Sunday, November 30, 2014

My wicker basket



(189)  Duhkhera sathii tumi sukhera bandhu tumi

In grief You are my companion, in joy You are my friend;
Do not thrust me from Your view.
When tears burst from pain or pleasure,
Do not leave me unattended.

In the chronic cadence of dance, safeguard my garland;
Keep an eye on the colored flowers that fill my wicker basket.
Approaching with a tender smile, take them away with love—
Never hesitate or be reluctant.

Though You might want what I cannot give,
Do not disdain what I can commit.

Sarkarverse article
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Saturday, November 29, 2014

Just before dawn



(188)  Tumi nije ele dhara dile

You came in person and captured my heart—
Why You did so, I don't know.
You came upon this dusty earth—
Why You did so, I don't grasp.

For many an age, night and day,
I felt let down in light and shade.
So much time elapsed—
Do You realize that?

In the still of night You came at last
To strum the strings of my heart,
To make a flower blossom in hard rock,
To offer enlightenment.

Sarkarverse article
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Friday, November 28, 2014

Soulmate attraction



(187)  Tomake ceyechi ceyechi sab kaje

In all my deeds, I have always longed for You,
Mindful that Your image should ever be enthroned in my heart.

Lord, I came to this world to keep busy with Your work,
To remain afloat on the stream of Your contemplation.
That I may go forth and proclaim a small particle of Your grace,
Let Your melody ever resound in my mind.

On lonely nights, in company with the moon and stars,
May the peacock of my mind dance with tail outspread.

Sarkarverse article
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Thursday, November 27, 2014

My most intimate Lord



(186)  Eso amar mane baso amar mane

Enter my mind; sit in my mind—
Oh Lord, say something in my mind.
Oh my most intimate Lord,
Enter my cogitation, enter my meditation.

Infatuation with sweet and flawless beauty,
Ensnarement in the realm of alluring dreams,
Intoxication with floral fragrance—
Come, put an end to my yearning.

With more and more songs in more rhythms and melodies,
Enter, Lord, into every corner of my mind.

Sarkarverse article
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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

On a boat of songs



(185)  Diner aloy ganer tarii

In the light of day, a boat of songs
I floated toward the distant sky
So that in darkness You
I might get nearby.

With the undulation of waves, a rhythm emerges;
It seemed to pacify my mind.
You went to a distant place,
Leaving only footprints on all sides behind.

Today, with starsong, mind, and earnest desire,
Myself I will row that flower-fragrant boat.

Sarkarverse article
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Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Ankle bells and ambrosial smells



(184)  Runu jhunu jhunu rave pranbhara saorabhe

With a sweet jingling sound and a fragrance most pleasing,
He came, overwhelming my heart.
The humming of lyres made me yearn
For that charming one[1] Who holds the core of my mind.

Eradicate all my impurities;
Eliminate my weakness for matter.
Obliterate all pain of deprivation and separation
On beholding the charming one in His myriad forms.

Today, every language and every dialect is speechless,
As, time and again, I remember the Stealer of Hearts.

Sarkarverse article
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Monday, November 24, 2014

Sum of my knowledge



(183)  Ganer jagat kache peyechi

I have come to the world of music.
My old life is forgotten.
Attaining You, I attain everything;
So all child's play – that I've set aside.

The moth races toward a lamp,
Not knowing she flies to the face of death.
Forgetting soul to run after matter,
This is death – that I've realized.

I should rush only in Your direction.
I should be immersed only in Your songs.
For all desires and all attainments,
You're the last word – that's the gist of what I've learned.

Sarkarverse article
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Sunday, November 23, 2014

What unity looks like



(182)  Sabar citta aj eki sure udgiita

Today, the collective mind sings out only one melody,
Conveying the reflection of the One, everybody is dancing.

In the boundless affection of the One, in the sweet abode of the One,
With faces gazing in the same direction, we race forward.

In the love tie of the One, binding us now and after this world,
In the ambrosial stream of the One, everybody is moving in harmony.

By the grace and devotion of all, by the utter ecstasy of all,
By carrying everyone together, a stream of nectar showers down.

Sarkarverse article
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Saturday, November 22, 2014

Ruler of the formless



(181)  Tumi nikata haite aro nikatete

From close You draw still closer—
Come into the core of my heart.
In every heartbeat thrill me
With Your ever-new attire.

Formerly incorporeal, You have taken shape,
Ruler of the formless.
Today, all my longings are fulfilled;
My quest is complete.
Today, everyone wants a life filled by You;
They crave You in every occupation.

Without You, one has nothing.
The entire universe is uncertain.

Sarkarverse article
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Friday, November 21, 2014

My indomitable heart



(180)  Supta hrday jagiya utheche

My dormant heart has risen;
She is moving ahead toward You.
All obstacles and all fetters
Are rent as she goes forward with song after song.

No infatuation can bind her;
No material object can impede her.
Every infatuation and all inanimation
Are demolished as she proceeds toward You.

Against the vigor of a mighty elephant,
How much power to restrain do cobwebs have?
Effortlessly rejecting them,
She goes on, attracted by the Great.

Sarkarverse article
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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Just between us



(179)  Dhara dile tumi prabhu

Having captured my heart, You are my master.
Amid stormy hurricanes,
Stay in the white lotus of my mind
Every instant, age after age.

Many a twilight and crimson dawn,
And many a moonlit night have passed.
Now is the time, my Lord of Light,
For meditation on that which transcends time.

Into my heart and mind,
Privately You came.
The secret of Your arrival
Was not informed to anyone.

Sarkarverse article
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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Lost in You



(178)  Tomari deoya mane

With the mind given by You,
In contemplation of You,
My days and nights pass by.

You are my polestar—
You never guide astray.
So, my everything races toward You.

With the life given by You,
Seated in Your meditation pose,[1]
My stream of life gets lost in Your stream.

Everyone is in Your mind,
And You are in everyone's mind.
So, all my thoughts mingle with You.

Sarkarverse article
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Monday, November 17, 2014

Just say no



(177)  Tava patha ceye achi

I am longing for Your advent—
Don't You know that?
So many days have gone by.
So many nights have been lost.
Nonetheless, alert I wait,
I await.

What is this sport of Yours,
Every day, always new?
You have conceived such alluring temptations,
But I am not diverted by Your game.

Triumph will be mine
When You appear before me.

Sarkarverse article
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Sunday, November 16, 2014

We go on



(176)  Jiivanta nay theme thaka bhai

Brother, life does not cease;
We go on, dancing toward the formless.
We come not to weep,
But to express rhythm and song.

A distant nebula crosses the heavens,
And mind's pendant oscillates in that cadence.
A mote of dust travels in a flash,
And from the heart of straw springs a blade of grass.

With vigorous zeal and radiant spirit,
We go on, trampling despair beneath our feet.

Brother, life is not stopping.

Sarkarverse article
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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Black woven into black



(140)  Acho kabariiveniite kalo dor haye

You are the black ribbon in my braids,
Black woven into black.
You are in my eyeliner and in the bindi on my forehead.
You are close, yet I do not see You.
This odd dalliance, this game of hide-and-seek...
Lord, I don't understand why it happens
In my braids.

My happiness is endless.
I have got You so close;
My happiness is endless.

I always fear that I may lose You.
Why I fear, I do not know.
When I think I'll not worry, the more I worry.
Why I fret, I do not know.
I always fear that I may lose You.
Why I fear, I do not know.

For ages, I have anxiously awaited
The flame of my life ignited,
The wings of my mind extended.
My beaming Lord, come stand before me,
Striding with gentle footsteps,
Trod by Your rosy feet.

You are the black ribbon in my braids,
Black woven into black.
In the black dot[1] on my forehead
And in my every pore, You are wed.

Sarkarverse article
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Monday, November 10, 2014

Devastating flute



(139)  Tumi esechile niirava nishiithe

On a silent night You came
To illuminate the vault of my heart.
Though I had no merit, still You came.
You taught me to love,
To love all living beings.

When I forget much,
In your clasp I am clutched.
When I forget much,
What I cannot forget
Is Your devastating flute.

Your flute overflows the banks of my heart;
Filling me with laughter, it removes my tears.
Devastating is Your smile.
Breathtaking is Your smile.
Breathtaking is Your flute.

You are in all seasons on all days;
In my life, You pervade.
You are in every atom of every body;
In my heart, You pervade.
You pervade...
In my affinities, you pervade.

On a silent night You came
To illuminate all that is mine.
Though I had no merit, still You came.
You taught me to love,
To love everything.

Sarkarverse article
Audio recording

Sunday, November 9, 2014

The cloud of dharma



(138)  Ami jedike takai heri o rupa keval

Wherever I look, I see only His form.
In both outer and inner worlds, He shines brightly.
In the air and sky, He floats serenely.
In flowers, He smiles with magical sweetness.
In my heart, He sings in an unspoken tongue.
In dance, He draws near with dulcet steps.

How can I forget Him?
Ever He rocks the cradle of the seven realms.[1]
If to hide, I go to mountain caves,
If to be obscure, I go dressed in blue to the blue sky—
Wherever I look, He is there, around me.
He smiles even in the black pupil of my eyes.

Whenever I try to forget Him, I do not forget—
I do not forget.
To leave Him and go on living, how hard it is—
How hard it is.
Wherever I look, I see only His form.
He is inside me, smiling brightly.

Sarkarverse article
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Saturday, November 8, 2014

A small abode



(137)  Beshii kichu nahi cai

We don't want anything more—
We want a little love and a small abode,
A place to hide our head from sun, rain, and snow.

Knowingly, we will never neglect you.
Just as we keep ourselves, we will keep this house of ours.
We want a peaceful, love-filled nest—
That is all we ask.

In destructive thunderstorms, you are our protector;
In kinship, you are our father.
Unbounded cordiality and a peerless dwelling
May we ever get.

Sarkarverse article
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Friday, November 7, 2014

Dear trees



(136)  Ajker ei shishutaru

Today's tender trees—
Their fruits, flowers, and heaps of leaves
Will blanket the scorched wasteland.

Sprinkling water with loving solicitation,
We will all nurture you.
In rain and storm, disease and any affliction,
Trees, we are with you.

Let the saline gray be covered.
Let desert-like thirst be quenched.
Let a sweet green bathe
Every barren of the universe.

Sarkarverse article
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Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Boundless joy



(135)  Janmadine ei shubha ksane

On this auspicious occasion of Your birthday,
Life is filled with boundless joy.
Every atom and every molecule
Vibrates with new color and fragrance.

Flushed with happiness, oblivious to self,
The minds of all are filled with ecstasy.
For You alone, overflowing hearts
Frolic in fascination.

Out of love, You came and remained near.
With lustrous beauty, you reside in the joy of all.

Sarkarverse article
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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

If not for You



(134)  Janama lagane

At the auspicious moment of Your birth,
The light of dawn
Came in new form, inspiring new hope.
All desires, all attainments
Were consummated in the lambent blue sky.

Today, the birds, how they do speak!.
The trees, they bow under fruit and flower.
Today, in the sweet breeze of a vibrant forest,
Everyone dances in fresh delight.

Today, with lively joy and pleasing song,
Fulfillment has come in a new atmosphere.

Sarkarverse article
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Sunday, November 2, 2014

On Your auspicious birthday



(133)  Tava shubha janmadine

On Your auspicious birthday,
The dawn's light comes with new grace,
Shining every moment in a new way.

In the sky and air today, nectar abounds.
In the flood of joy, my overflowing heart
Floats to an unknown place.
Today, in the attractive urge for bliss,
Sweet memories are called to mind.

Today, in the blue sky and refreshing breeze,
Birds go on singing,
Trees in bloom smile with their flowers—
A flood of sweetness flows.
Today, in the presence of all, in the midst of all,
In the core of my heart, I have realized Thee.

Sarkarverse article
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Saturday, November 1, 2014

Birthday pledge



(132)  Janmatithite nutaner srote

On my birthday,[1] in the current of the new,
May I realize the light of novelty.
Lord of poetic rhapsody,
Fill me with new vitality.

Whatever is given I'll take with both hands.
Whatever is heard I'll treasure in my heart.
Your life I'll devote to You.
In Your name let me be immersed.

Fresh is the tender new leaf;
From red it has gone green.
With new power and new ability,
I would engage in service to all.

No longer will I sing songs of despair.
Never will I deem life a burden.
In myriad rhythms and sweet jubilation,
Your message I will convey.

Sarkarverse article
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