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That which you see is not

by Kabir
Translated by Rabindranath Tagore (1915) · From Songs of Kabir, XLIX

That which you see is not: and for that which is, you have no words.
Unless you see, you believe not: what is told you you cannot accept.
He who is discerning knows by the word; and the ignorant stands gaping.
Some contemplate the Formless, and others meditate on form: but the wise man knows that Brahma is beyond both.
That beauty of His is not seen of the eye: that metre of His is not heard of the ear.
Kabîr says: "He who has found both love and renunciation never descends to death."

This poem and this translation are in the public domain. Source text: Project Gutenberg.

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