One Hundred Poems of Kabir/VI

by Kabir

VI

I. 83. chandaa jhalkai yahi ghat mahin

chandaa jhalkai yahi ghat mahin, andhi aankhan soojhe nahin
yahi ghat canda yahi ghat soor, yahi ghat gaajey anhad toor
yahi ghat bajey tabal-nisaan, bahira sabad sune nahi kaan
jab lag meri meri karey, tab lag kaaj ekou nahi sarey
jab meri mamata mar jaaye, tab prabhu kaaj sanwaare aaye
gyaan ke kaaran karam kamaaye, hoye gyaan sab karam nasaaye
phal kaaran phooley banraaye, phal lagye par phool sookhaaye
mrigaa haas kastoori baas, aap na khoje khoje ghaas

 

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.