Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 1.djvu/320

The whole earth your stage properties and vessels, which are all entanglements.
Nanak, they who are devoid of divine knowledge are robbed; the minister of death hath devoured them.
Guru Nanak
The disciples play, the gurus dance,
Shake their feet, and roll their heads.
Dust flieth and falleth on their hair;^[1]
The audience beholding laugh and go home.
For the sake of food the performers beat time,
And dash themselves on the ground.
The milkmaids sing, Krishans sing,
Sitas and royal Rams sing.
Fearless is the Formless One, whose name is true,
And whose creation is the whole world.
The worshippers on whom God bestoweth kindness worship Him;
Pleasant^[2] is the night for those who long for Him in their hearts.
By the Guru s instruction to his disciples this knowledge is obtained,
That the Kind One saveth those on whom He looketh with favour.
Oil-presses, spinning-wheels, hand-mills, potters wheels,
Plates, whirlwinds, many and endless,
Tops, churning-staves, threshing-frames turn round;
Birds tumble and take no breath.
Men put animals on stakes and whirl them.
Nanak, the tumblers are innumerable and endless.
In the same way those bound in entanglements are swung round;
Every one danceth according to his own acts—
They who dance and laugh shall weep on their departure;

1. Jhãtã is a woman's head of hair. The actors, who in India are generally all men, wear female wigs.
2. Bhini. Literally—dewy; when the atmosphere is calm and the heat not excessive.