Bhau remembered the last line Baba dictated to him on 29 January 1969, "What will we do with our lives now, when You have gone away?" and composed a ghazal on it.
Listen as Age sings ...
What will we do with our lives now, when You have gone away? On whose face will we gaze, when You have gone away?
O Meher! How did it happen that You were separated from us? We will drink our own tears now, when You have gone away.
This life is unbearable when the bee is hidden from the bud. We will die every moment now, when You have gone away.
Where will we find Your loving kiss now, where Your embrace? How will we converse with You now, when You have gone away?
Why didn't we just die when You closed Your physical eyes? We will burn in the pyre of separation now, when You have gone away.
O Beloved, turn Your glance our way and let us die to the world. This is our only desire now, when You have gone away.
O Bhau, the fish, displaced from water, are thrashing in agony. Who will rescue them now, when You have gone away?
We know that You never come and never go; But what will we do with our hearts now, when You have gone away?
You are always here; You are the life of everyone. We will search for You within, when You have gone away.
You have hidden Your face so that we may seek You. We will seek You forever, when You have gone away.
You are the Ocean of Mercy — the Beloved of the world. We will follow You now, when You have gone away.1
To die for the Beloved is not easy; it is the most difficult thing. Only such a death — one that merges the rounds of births and deaths within it — makes one realize that Meher Baba neither comes nor goes, but exists always.
"Beloved, you have implored the world to, 'Do your best. Then don't worry, be happy! I will help you,' because only you are Real and all else is false. Only your constant remembrance will allow us, one day, to realize who you really are — and, in so doing realize our own true identity."
Footnotes
- 1.Translated by Bhau and Philip Lutgendorf; edited by David Fenster. The seven couplets below were composed by Bhau in Hindi circa May 1969; the final four couplets were composed in English on 20 January 1979 Ab ji kar kya karenge jub tum hi chale gaye? Mukh kiska taka karenge jub tum hi chale gaye? Ai Meher! Kya hua jo tum ham se bichur? gaye? Ab ansu piya karenge jub tum hi chale gaye. Yah jina nahin gavara, ali hai chipa kali se. Ab har pal mara karenge jub tum hi chale gaye Ab cumban kahan milega? Ab bahen kahan milengi? Ab baten kahan karenge jub tum hi chale gaye? Ham mar kyon nahin gaye jab jhapkin tumhari ankhen Ab gam men jala karenge jub tum hi chale gaye Ai priyatam! Nazar karo tum jag se hamen utha lo. Yah hasrat rakha karenge jub tum hi chale gaye. Ab jal ke bina tarapti haim sab machliyam Bhau Kya unki dava karenge jub tum hi chale gaye?