pyaase praan tadaphye din-raatee, aur neer n bhaayee
jaise mirgaa shabd-snehee, shabd sunan ko jaayee
shabd sunye aur praan-daan de, taniko naahin daraayee
jaise satee chadhi sat-upar, piyaa kee raah man bhaayee
paavak dekh dare vah naahin, hansat baithe sadaa maayee
chhodo tan apne kee aasaa, nirbhay havye gun gaayee*
kahat kabir suno bhaai saadho, nahin to janam nasaayee*
How hard it is to meet my Lord!
The rain-bird wails in thirst for the rain: almost she dies of her longing, yet she would have none other water than the rain.
Drawn by the love of music, the deer moves forward: she dies as she listens to the music, yet she shrinks not in fear.
The widowed wife sits by the body of her dead husband: she is not afraid of the fire.
Put away all fear for this poor body.
*These lines are not in Tagore's text.
LXV
I. 22. jab main bhula, re bhai
jab main bhoolaa re bhaai
mere satguru jugat lakhaayee
kriyaa-karam-achaar chhaandaa, chhandaa teerath nhaanaa
sagari duniyaa bhayee syaanee, main hee ik bouraanaa
naa main jaanoo sewa bandagi, naa main ghantaa bajaayee
naa main moorat dharee simhaasan, naa main puhup chadhaayee
naa Hari reenjhye jap-tap keenhen, naa kaayaa ke jaare
naa Hari reenjhyen dhotee chhadyen, naa paancho ke maare
dayaa raakhee dharam ko paalye, jag so rahe udaasee
apnaa-saa jiv sabko jaane, taahi milye abinaasee
sahye kushabd baad ko tyaagye, chhande garv-gumaanaa
satt naam taahee ko milihye kahye Kabir sujaanaa
O brother! when I was forgetful, my true Guru showed me the Way.
Then I left off all rites and ceremonies, I bathed no more in the holy water:
Then I learned that it was I alone who was mad, and the whole world beside me was sane; and I had disturbed these wise people.
From that time forth I knew no more how to roll in the dust in obeisance:
I do not ring the temple bell:
I do not set the idol on its throne:
I do not worship the image with flowers.
It is not the austerities that mortify the flesh which are pleasing to the Lord,
When you leave off your clothes and kill your senses, you do not please the Lord:
The man who is kind and who practises righteousness, who remains passive amidst the affairs of the world, who considers all creatures on earth as his own self,
