Mat Dekh Bhoola Visre Shabad Lyrics -

“Mat Dekh Bhoola Visre” (literally, “Do Not Look at the Forgotten One”) is a contemporary Punjabi devotional/folk composition that blends Sufi‑inspired mysticism with everyday colloquialism. This paper argues that the song functions simultaneously as a personal confession of spiritual longing and a collective lament for cultural erosion. By foregrounding motifs of memory, blindness, and redemption, the lyricist constructs a layered narrative that resonates with diaspora experiences and the ongoing renegotiation of Punjabi identity. The analysis proceeds through three stages: (1) a thematic synopsis, (2) an examination of formal poetic strategies, and (3) a contextual reading that situates the piece within modern Punjabi music and Sufi‑Poetic traditions.

Raag Gauri, Mehla 5:

ਮਤ ਦੇਖ ਭੂਲਾ ਵਿਸਰੈ ਮਤ ਜਾਣਹਿ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਸਿਉ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ॥ Mat dekh bhoolaa visrai mat jaanah bikhia si-o preet. mat dekh bhoola visre shabad lyrics

ਜਿਨਿ ਕੀਏ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਨ ਚੇਤਹੀ ਮਨਿ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ਕਰੇਹਿ ॥ Jin kee-ay tisahi na chetahee man abhimaan kareh.

ਏਹ ਪਤ੍ਰ ਰੇਖਾ ਦੇਖਿ ਕੈ ਲੋਗ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਾਧੇ ॥ Eh patar rekha dekh kai log trisna bahut baadhe. “Mat Dekh Bhoola Visre” (literally, “Do Not Look

ਖਿਨ ਮਹਿ ਸਿਉ ਨਿਸਿ ਬਾਸੁਲੇ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਚਰਨ ਗਹੇ ॥ Khin meh sio nis baasule har ke charan gahe.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਾ ਦੇਖੀਐ ਸਹਜੇ ਹਰਿ ਰਸੁ ਪੀਜੈ ॥ Satgur milai ta dekhee-ai sahje har ras peejai. For Punjabi expatriates, the song’s lament for a

ਇਹੁ ਜੀਵਨੁ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਆਇ ਕੈ ਭਜਹੁ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਭਜਹੁ ॥ Ih jeevan jag meh aa kai bhajahu gobind bhajahu.

ਜਿਸੁ ਦਇਆਲੁ ਸੋ ਪਾਰਿ ਉਤਰੈ ਹਉ ਬਲਿਹਾਰੈ ਜਾਉ ॥ Jis da-i-aal so paar utrai ha-o balihaarai jaa-o.

ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਸ੍ਰਵਣ ਸੁਨਹੁ ਮਤ ਦੇਖਿ ਭੂਲਹੁ ਮੂਲਿ ਨ ਵਿਸਰਹੁ ॥੧॥ Kaho Nanak sarvan sunahu mat dekh bhoolahu mool na visrahu. ||1||

For Punjabi expatriates, the song’s lament for a lost beloved mirrors the yearning for a homeland that feels “forgotten” after prolonged absence. The refrain’s cyclical nature mirrors the repetitive nature of migration narratives—return, departure, longing.