Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A body once enjoyed every fine and tasty food.
In the end, I have seen that same body given back to the fire.
This one looks honestly at how the body's pleasures do not last.
Jih mukh paaNcha-o amrit khaa-ay — the mouth that once ate the five finest foods. Tih mukh daykhat lookat laa-ay — I have seen fire put to that same mouth. Kabir means the fire of cremation, when a body is given back to the elements after death.
He says it plainly, without trying to frighten anyone. Think of a sandcastle at the beach. It is wonderful, and then the tide comes in. That is simply how sand works.
Kabir is setting the stage. The next line, the rahaa-o or "pause" line, names the one thing he truly longs for.
If the fun things don't last forever, what is worth holding onto that does?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI