Wonderful is the sound current of the Naad, wonderful is the knowledge of the Vedas.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਜੀਅ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਭੇਦ ॥
vismaad jee-a vismaadbhayd.
Wonderful are the beings, wonderful are the species.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਰੂਪ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਰੰਗ ॥
vismaad roop vismaad rang.
Wonderful are the forms, wonderful are the colors.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਨਾਗੇ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਜੰਤ ॥
vismaad naagay fireh jant.
Wonderful are the beings who wander around naked.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਪਉਣੁ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਪਾਣੀ ॥
vismaad pa-un vismaad paanee.
Wonderful is the wind, wonderful is the water.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਅਗਨੀ ਖੇਡਹਿ ਵਿਡਾਣੀ ॥
vismaad agnee khaydeh vidaanee.
Wonderful is fire, which works wonders.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਧਰਤੀ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਖਾਣੀ ॥
vismaadDhartee vismaadkhaanee.
Wonderful is the earth, wonderful the sources of creation.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸਾਦਿ ਲਗਹਿ ਪਰਾਣੀ ॥
vismaad saad lageh paraanee.
Wonderful are the tastes to which mortals are attached.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸੰਜੋਗੁ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਵਿਜੋਗੁ ॥
vismaad sanjog vismaad vijog.
Wonderful is union, and wonderful is separation.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਭੁਖ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਭੋਗੁ ॥
vismaadbhukh vismaadbhog.
Wonderful is hunger, wonderful is satisfaction.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਸਾਲਾਹ ॥
vismaad sifat vismaad saalaah.
Wonderful is His Praise, wonderful is His adoration.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਉਝੜ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਰਾਹ ॥
vismaad ujharh vismaad raah.
Wonderful is the wilderness, wonderful is the path.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਨੇੜੈ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਦੂਰਿ ॥
vismaad nayrhai vismaaddoor.
Wonderful is closeness, wonderful is distance.
ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ਦੇਖੈ ਹਾਜਰਾ ਹਜੂਰਿ ॥
vismaaddaykhai haajraa hajoor.
How wonderful to behold the Lord, ever-present here.
ਵੇਖਿ ਵਿਡਾਣੁ ਰਹਿਆ ਵਿਸਮਾਦੁ ॥
vaykh vidaan rahi-aa vismaad.
Beholding His wonders, I am wonder-struck.
ਨਾਨਕ ਬੁਝਣੁ ਪੂਰੈ ਭਾਗਿ ॥੧॥
naanak bujhan poorai bhaag. ||1||
O Nanak, those who understand this are blessed with perfect destiny. ||1||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
In plain words
Wonderful — the sounds and the knowledge; wonderful — the countless creatures, shapes, and colors.
Wonderful the wind and water and fire, wonderful meeting and parting, hunger and fullness. Everywhere I look, the One is right here — and beholding all these wonders, I'm simply wonder-struck.
Wonder isn't just for pretty things — all of life, even the hard parts, is astonishing when you really look.
The deeper layer
This is the Vismaad shalok. Vismaad means wonder, the kind of amazement that leaves you with your mouth open.
Vismaad naad vismaad vayd — wonderful the sound, wonderful the knowledge. Line after line, Guru Nanak lists what fills him with awe. Every creature, shape and color. Wind, water and fire. Even meeting and parting. Even hunger and a full belly.
Notice that the hard things are on the list too. Parting and hunger count as wonders. That is the heart of vismaad. It is not only being amazed by pretty things. It is seeing all of life, the sweet and the hard, as amazing, because the One is present in every bit of it.
Vismaad daykhai haajraa hajoor — how wonderful to see the One, right here. The shalok ends where wonder always ends, in speechless awe.
Think of the first time you saw snow, or the ocean, and just stared. To live in vismaad is to walk through an ordinary day and keep feeling that.
A Question to Sit With
What ordinary thing could you look at today until it becomes wonderful?
