Except that it robs you of who you are,
What can you say about speech?
Inconceivable to live without
And impossible to live with,
Speech diminishes you.
Speak with a wise man, there’ll be
Much to learn; speak with a fool,
All you get is prattle.
Strike a half-empty pot, and it’ll make
A loud sound; strike one that is full,
Says Kabir, and hear the silence.
– Kabir Translated by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
Postscript:
I came across this on The New York Review of Books a few days ago and thought how much of the flavor and pithiness of the original is retained even in translation. I particularly love the line ‘Speech diminishes you.’
Kabir was a mystic poet, considered part of the Bhakti movement, which also included Meerabai, Tulsidas and Basava. More about Kabir here.
Speech
Except that it robs you of who you are,
What can you say about speech?
Inconceivable to live without
And impossible to live with,
Speech diminishes you.
Speak with a wise man, there’ll be
Much to learn; speak with a fool,
All you get is prattle.
Strike a half-empty pot, and it’ll make
A loud sound; strike one that is full,
Says Kabir, and hear the silence.
– Kabir
Translated by Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
Nada.
Tagged: Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Kabir, philosophy, social commentary, translation