साधो यह मुर्दो का गाँव
sādho yah murdo kā gām̐v
O Sadhu, this is the Village of the Dead.
पीर मरिहे, पैगम्बर मरिहे,
मरिहे जिन्दा जोगी
राजा मरिहे, परजा मरिहे,
मरिहे बैध और रोगी
pīr marihe, paigambar marihe,
marihe jindā jogī
rājā marihe, parajā marihe,
marihe baidh aur rogī
marihe jindā jogī
rājā marihe, parajā marihe,
marihe baidh aur rogī
The saints are dead, the prophets too,
Dead are the living yogis
The kings are dead, the subjects too,
Dead are the doctor and the patient.
चन्दा मरिहे, सूरज मरिहे,
मरिहे धरनि आकाशा
चोहदा भुवन के चौधारि मरिहे,
इन हूँ कि क्या आशा
candā marihe, sūraj marihe
marihe dharani ākāśā
cohadā bhuvan ke caudhāri marihe
in hūm̐ ki kyā āśā
marihe dharani ākāśā
cohadā bhuvan ke caudhāri marihe
in hūm̐ ki kyā āśā
The moon is dead, the sun too,
Dead are the earth and sky.
The lords of the 14 worlds are dead,
what can be hoped for them.
नौहि मरिहे, दसहूँ मरिहे,
मरिहे सहज अठ्ठयासि
तैतीस कोटी देवाता मरिहे,
बडी काल की बाजी
nauhi marihe, dasahūm̐ marihe
marihe sahaj aṭhṭhayāsi
taitīs koṭī devātā marihe
baḍī kāl kī bājī
marihe sahaj aṭhṭhayāsi
taitīs koṭī devātā marihe
baḍī kāl kī bājī
The nine are dead, the ten too,
Dead easy are the eighty-eight!
Thirty-three crore gods are dead,
In this big play of Time/Death.
नाम अनाम अनंत रहत है,
दुजा तत्व न कोही
कहे कबीर सूनो भई साधो,
भटक मरो मत कोई
nām anām anant rahat hai
dujā tatv n kohī
kahe kabīr sūno bhaī sādho
bhaṭak maro mat koī
dujā tatv n kohī
kahe kabīr sūno bhaī sādho
bhaṭak maro mat koī
The Name Unnamed remains eternal,
There is no duality whatsoever.
Says Kabir, listen fellow Sadhu,
Don't you get lost and die!
Commentary
This is a song that reminds us of the mortality of the world. Of everything in it. Everything! There are no exceptions. If it exists it has to die! This entire world is indeed the 'village' of the dead.
Saints, prophets, yogis (even when they are alive!), kings, their subjects, doctors, patients, sun, moon, earth, sky, worlds etc. Things are dying in multitudes (nines, tens and eighty eights). All the gods die in the play of time, there is no hope for and from any of them!
What does not die is what does not exist: the Dual of existence - that which does not exist but has a name - nay, an unnamed name! As it does not exist it does not know death. Excepting that unnamed name, there is nothing else at all! If we consider something else to exist, it will die. There is no second to the Name.
Kabir reminds you to not get lost in this world of duality, the dead one, and get lost in its play to only eventually die. In stead, focus on the unnamed name and transcend death.
Parallels
You can see parallels to this song in almost all world traditions.
1) Lao Tsu says "The name that can be named is not the eternal name", so an eternal name should indeed be unnamed!
2) The bible says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was indeed God"
3) The Bhagavad Gita says, "The beginning-less Supreme Brahman is neither said to exist, nor to not exist".
4) The Upanishad says, "There is no multiplicity, here what-so-ever".
Interpretation
If you want to avoid the trap of high rhetoric, you can just think of the song as a reminder to constantly chant the name of God.
