One Hundred Poems of Kabir/LXIV
LXIV
I. 117. sain se lagan kathin hai, bhai
sain se lagan kathin hai, bhai
jaise papeehaa pyaasaa boond ka, piyaa piyaa rat laayee
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.