Bhai Nand Lal Goya

Bhai Nand Lal

Bhai Nand Lal Goya (1633-1713) was one of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s fifty-two poets. Born in Ghazni in Afghanistan in 1633, he was twenty-three years older than the Guru. His father was Diwan Chajju Ram, Mir Munshi, or Chief Secretary of the Governor of Ghazni. As a child, Bhai Nand Lal acquired proficiency in both Persian and Arabic. He had an aptitude for poetry and began to compose poetry at the age of twelve under the pen name ‘Goya.’ 

Videos

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Articles

Tuesday
,
27
February
2024

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

In Bhai Nand Lal’s fifty-fifth ghazal, the recurring word dīdam (to perceive) reflects various modes of perception, from seeing to realizing. The ghazal opens with the Beloved revealed not externally but within the pupil of the poet’s own eyes...

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Monday
,
21
March
2022

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

In this fifty-second ghazal, Bhai Nand Lal employs a striking repetitive structure, often repeating words or phrases three times to emphasize the Divine’s perfection and beauty.

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Tuesday
,
8
February
2022

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

In his 44th ghazal, Bhai Nand Lal ‘Goya’ explores the connection with the Divine within and beyond earthly life. Opening with joy at the Divine’s revelation, he offers his eyes and heart as his only worthy possessions.

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Monday
,
22
November
2021

Sultan-ul Duniya Wal-Akhirat: Guru Teghbahadar Sahib

What is the Guru’s grandeur? Why was the Guru martyred? How did the two contemporary texts document the Guru’s narrative?

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Thursday
,
16
September
2021

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

In this thirty-sixth ghazal, Bhai Nand Lal reflects on the transformative nature of Divine love, symbolized by the “ār” sound. The Beloved’s arrival is likened to spring, bringing life and abundance. The Beloved’s smile and gaze sustain the...

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Friday
,
30
July
2021

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

Bhai Nand Lal’s thirtieth ghazal explores the futility of reaching the Beloved’s lane, emphasizing the superiority of spiritual connection over material wealth. Using the repeated verb nārisad ("to not arrive"), the ghazal highlights the unattainable...

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Thursday
,
28
January
2021

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

The team utilizing multiple sources of knowledge and references explores the deeper meanings of selected ghazals of Bhai Nand Lal. The meanings they derive from the text transcend generations while holding tight to the underlying wisdom and eternal...

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Friday
,
29
January
2021

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

In his first ghazal, Bhai Nand Lal ‘Goya’ reflects on his relationship with the Guru as one of bandigī (reverence-bondage), a state of surrender and liberatory love. This paradoxical moment of bondage and freedom brings Goya into existence.

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Friday
,
26
February
2021

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

In his second ghazal, Bhai Nand Lal ‘Goya’ intimately explores his relationship with the Guru as his Beloved. He describes the Beloved’s angelic perfection, where even a single glance sustains him, and celestial and temporal realms pale in comparison...

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Monday
,
29
March
2021

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

In his eighth ghazal, Goya refers to the Divine as haq (Truth-Divine), exploring its omnipresence and profound forgiveness. Shifting from direct address to descriptive reverence, Goya reflects on the futility of piety and hypocrisy in the face of...

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Wednesday
,
19
May
2021

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

In his twelfth ghazal, Bhai Nand Lal ‘Goya’ emphasizes the journey toward the Divine, expressed through the recurring phrase “tavān raft” (“one may proceed”). This phrase invites possibility rather than prescription.

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Monday
,
28
June
2021

Paigham-i-Goya: An Expression of Love

Bhai Nand Lal’s twenty-fifth ghazal is an intimate love letter composed of whispered questions addressed to the Beloved. Each couplet begins with the recurring question “what would happen,” inviting speculation and yearning for reunion.

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Podcasts

Thursday
,
29
February
2024

Ghazal Fifty-five, Divan-i-Goya

Introducing Paigham-i-Goya: Expression of Love, new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a u...

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Tuesday
,
31
May
2022

Ghazal Fifty-two, Divan-i-Goya

Introducing Paigham-i-Goya: Expression of Love, new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a u...

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Tuesday
,
8
February
2022

Ghazal Forty-four, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Introducing Paigham-i-Goya: Expression of Love, new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.”...

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Friday
,
17
September
2021

Ghazal Thirty-Six, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Introducing Paigham-i-Goya: Expression of Love, new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a unique collaboration between Dr. Fatima Fayyaz and Dr. Nadhra Khan of Lahore...

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Friday
,
30
July
2021

Ghazal Thirty, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Introducing Paigham-i-Goya: Expression of Love, new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a unique collaboration between Dr. Fatima Fayyaz and Dr. Nadhra Khan of Lahore...

LISTEN NOW⟶
Monday
,
28
June
2021

Ghazal Twenty-Five, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Follow Damanpreet and Inni as they discuss their learnings and challenges while engaging with the words of Bhai Nand Lal....

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Friday
,
29
January
2021

Ghazal One, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Introducing Paigam-i-Goya: Expression of Love , new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a unique collaboration between Dr. Fatima Fayyaz and Dr. Nadhra Khan of Lahore...

LISTEN NOW⟶
Friday
,
26
February
2021

Ghazal Two, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Introducing Paigam-i-Goya: Expression of Love , new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a unique collaboration between Dr. Fatima Fayyaz and Dr. Nadhra Khan of Lahore...

LISTEN NOW⟶
Monday
,
29
March
2021

Ghazal Eight, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Introducing Paigham-i-Goya: Expression of Love , new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a unique collaboration between Dr. Fatima Fayyaz and Dr. Nadhra Khan of Lahor...

LISTEN NOW⟶
Wednesday
,
19
May
2021

Ghazal Twelve, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Introducing Paigham-i-Goya: Expression of Love , new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a unique collaboration between Dr. Fatima Fayyaz and Dr. Nadhra Khan of Lahor...

LISTEN NOW⟶
Monday
,
28
June
2021

Ghazal Twenty-Five, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Follow Damanpreet and Inni as they discuss their learnings and challenges while engaging with the words of Bhai Nand Lal....

LISTEN NOW⟶
Friday
,
30
July
2021

Ghazal Thirty, Divan-i-Goya | Bhai Nand Lal

Introducing Paigham-i-Goya: Expression of Love, new translations of a selection of ghazals from Bhai Nand Lal “Goya.” Today’s podcast begins with a recitation of Bhai Nand Lal’s ghazal in Persian, followed by a new English transcreation, the result of a unique collaboration between Dr. Fatima Fayyaz and Dr. Nadhra Khan of Lahore...

LISTEN NOW⟶

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