Bhala Hua! : I Am Free!

Co-creators – Kabir Bani via Kabir Project by Shabnam Virmani; Hindi seed translation via Pallavi Garg; English interpretative poetry and musical expression via Shahana Dattagupta; 

Kabir Bani

Bhala hua mori gagari phooti, Mein paniya bharana se chhooti re, Mere sar se tali balaa

          Chalti chaki dekh kar, Diya Kabira roye

          Do paatan ke beech mein, Sabut bachaa na koye

 Chaki chaki sab kahe, Keeli kahe na koye

Jo keeli se lag rahe, Vaako baal na beeka hoye

          Ram naam ki khoonti gaadi, Sooraj taana tanta

          Chadhte utarte dam ki khabar le, Phir nahin aana banta

 Kabira kua ek hai , Paani bhare anek

Bhande hee mein bhed hai, Paani sab mein ek

           Bhala hua meri maala tooti, Mein Ram bhajan se chhooti re, Mere sar se tali balaa

 Maati kahe kumhaar se, Tu kya roondat moye?

Ik din aisa aayega, mein rondoongi toye

           Malaa japoon na kar japoon, mukh se kahoon na Ram,

          Ram hamara hamein jape re, hum payo bisraam

English Translation

Giggle I do at the shattered pot

Trudge and labor I must not

Free I am of these worldly chores!

          Watching the worldly grindstone turn

          Kabira weeps his lament:

          Nobody escapes that heavy churn

          And its grueling torment!

Cling you do to the grindstone of form

Staying ignorant of the pivot at center

In stillness if you stood in the eye of the storm

Not a bit would your existence be off kilter!

          Seeking solace in the chants of names

          You spin your days out of holy games

          Yet all you need is an awareness of breath

          To forever release this life-and-death!

Kabira says : There’s only One wellspring

To which many people myriad pots bring

The vessels may appear different outside

What flows in each being is the same inside

          So glad am I for the scattered beads

          I need sing no more praises nor ever plead

          Free I am of these worldly lores!

To the potter laughs the clay:

You think you have me formed?

You’ll see more clearly one day

How I’ll have you transformed!

          I count not the beads I chant not the word

          No longer do I utter the name Beloved Lord

          Love has me cradled in Its luminous lap

          And I am happily settled for the eternal nap!