ਬਾਬਾ ਬੋਲਨਾ ਕਿਆ ਕਹੀਐ ॥
baabaa bolnaa ki-aa kahee-ai.
O father, if I speak, what words should I utter?
ਜੈਸੇ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਰਵਿ ਰਹੀਐ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
jaisay raam naam rav rahee-ai. ||1|| rahaa-o.
Speak such words, by which you may remain absorbed in the Name of the Lord. ||1||Pause||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
What should I even say when I open my mouth?
Only the words that keep me close to the One — words that leave me warmer, not smaller. That is the speech worth having.
The best words to speak are the ones that keep your heart near the One.
This is the rahau, the pause the whole shabad hums around. Kabir asks a real question — what is worth saying? — and answers it: speak so that you rav rahee-ai, stay absorbed in the Name. It is a test you can carry into any conversation: does this leave me nearer the One, or further?
A Question to Sit With
Before you speak, how could you ask yourself whether the words bring you closer to what matters?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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