The recording presents a performance of verses from Sur Momal Rano, one of the chapters of the Shah jo Risalo, the great poetic work of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai (c. 1689-1752). The performance was recorded in Bhit Shah on 04/10/2026.
Performed by: Bisharat Lanjwani, Rehmat Hussain, and Qaim Ali
Translations/Subs: Bisharat Ali Lanjwani & Saif Baig
The sur draws on one of the best-known folk romances of Sindh. Momal, a princess, receives suitors in her enchanted palace at Kak, but they lose their way, their wealth, or their lives before they can reach her. Only Rano, who comes from the Dhat region of Thar, succeeds. The verses in this recording are spoken in Momal’s voice after Rano has left. Their subject is firaq, the pain of separation: the fire that love leaves behind, the sense of being unworthy of the beloved, and the grief that does not fade. Bhittai often uses such human longing as an image of the soul’s yearning for the Divine, so the verses can be read as both a love story and a spiritual allegory.
Bhittai organized the Risalo by sur, and each verse is meant to be sung in a particular musical mode. Performance is therefore a central part of how the poetry has been passed down. This recording is shared as a record of that three century old living tradition, for listeners, students, and researchers, and is not a substitute for the written text.
Saif
K-Town Jam
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