Robert Bly

Kabir

English versions of poems by the fifteenth-century Indian whose spiritual growth was influenced by Sufi poets and the ideas of the Hindus

Forty-four of the Ecstatic Poems of Kabir

The Kabir Book

Songs of Kabir

Paul Smith

Kabir - Life and Poems

Kabir, (meaning Great and one of the 99 names of God in Arabic), was a mystic and poet, born around 1440 whose work continues to be revered today by Muslims, Sufis, Sikhs and Hindus and is the founder of the Kabir Panth (Path of Kabir), a religious community mainly in India with approximately 10 million members. He was born in Varanasi to poor Muslim parents, although some say he was the child of a Brahmin widow and said of himself that he was "at once the child of Allah and Ram." He grew up learning his father's craft of weaving and very unusually for a Muslim, overcame obstacles to become a disciple of Saint or Swami Ramananda, the leading pioneer of the Bhakti movement, which promoted salvation for all. We cannot be sure of what religious teaching he received in Ramananda's ashram as Ramananda died when Kabir was 13 but we do know that he did not renounce his worldly life, as he married and had children, and was disdainful of professional piety which led to later persecution by religious authorities. This was further amplified by his progressive philosophy of social equality and his spiritual synthesis of Hindu ideas of karma and reincarnation and Muslim beliefs of one god and no idolatry or caste system. We do know that he had no formal education and remained almost entirely illiterate and expressed his poems as 'banis' meaning utterances in Hindi although he borrowed from various dialects. His songs and couplets were part of a strong oral tradition in the region and although spread across northern India orally were also written down by two of his disciples, namely Bhagodas and Dharmadas. Kabir's style was inventive and imaginative and able to capture the attention of a wide range of Indians and provide a path to spiritual awakening which for Kabir was mainly about love and brotherhood and not to be divorced from daily life. "All our actions performed anywhere are our duties, and work is worship." His work is understood and accessible to generations of Indians, more so than any other Saint and in India remains one of the most quoted mystic poets of all time. His ability to simplify and use examples of our universal daily life to enhance our spiritual well being and acceptance of our own self make his work very relevant today as is apparent in this volume. Kabir is thought to have lived an exceptionally long life and probably died in 1518. It is said that his Hindu followers wanted his body cremated and his Muslim followers wanted his body buried and a fight therefore ensued. When they finally lifted the cloth that covered his dead body they found flowers and took half each for his last rites.

All Know That the Drop Merges Into the Ocean, But Few Know That the Ocean Merges Into the Drop.

The Poetry of Kabir

Evelyn Underhill

Rabindranath Tagore

The 15th-century poet Kabir created timeless works of enlightenment that combine the philosophies of Sufism, Hinduism, and the Kabbala. Kabir's poems possess a simplicity and cover a wide emotional range. Features 100 songs translated by Rabindranath Tagore.

The fifteenth century saint-poet Kabir's extempore outpourings of songs and couplets numbering thousands have been hailed widely for their deep spiritual fervour and poetic quality. They are widely read with rapture and regard by old and young alike in India. Kabir's couplets which are considered as rich gems for their spiritual message and worldly wisdom have not been rendered into English so far. Here are rhymed English verse translation of three hundred of them from a wide cross-section of the multifaced genius' utterances. Under each verse has been given a few lines in prose to help the reader grasp the underlying import of the message of the saint-poet.

Couplets from Kabīr

Angelus Silesius

Sadi

Amir Khusrau

'Attar

Tulsidas

Bulleh Shah

Saraha

Dadu

Rahim

Tahir Ghani

Vrind

Ramdas

Shah Latif

Bhima Bhoi

Nizam-ud-din

Baba Farid

THE DOHA Wise Rhyming Couplets from Sufi, Bhakti, Christian Mystic & other Poets AN ANTHOLOGY Translation & Introduction Paul Smith A doha is a poem in the form of one rhyming couplet of two lines. This might seem very simple and easy to understand, but they often have a truly deep meaning. Hindi and Urdu Bhakti poets and Persian Sufi poets and other eastern language and religious poets have been writing dohas for over fourteen centuries. Many poets have used dohas to write entire stories and epics. In Europe they were called alexandrines. Kabir managed to convey his philosophy of life, love, devotion and religion through his magical couplets. He wrote them in Hindi, using everyday examples so that they can be understood by the common man. INTRODUCTION: The Doha... its Poetic Form and History. THE POETS: Saraha, Nizami, Baba Farid, 'Attar, Sadi, Nizam ud-din, Amir Khusrau, Kabir, Tulsidas, Dadu, Rahim, Tahir Ghani, Vrind, Angelus Silesius, Ramdas, Bulleh Shah, Shah Latif, Bhima Bhoi. Biographies & Selected Bibliographies with each poet. The correct rhyme-structure has been kept, often for the first time, and the beauty and meaning of these wise, powerful, mostly spiritual, beautiful, short poems. Large Format Edition, Paperback 7" x 10" Pages 552. COMMENTS ON PAUL SMITH'S TRANSLATION OF HAFIZ'S 'DIVAN'."It is not a joke... the English version of ALL the ghazals of Hafiz is a great feat and of paramount importance. I am astonished." Dr. Mir Mohammad Taghavi (Dr. of Literature) Tehran."Superb translations. 99% Hafiz 1% Paul Smith." Ali Akbar Shapurzman, translator of many mystical works in English into Persian and knower of Hafiz's Divan off by heart. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages... including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, Mahasti, Iqbal, Ghalib, Rahman Baba, Ibn al-Farid, 'Iraqi, and many others, as well as his own poetry, fiction, plays, children's books, biographies and a dozen screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa

An Anthology

The Doha - Wise Rhyming Couplets from Sufi, Bhakti, Christian Mystic and Other Poets

This translation presents the hymns of Kabir from the Adi Granth (the holy book of the Sikhs), which has been neglected because it is written in Gurmukhi script rather than Devanagari. The Introduction contextualizes these songs and proceeds to examine their construction of meaning. Most songs have explanatory notes, and there is a Glossary of names and terms that appear in Kabir's work.

Songs of Kabir from the Adi Granth

Kabir was an Indian poet in the 15th century. Songs of Kabir is the collection of his poetry, which first became accessible to the West in 1915. His deeply mystical poetry transcends specific religious ideology, and has thus touched a wide range of audiences.

The poet Kabir was one of the most interesting personalities in the history of Indian mysticism. The poems presented here are full of mystical spirit and have a strong religious background. It is an interesting read giving an insight into the life and beliefs of 15th-century India.

One Hundred Poems

A New York Review Books Original Transcending divisions of creed, challenging social distinctions of all sorts, and celebrating individual unity with the divine, the poetry of Kabir is one of passion and paradox, of mind-bending riddles and exultant riffs. These new translations by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, one of India’s finest contemporary poets, bring out the richness, wit, and power of a literary and spiritual master.

Mystic poem; text with Mitāksharā commentary.

Caurāsī aṅga kī Sākhī

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Songs of Kabir. [1915]

G. N. Das

Kabir (1398-1518), The Illiterate Jolaha (Weaver) Poet Who Flourished In The 15Th Century In Our Ancient Land Sang Hundreds Of Songs And Couplets Effortlessly. The First Authentic Record Of Some Of These Songs Of Great Spiritual And Poetic Excellence Is To Be Found In The Holy Guru Granth Saheb Of The Sikhs. These And More Of Them Which Have Been Handed Down To Us Through Other Sources Run Into Thousands. Of Them A Large Number Portray The Prem-Lila (Love-Game) Between The Soul Of Man (Jivathma) And Paramathma (Supreme Soul) For Their Ultimate Union Signifying The Salvation Of The Soul In Man And Also Of The Man Concerned. Kabir Was Firmly Of The Conviction That God, Or In Other Words Salvation, Can Be Attained By The Way Of Love.Some Of The Love Songs Of Kabir Together With Other Songs Had Been Translated Into English Free Verse By Tagore In 1915, And By Lynda Hess And Another In 1947 And By Pritish Nandy In 1980. Kabir Is Now Widely Read By The English Knowing Readers In The Country And Abroad.But, For The First Time One Hundred And One Of The Love Songs Of Kabir Are Presented In Simple Lucid English Free Verse For The Benefit Of The Wider Audience In This Book Which Will Remove A Long Felt Want.

Love Songs of Kabir

Try to Live to See This!

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One Hundred Poems of Kabir, Tr. by Rabindranath Tagore Assisted by Evelyn Underhill

Seven Hundred Sayings

Sushil Rao

Kabir Bhajans

The Thirsty Fish

Kartar Singh Duggal

So Spake Kabira...........The Great Soul That He Was, Kabir Epitomised The Oneness Of God And The Equality Of Mankind. He Was A Virulent Critic Of The Absurdities Of The Caste System And Ridiculed The Prevalent Notion That The Status Of An Individual Was The Outcome Of Caste Or Class In Which He Was Born. Complete And Absolute Faith In The Supreme Being Was The Core Of His Belief. Apart From What Has Travelled From Mouth To Mouth In The Annals Of History, Kabir'S Hymns Are Recorded In Kabir Granthavali And Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The Present Work Brings To The Reader A Collection Of Some Immortal Hymns Of The Outstanding Bard That Are Sung In The Gurdwaras And Congregations By Sikhs And Non-Sikhs Alike Across The Globe.

Kabir

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