. It is relevant to the first poem, not a source for both works.
Recommended Free Tools
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Easy to Read Text
- Convenient to Carry
- This product will be an excellent pick for you
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
