is ghat antar - kabir

इस घट अंतर बाग-बगीचे, इसी में सिरजनहारां ।

इस घट अंतर सात समुंदर, इसी में नौ लख तारा ।

इस घट अंतर पारस मोती, इसी में परखनहारा ।

इस घट अंतर अनहद गरजै, इसी में उठत फुहारा ।

कहत कबीर सुनो भाई साधो, इसी में साईं हमारा ॥ --1-101

Within this earthen vessel are bowers and groves, and within it is the Creator.
Within this vessel are the seven oceans and the unnumbered stars.
The touchstone and the jewel-appraiser are within.
And within this vessel the Eternal soundeth, and the spring wells up.
Kabir says: "Listen to me, my Friend!  My beloved Lord is within."

saadho, brahm alakh lakhaaya - kabir

साधो, ब्रह्‍म अलख लखाया, जब आप आप दरसाया ।

बीज-मद्ध ज्यों बृच्छा दरसै, बृच्छा मद्धे छाया ॥

ज्यों नभ-मद्धे सुन्न देखिये, सुन अनंत आकारा ।

निःअच्छरते अच्चर तैसे, अच्छर छर बिस्तारा ॥

ज्यों रबि-मद्धे किरन देखिय, किरन मद्ध परकासा ।

परमातम में जीव ब्रह्‍म इमि, जीव-मद्ध तिमि स्वाँसा ॥

स्वाँसा-मद्धे शब्द देखिए, अर्थ शब्द के माहीं ।

ब्रह्‍‍मते जीव जीवते मन यों, न्यारा मिला सदा ही ॥

आपहि बृच्छ बीज अंकूरा, आप फूल-फल छाया ।

आपहि सूर किरन परकासा, आप ब्रह्‍‍म जिउ माया ॥

अनंताकार सुन्न नभ आपै, स्वाँस शब्द अरथाया ।

निःअच्छर अच्छर छर आपै, मन जीव ब्रह्‍‍म समाया ॥

आतम में परमातम दरसे, परमातम में झाँईं ।

झाँईं में परछाईं दरसै, लखै कबीरा साँईं ॥  --1-85

When He Himself reveals Himself, Brahma brings into manifestation, that which can never be seen.
As the seed is in the plant; as the shade is in the tree.
As the void is in the sky; as infinite forms are in the void.
So from beyond the Infinite, the Infinite comes; and from the Infinite the finite extends.

The creature is in Brahma, and Brahma is in the creature: they are ever distinct, yet ever united.
He Himself is the tree, the seed, and the germ.
He Himself is the flower, the fruit, and the shade.
He Himself is the sun, the light, and the lighted.
He Himself is Brahma, creature, and Maya.
He Himself is the manifold form, the infinite space;
He is the breath, the word, and the meaning.
He Himself is the limit and the limitless: and beyond both the limited and the limitless is He, the Pure Being.
He is the Immanent Mind in Brahma and in the creature.

The Supreme Soul is seen within the soul,
The Point is seen within the Supreme Soul,
And within the Point, the reflection is seen again.
Kabîr is blest because he has this supreme vision!

chanda jhalkai yadi ghat maanhi - kabir

चंदा झलकै यदि घट माहीं । अंधी आँखन सूझे नाहीं ॥

यहि घट चंदा यहि घट सूर । यहि घट गाजै अनहद तूर ॥

यहि घट बाजै तबल-निशान । बहिरा शब्द सुने नहि कान ॥

जब लग मेरी मेरी करै । तब लग काज एकौ नहि सरै ॥

जब मेरी ममता मर जाय । तब प्रभु काज सँवारै आय ॥

ज्ञान के कारन करम कमाय । होय ज्ञान तब करम नसाय ॥

फल कारन फूलै बनराय । फल लागै पर फूल सुखाय ॥

मृगा हास कस्तूरी बास । आप न खोजै खोजै घास ॥ --1-83

The moon shines in my body. But my blind eyes cannot see it.
The moon is within me, and so is the sun.
The unstruck drum of Eternity is sounded within me, but my deaf ears cannot hear it.
So long as man clamours for the I and the Mine; his works are as naught.
When all love of the I and the Mine is dead; then the work of the Lord is done.
For work has no other aim than the getting of knowledge; When that comes, then work is put away.
The flower blooms for the fruit; when the fruit comes, the flower withers.
The musk is in the deer; but it seeks it not within itself. it wanders in quest of grass.

avadhu, maya taji na aai - kabir

अवधू, माया तजी न आई ।

गिरह तज के बस्तर बांधा, बस्तर तज के फेरी ।

काम तजे तें क्रोध न जाई, क्रोध तजे तें लोभा ।

लोभ तजे अहँकार न जाई, मान-बड़ाई-सोभा ।

मन बैरागी माया त्यागी, शब्द में सुरत समाई ।

कहैं कबीर सुनो भाई साधो, यह गम बिरले पाई ॥ --1-63

Tell me, Brother, how can I renounce Maya?
When I gave up the tying of ribbons, still I tied my garment about me.
[--When I gave up tying my garment, still I covered my body in its folds.]
So, when I give up passion, I see that anger remains; And when I renounce anger, greed is with me still.
And when greed is vanquished, pride and vainglory remain.
When the mind is detached and casts Maya away, still it clings to the letter.
Kabir says, "Listen to me, dear Sadhu!  the true path is rarely found."

baago naa jaa re naa jaa - kabir

बागों ना जा रे ना जा, तेरी काया में गुलज़ार ।

सहस-कँवल पर बैथ के तू देखे रूप अपार ॥

Do not go to the garden of flowers! O Friend! go not there;
In your body is the garden of flowers.
Take your seat on the thousand petals of the lotus,
and there gaze on the Infinite Beauty.

saadho bhai jeevat hi karo aasaa - Kabir

साधो भाई, जीवत ही करो आसा ।

जीवत समझे जीवत बूझे, जीवत मुक्तिनिवासा ।

जीवन करम की फ़ाँस न काटी, मुये मुक्ति की आसा ।

तन छुटे जिव मिलन कहत है, सो सब झूठी आसा ।

अबहुँ मिला तो तबहुँ मिलेगा, नहिं तो जमपुरवासा ।

सत्त गहे सतगुरु को चीन्हें, सत्त-नाम विस्वासा ।

कहैं कबीर साधन हितकारी, हम साधन के दासा ॥

O friend!  hope for Him whilst you live,
know whilst you live, understand whilst you live: for in life deliverance abides.
If your bonds be not broken whilst living, what hope of deliverance in death?
It is but an empty dream, that the soul shall have union with Him because it has passed from the body:
If He is found now, He is found then, If not, we do but go to dwell in the City of Death. If you have union now, you shall have it hereafter.
Bathe in the truth, know the true Guru, have faith in the true name!
Kabir says: "It is the Spirit of the quest which helps; I am the slave of this Spirit of the quest."

Santan jaat na puCho nirguniya - Kabir

संतन जात ना पूछो निरगुनियाँ |

साध ब्राहमन साध छत्तरी, साधै जाती बनियाँ |

साधनमां छत्तीस कौम है, टेढी तोर पुछनियाँ |

साधै नाऊ साधै धोबी, साधै जाति है बरियाँ |

साधनमां रैदास संत है, सुपच ऋषि सों भंगिया |

हिंदू-तुर्क दुई दीन बने हैं, कछू ना पहचानियाँ ||

 

It is needless to ask of a saint the caste to which he belongs;
For the priest, the warrior, the tradesman;
and all the thirty-six castes, alike are seeking for God; It is but folly to ask what the caste of a saint may be;
The barber has sought God, the washerwoman, and the carpenter;
Even Raidas was a seeker after God, The Rishi Swapacha was a tanner by caste.
Hindus and Moslems alike have achieved that End, where remains no mark of distinction.

Moko kahan dhoondhe bande, - Kabir

मोको कहाँ ढूंढें बन्दे, मैं तो तेरे पास में |

ना में देवल ना में मसजिद, ना काबे कैलास में |

ना तो कौने क्रिया-कर्म में, नहीं योग-बैराग में |

खोजी होए तो तुरतै मिलिहौं, पल भर की तलास में |

कहैं कबीर सुनो भाई साधो, सब स्वांसों की स्वांस में ||

O servant, where dost thou seek Me? Lo!  I am beside thee.
I am neither in temple nor in mosque; I am neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash.
Neither am I in rites and ceremonies; nor in Yoga and renunciation.
If thou art a true seeker, thou shalt at once see Me; thou shalt meet Me in a moment of time.
Kabîr says, "O Sadhu!  God is the breath of all breath."

 

This poem is collected in "Kabir ke pad" by Shri Kshti Mohan Sen, and translated by Rabindranath Tagore in "Songs of Kabir".