Gurbani Translations
English Translation Synopsis
For Guru Nanak's Japji Sahib
& Guru Gobind Singh's Jaap Sahib
Guru Nanak’s Japji Sahib and Guru Gobind Singh’s Jaap Sahib are two of the most beautiful and potent compositions of Divine revelation. As the opening chapters of two extensive treasures of Divine poetry, the Siri Guru Adi Granth and the Siri Dasam Granth, respectively, they hold two distinct energies but combine as a pair like brother and sister, mother and father, two legs to walk on, two wings to fly.
They comprise the path of awakening of purity, simplicity and humility, to the royalty and uncompromising bravery of a warrior-saint, from Bhakti to Shakti. Numerous historic texts recommend their recitation together in the Amrit Vela, the hours before and around dawn.
Many essays and translations into various languages have been published. Reading different translations, a variety of possible understandings of content and implied teachings can be found – different minds reflecting different aspects of their essence some centuries after their conceptions. Comparing different translations opens the space of understanding.
In the two synopsises presented here, eight (for Japji Sahib) and seven (for Jaap Sahib) different English translations are listed next to each other. The original Gurmukhi with transliteration is always given in the first column.
The Jaap Sahib document serves implicitly as a word-by-word dictionary by usage of a colour code across the columns. Both documents include introductions touching on subjects like Naam, Naad, Simran and Jap, the problem of limitations within translations into other languages, the problem of duality of the human mind in kali yug, the style and energy of the poetry, the life and legacy of Guru Nanak, and some miscellanea. At the end of each document you find bibliography of all translations and further recommended literature.
May the time spent with these documents and the study of the Guru’s legacy be your greatest joy and inspiration. May they serve you, and may you serve the essence of sound within Gurbani, so you may be transformed and carried across. Nanak Naam Cherdi Kalaa.
Chandi Di Vaar
Gutka with English Translation
Guru Gobind Singh’s Chandi Di Vaar is a metaphoric song about the self, being challenged by the demons of the mind, seeking help and protection from Bhagauti, the Female Divine destroyer. The eternal battle of duality between good and bad, gods and demons, is fought and transcended by trust and surrender to the Divine Higher Self. The composition has an extraordinarily powerful sound-current to it.
This gutka (prayer book) and its downloadable PDF version contain the original Gurbani writing, a transliteration (romanisation) with a short pronunciation guide and an English translation. It lists some printed resources and audio recordings, available for streaming or download from the Resource page of this website. It also contains a short preamble about war as an ancient metaphor for life.
A6 format with neat wire binding, 62 pages, hand made in home production. Compiled and published by Sat Siri Singh, 2nd Issue, Vaisakhi 2011, Southall, U.K.
Price: £5 plus postage.
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Kirtan Sohila
Nighttime Prayer in English & German Translation
English
Kirtan Sohila is a night time prayer in five hymns written in the sacred script of Gurmukhi by Guru Nanak, Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan during the 16th century. It is sung or recited before going to sleep.
What we do or think just before sleeping is affecting the activity of our subsconsciousness during our sleeping and dreaming. Therefore, is it particularly important and beneficial to occupy our mind with the best possible vibration and message for it to heal and rest during night.
The process of falling asleep bears some resemblance to the process of dying (“Come, o death, you brother of sleep” – Johann Franck for J.S. Bach) in the sense that we have to give up control, surrender body and mind, and wait for the grace for it to happen, but also in the sense that we can practise to stay conscious during the process. Another similarity is the trust required that we will be protected during sleep and that we will wake up again to a new morning with new light.
Apart from that, the remembrance of death and the constant awareness of the limited time of our life are important aspects of the process of “awakening” to the soul and the fulfillment of life’s destiny and meaning. This is called “Rehit Maryada”, the lifestyle in remembrance of death. Therefore, our death is one of the subjects in these hymns as the great wedding to our Origin or the Divine Universal Soul.
Another subject is the light. Whenever it gets dark in our lives, we need strength, faith and trust that we can bear gracefully whatever may come, that we can do whatever required, and that there will always be Light at the end of the tunnel.
You can download two different formats:
German
Kirtan Sohila ist ein Nachtgebet in fünf Hymnen das von Guru Nanak, Guru Ram Das und Guru Arjan im 16. Jahrhundert in der heiligen Schrift und Sprache des Gurmukhi aufgeschrieben wurde. Es wird gewöhnlich vor dem Schlafen gehen rezitiert.
Was wir kurz vor dem Schafen tun und denken hat Auswirkungen auf die Aktivität unseres Unterbewusstseins während dem Schlafen und Träumen. Daher ist es besonders wichtig und hilfreich dass wir unseren Vestand zu diesem Zeitpunkt mit den bestmöglichen Schwingungen und Inhalten beschäftigen.
Das Einschlafen hat gewisse Ähnlichkeiten mit dem Sterben (“Komm, o Tod, du Schlafes Bruder” – Johann Franck für J.S. Bach). Wir müssen die Kontrolle über unseren Körper und Verstand aufgeben und auf die Gnade des Moments warten, wir können es nicht erzwingen. Bei jedem Einschlafen können wir das Sterben üben, insbesondere dass wir in dem Moment des Todes bewusst bleiben. Eine weitere Ähnlichkeit besteht darin, dass wir darauf vertrauen müssen, dass wir während des schlafens beschützt sind, dass wir wieder aufwachen, und dass das Licht zurück kommt.
Ausserdem ist das Bewusstsein über den eigenen Tod und die Endlichkeit des eigenen Lebens wichtig um dem Leben Erfüllung und Sinn zu geben. Dies nennt man “Rehit Maryada”, Leben in Bewusstsein des Todes. Daher ist unser Tod ein Thema in diesem Gebet und wird als die grosse, letzte Hochzeit (nach der Hochzeit mit einem Lebenspartner und der mit unserem Guru oder Heiland in From einer Taufe) mit unserem Ursprung oder der Göttlichen Universalen Seele beschrieben.
Ein weiteres Thema ist das Licht. Wann immer es dunkel wird in unserem Leben brauchen wir Stärke, Glauben und Vertrauen dass wir das was auf uns zukommt anmutig bestehen können, dass wir alles tun können was nötig ist, und dass am Ende des Tunnels wieder Licht sein wird.
Du kannst zwei verschiedene Formate herunterladen: