Guest Translation

by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa – ekongkaar.blogspot.com

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh.

One of the most beautiful aspects of studying Gurbani is to share ideas with other people who study it, as well. And to see all the different ways that the various souls relate to and express their understanding of the Guru’s wisdom.

Inni Kaur, who many of you may know as the editor of Nishaan Magazine, recently shared her own translation of a shabad from Bhagat Namdev with me. I’ve posted it here for you all to enjoy.

All Love in the Divine,

Ek Ong Kaar Kaur

______________________________

To the seekers of Truth
I offer this translation of Bhagat Namdev’s Shabad.

Ang 485 of Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

Bhagat Namdev says:

My mind
Measures the
Ultimate
Destination.

My tongue
Chanting
Cuts
My sins.

The
Noose of Death
Hangs
No more.

Lineage
Caste
Gender
Meaningless.

Days
Nights
Absorbed
In the One.

I stitch
I sew.
Dyed
In Truth.

Simran
The golden needle
Truthful Living
The silver thread
Attaches me
To the One.

Inni Kaur

8 Responses to “Guest Translation”

1. Lakhvir Singh says:

   October 6, 2007 at 12:00 am

   Beautiful words! Simplified to the most basic of words, and yet, each one as deep as the infinite reach of Gurbani.

2. Rawel Singh says:

   October 6, 2007 at 12:24 am

   I appreciate Inni Kaur's rendition of Bhagat Namdev' Shabad. It may be useful to understand that here Bhagat Ji is conveying how while carrying out one's professional duties – He was a calico printer – one can also progress spiritually.

   Guru Rakha

   Rawel Singh

3. Inni Kaur says:

   October 6, 2007 at 9:07 am

   A correction:
   The editor of Nishaan magazine is Pushpindar Singh. I am on their editorial board. http://www.nishaan.in

   Guru ang sung
   Inni Kaur

4. Gurbakhash Kaur says:

   October 8, 2007 at 10:21 pm

   SSA,
   a very nice translation. Can you provide me the punjabi version of the Shabad also.
   Thank You,
   Gurbakhash

5. Premjeet Kaur says:

   October 9, 2007 at 1:15 am

   just wanted to ask inni kaur this , if she is willing to reply .

   I am Prem by the way and i am a malaysian .

   I fell in love with Bahagat Namdev the day i read his verse of no matter how beautiful a flower can be which i give to the Divine , the flower is still not pure enough for the bee had already had the pleasure of the sweetness.And of course i also fell in love with him because i foudn out that he was very handsome.

   I also admired his persistence when he sat down behind the dieties and they all had to turn towards him because of his true devotion .

   So my question would be , when you are required to translate or you chose to translate , do you put yoursefl into his shoes so to speak and do the translation because a lot of time , i find tat translation is still very much confined to the translators mind and not necessary to be what was actually implied.

   Just a question out of curiosity

   Thanks

   Prem

6. Inni Kaur says:

   October 9, 2007 at 3:26 pm

   Gurbakhash Kaur:
   The Shabd is on Ang 485
   man mayro gaj jihbaa mayree kaa tee.
   map map kaata-o jam kee faasee. ||1||
   kahaa kara-o jaa tee kah kara-o paa tee.

   Prem:
   I had no intention to translate this Shabad. For reasons unknown, this Shabad became my constant companion. Night and day, this Shabad filled me – it eased my pain and calmed me. Slowly, I began to decipher its meaning, or the meaning came to me and I penned it down. The most important thing that I got from it was “Simran – the golden needle” – never never let go of that. That was the message of the Guru to me – through this Shabad. I do not know much about the life of Bhagat Namdev – I revere every Shabad as “the Living Word.” Hope that answers your question.

   You may want to go to http://www.sikhchic.com and read Sehra – I translated that piece because I left compelled. In that situation, I marvelled at the choice of words used and the subtle message. Sehra, in its orginal form is a multi-layered poem, which will touch the ‘seekers of truth.’

   Guru ang sung
   Inni Kaur

7. Haittersinign says:

   December 12, 2007 at 9:45 am

   Hi! I can’t post messagte here…
   :-(
   google

8. Gurvinder says:

   June 9, 2008 at 4:05 am

   I am looking for a english transalation for one of Namdev Ji’s Shabadh, so that i can sing it to my sangat.