Upon seeing poverty
by RavidasEnglish version by Nirmal Dass
Upon seeing poverty
people laugh and jeer,
and such was my plight.
But now I hold the powers
of creation
in the palm of my hand --
all because of Your mercy.
You know I am nothing,
O Ram, Destroyer of fear.
All creatures seek Your refuge,
O Prabhu, Fulfiller of desires.
Those who find Your refuge
suffer no more afflictions.
Because of You,
the high and the low --
all have gone across,
escaping from the prison
of this world.
Ravi Dass says,
The tale cannot be told,
so why speak further?
You are what You are.
What metaphor
can I possibly use
to describe You?
-- from Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth, Translated by Nirmal Dass |
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Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth | Songs of the Saints of India | Sri Guru Granth Sahib | Sri Guru Granth Sahib | Guru Ravidas: Life and Teachings (Mystics of the East series) |