Rābiʻa : Nor My Eyes Find Ease Of Sleep..

My cup, my poured spirit      
and companion are three.
I am Rabi'a the fourth,      
Fevered and longing
For the One I belong to       
who waits on me.
Round the clock, round the room,      
in the cupbearer's hands
Goes the gratifying cup      
of grace and jubilee.
If I stare, none see me      
except by Him.
If I'm there, none see the Me     
as separate from our We.
O small men who rebuke me,     
His beauty has swept me!
By God, I block my ears     
to your abuse. I can see.
How many a soulburning      
night of surfeiting
Fixation made my head      
like a fountainhead weep!
The drops won't dry away,      
nor my oneness with Him
Abide, nor my eyes     
find ease of sleep.



~ Rābiʻa al-ʻAdawiyya aka Rābiʿah al-Baṣrī 


Lover Of Lovers : Translated By A.Z.Foreman

Kabir's Sunta Hai Guru Gyani ~ Kumar Gandharva

SUNTA HAI GURU GYANI

~ Kabir

Performed by Kumar Gandharva

Aa... aa...
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai, hai, sunta hai, sunta hai, sunta hai, hai, hai
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Gagan me awaaz ho rahi hai jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai, hai, sunta hai, sunta hai, sunta hai

The one anointed by the Guru, hears
Soft melodious, cosmic sounds saying

Paahile aaye, aaye, aaye, paahile aaye
Naad bindu se peechhe jamaya paani, paani ho ji
Paahile aaye
Naad bindu se peechhe jamaya paani, paani ho ji
Sab ghat puran guru rahya hai
Alakh purush nirvaani ho ji, nirvaani ho ji

Your soul originated from “naad bindu” [dot of celestial music]
And here you hoard water [referring to things which by their very nature flow freely]
The whole world says repeatedly, This is how it is and must be.
While Brahma is Himself without words. [noiseless]

Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Gagan me awaaz ho rahi jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai, sunta hai, sunta hai, sunta hai

The one anointed by the Guru, hears
Soft melodious, cosmic sounds saying

Vahaa se aaya, vahaa se aaya pata likhaaya
Vahaa se aaya pata likhaaya
Trishna toone bujhai, bujhai
Trishna toone bujhai, bujhai
Amrut chhod chhod vishay ko dhaave
Amrut chhod chhod vishay ko dhaave
Khol de phaans phansaani ho ji, phansaani ho ji

Your soul arrived from There to an address in this world
For quenching its own thirst (desire for God)
But leaving Nectar you are drinking Poison again and again
Going in reverse, you now toss and turn in your own trap.

Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai, sunta hai, sunta hai,
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani

The one anointed by the Guru, hears
Soft melodious, cosmic sounds saying

Gagan mandal mein, mandal mein
Gagan mandal mein gau biyaanii
Gagan mandal mein gau biyaanii
Bhoii se dahii jamaaya, jamaaya
Bhoii se dahii jamaaya, jamaaya
Maakhan maakhan santon khaaya
Maakhan maakhan santon khaaya
Chhaachh jagat baparaanii ho ji, baparaanii ho ji

The celestial cow [of knowledge] Brahman is milked
God makes curd for benefit of everyone
Knowledgeable, wise men reach for the creamy layer
Buttermilk is what the world remains content with.

Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai, sunta hai, sunta hai, sunta hai
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Gagan me awaaz ho rahi hai jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani

The one anointed by the Guru, hears
Soft melodious, cosmic sounds saying

Bin dharti ek, ek, bin dharti ek mandal diisee
Bin dharti ek
Aa... aa...
Bin dharti ek mandal diisee
Bin dharti ek mandal diisee
Bin saruvar joo paani re
Bin saruvar joo paani re
Gagan mandal mein ho ujiyala
Gagan mandal mein ho ujiyala
Bole guru-mukh baani ho ji, mukh baani ho ji

Instead of seeing earth, see it as merely a sphere [planet]
Seeing a lake, understand it is nothing but water
Celestial sphere lights up [when one experiences this Principle]
So says the voice and words of the Guru.

Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai, hai, sunta hai, sunta hai, sunta hai

The one anointed by the Guru, hears
Soft melodious, cosmic sounds saying

Oham, soham baaja baaje
Oham, soham baaja baaje
Trikuti dhaam suuhaanii re
Trikuti dhaam suuhaanii re
Iira, pingala, sukhaman naarii
Iira, pingala, sukhaman naarii
Iira, pingala, sukhaman naarii
Sun dhvaja phaharaani ho ji, phaharaani ho ji

Koham, Soham surround
Trikuti sacred land [relaxed inner self] is wonderful
Ida, Pingala and sukhmana energies flow freely
upon listening to devotional songs.

["Some say that when a child is born it cries, Koham-Koham which means Who am I? That is when the universe replies back, Soham. You are the same as I am."]

Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani
Gagan me awaaz ho rahi hai jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni
Sunta hai guru gyani
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani

The one anointed by the Guru, hears
Soft melodious, cosmic sounds saying

Kahe Kabir, Kabir
Kahe Kabir, suno bhai saadho
Kahe Kabir, suno bhai saadho
Jai agam ki baani re
Jai agam ki baani re
Din bhar re jo nazar bhar dekhe
Ajar amar ho nishani ho ji, nishani ho ji

Says Kabir, Listen O knowledgeable, wise man.
Understand the world of "Agam" which works all day long with just a single glance to look after the universe. Un-moving and eternal remains that sign.

Sunta hai guru gyani gyani, gyani, gyani, gyani
Gagan mein awaaz ho rahi hai jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni, jheeni
Sunta hai guru gyani, gyani, gyani.

The one anointed by the Guru, hears
Soft melodious, cosmic sounds saying

Kumar Gandharva

Tonight I Can Write The Saddest Lines.. ~ Pablo Neruda

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write, for example, 'The night is starry and the stars are blue and shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is starry and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight tries to find her as though to bring her closer.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. As she was before my kisses.
Her voice, her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.


~ Pablo Neruda 



(Translated by W. S. Merwin)

Pandit Ravi Shankar : Oh Man, What A Life!

Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury

(B. 1920)

The Young Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar posing as an old man along with his legendary brother Uday Shankar in a Bhil Dance (1937)

He moves on the stage like a semi-divine being. Believe me, there are still some beautiful things left in this world..

~ James Joyce on Uday Shankar

My dada (Uday Shankar) was the first one to direct my attention towards stagecraft, showmanship, manners and discipline on the stage. And yes, his insatiable passion for women and sex influenced me greatly in my life too!

~ Ravi Shankar, in his autobiography, Raga Mala

Baba always said that music is not meant for commercial purpose. Music is like worshipping, and through music you worship God. However, like many other people's, mine is an imperfect quest... We can never count on quite getting there..

~ Ravi Shankar, in his autobiography, Raga Mala

Without Ravi, I would have ended up a boring old fart. Some people may still say I'm a boring old fart, but atleast my life was enhanced and given much more depth..

~ George Harrison

Norah Jones (b.1979) with her sister 

Anoushka Shankar Wright (b.1982)

I remember when I found out that John Coltrane had come to my Dad once to study... That impressed me at the time, more than the George Harrison thing just because I was such a jazz nerd.

~ Norah Jones

I felt I could be in love with different women in diferent places. It was like having a girl in every port - and sometimes there was more than one!

~ Ravi Shankar, in his autobiography, Raga Mala

My love life now evokes in me is a mixed feeling, you know. I am grateful for everything that I got, but I had to pay for it with pain and torture. Many of my lady loves are now dead and gone. A couple of them I still meet and try and be friendly with. With some, of course, things are not good..

~ Ravi Shankar

Her instant reaction was one of shock heart wrenching loss. But soon it gave way to tears. I let her sob hard in the hope that it would offer her natural catharsis..

~ Rooshi Kumar Pandya, present husband of the 83 year old Annapurna Devi, one among the estranged wives of Ravi Shankar

He was 58 when we got married and told me he couldn't change. I realised I was too much in love... I really couldn't care. Even if he gave me a few days in a year, I was fine. That experience would help me tide over a whole year. He was a gypsy. I wanted to give him the home he never had.. 

~ Sukanya Shankar

When I am gone, don't wait too long to be born again for me..

~ Ravi Shankar to Shukanya Shankar

Singing In The Rain ~ Gene Kelly

Singing In The Rain

Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo-doo...

I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love
Let the stormy clouds chase
Everyone from the place
Come on with the rain
I've a smile on my face
I walk down the lane
With a happy refrain
Just singin',
Singin' in the rain

Dancin' in the rain
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah
I'm happy again!
I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!

I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain...


~ Gene Kelly