Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Life is like music held inside an instrument: while it is played, the melody fills the room.
When the playing stops, who can know the secret of where the song has gone? What truly gives us life is deeper than we can see.
What gives us life is like music inside an instrument, a wonder deeper than our eyes can see.
Jas jantee meh jee-o samaanaa — like the music held in an instrument. This is an ulat-baasee, one of Kabir's upside-down riddles. Where does the song go when the instrument goes quiet?
Think of a guitar on its stand. You can see the wood and the strings. You cannot see the song, yet it was really there when someone played.
Kabir uses the riddle to point past what we can see to the jee-o, the spark of life. Moo-ay maram ko kaa kar jaanaa — who can know the secret of those who have died? Ordinary eyes cannot read that secret. It is a mystery to wonder at, not to be afraid of.
Where do you think a song goes when the music stops? What does that make you wonder about?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI