Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Set down your doubts and step out into the open — dance freely, out where the passing show can't fool you.
A brave heart doesn't shrink back the moment things get hard, and a whole heart doesn't hold back, keeping one foot ready to run away.
Give your love fully, without keeping one foot ready to run.
Kabir calls for a whole heart. Man ray chhaadahu bharam pargat ho-ay naachahu — O mind, drop your doubts and dance out in the open. I-aa maa-i-aa kay daanday means those caught by maya, the passing show of the world.
Then Kabir uses two old pictures of "no turning back." One is a warrior who runs from battle. The other is a satee. That was a widow who was expected to die along with her husband. It was a cruel custom, and Sikhi and Kabir's whole spirit stood against it. Here the picture is only about someone who holds back at the last moment, gathering her pots and pans.
The meaning Kabir wants is simple. Do not half-commit, with your bags half-packed so you can leave. Think of a teammate who plays with one eye on the exit. They are never really in the game.
Give your love fully. Do not keep one foot out the door.
What's something you'd do with your whole heart if you stopped holding back?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI