The Hare Krishna Movement

Visnujana Swami

This song written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, and made famous in the West by the illustrious Visnujana Swami, has always been a favorite of mine, and the devotees of The Hare Krishna Movement.

Kabe Ha’be Bolo
(Invocation of the Holy Name)
By Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

When, oh when will that day be mine?
When my offenses ceasing, taste for the name increasing.
When in my heart will your mercy shine?
When, oh when, will that day be mine.

Lower than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree.
When will my mind attain this quality?
Respectful to all, not expecting their honor,
then shall I taste the name’s nectar sublime.

Great wealth or followers, feminine beauty,
I won’t care for them or the comforts of my body.
Birth after birth, give me, Oh Lord Caitanya,
causeless devotion to Your feet divine.

When will I utter Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,
with words choked up and shivering body?
When will I be trembling all over, lose bodily color,
tears pouring from my eyes.

When in Navadvipa along the Ganges bank,
shouting ‘Gaura-Nityananda’ as a surrendered soul,
dancing, chanting, running everywhere,
when will I become half mad of mind?

When will Lord Nityananda show mercy upon me,
when will I reject the world of Maya:
Bestow unto me the shade of Your lotus feet,
let the right to preach the name be mine.

I will beg, borrow, or steal the nectar of the name.
By the name’s effect I will feel paralyzed.
Oh! Enjoyed of the nectar of the name
when will I touch your lotus feet till the end of time?

When kindness to all beings will be appearing
with free heart forget myself comforting
Bhaktivinoda in all humility prays
“Now I will set out to preach Your order sublime.”

kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār
(āmār) aparādha ghuci’, śuddha nāme ruci,
kṛpā-bale ha’be hṛdoye sañcār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

kabe jībe doyā, hoibe udoya,
nija-sukha bhuli’ sudīna-hṛdoya
bhakativinoda, koriyā binoya,
śrī-ājñā-ṭahala koribe pracār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

Full Song With Synonyms

kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār
(āmār) aparādha ghuci’, śuddha nāme ruci,
kṛpā-bale ha’be hṛdoye sañcār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

kabe ha’be–when will it be?; bolo–please tell me; se-dina–that day; āmār–mine; (āmār)–my; aparādhā ghuci’ –offenses ceasing; śuddha nāme–for the pure holy name; ruci–increasing taste; kṛpā-bale–by the power of divine grace; ha’be–will be; hṛdoye–within my heart; sañcār–infused.

When, oh when will that day be mine?
When my offenses ceasing, taste for the name increasing.
When in my heart will your mercy shine?
When, oh when, will that day be mine.

tṛṇādhika hīna, kabe nije māni’,
sahiṣṇutā-guṇa hṛdoyete āni’
sakale mānada, āpani amānī,
ho’ye āswādibo nāma-rasa-sār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

tṛṇādhika hīna–lower than a blade of grass; kabe–when?; nije māni’ – considering myself; sahiṣnutā-guṇa–the quality of forbearance; hṛdoyete– into my heart; āni’ –bringing; sakale mānada–showing respect to all; āpani–myself; amānī hoye–being freed from false pride; āsvādibo–I will taste; nāma-rasa-sār–the essence of the nectar of the holy name.

Lower than a blade of grass, more tolerant than a tree.
When will my mind attain this quality?
Respectful to all, not expecting their honor,
then shall I taste the name’s nectar sublime.

dhana jana āra, kobitā-sundarī,
bolibo nā cāhi deho-sukha-karī
janme-janme dāo, ohe gaurahari!
ahaitukī bhakti caraṇe tomār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

dhana–wealth; jana–following; āra–and; kavitā-sundarī–beautiful women, as described in worldly poetry; bolibo–I will say; nā cāhi–I do not want; deho-sukha-karī–bodily pleasures; janme janme–birth after birth; dāo–please give; ohe gaurahari–O Lord Gaurahari!; ahaitukī bhakti– unmotivated devotion; caraṇe tomār–to Your lotus feet.

Great wealth or followers, feminine beauty,
I won’t care for them or the comforts of my body.
Birth after birth, give me, Oh Lord Caitanya,
causeless devotion to Your feet divine.

(kabe) korite śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma uccāraṇa,
pulakita deho gadgada bacana
baibarṇya-bepathu ha’be sańghaṭana,
nirantara netre ba’be aśru-dhār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

(kabe)–when?; korite–to do; śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma uccāraṇa–while articulating the divine name of Srī Kṛṣṇa; pulakita deho–body thrilled in ecstatic rapture; gadgada vacana–words choked with emotion; vaivarṇyavepathu–changing bodily color and ecstatic trembling; ha’be sańghaṭana–will occur; nirantara–constantly; netre–from my eyes; ba’be–will flow; aśru-dhār–streams of tears.

When will I utter Krsna, Krsna, Krsna,
with words choked up and shivering body?
When will I be trembling all over, lose bodily color,
tears pouring from my eyes.

kabe navadwīpe, suradhunī-taṭe,
gaura-nityānanda boli’ niṣkapaṭe
nāciyā gāiyā, berāibo chuṭe,
bātulera prāya chāriyā bicār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

kabe–when?; navadvīpe–in the land of Navadvīpa; suradhunī-taṭe–on the banks of the celestial Ganges; gaura-nityānanda boli’ –calling, “O Gaura! O Nityānanda!”; niṣkapaṭe–innocently; nāciyā–dancing; gāiyā– singing; beḍāibo chuṭe–I will joyfully run about; bātulera prāya–just like a madman; chāḍiyā vicār–giving up all considerations.

When in Navadvipa along the Ganges bank,
shouting ‘Gaura-Nityananda’ as a surrendered soul,
dancing, chanting, running everywhere,
when will I become half mad of mind?

kabe nityānanda, more kori ‘doyā,
chārāibe mora viṣayera māyā
diyā more nija-caraṇera chāyā,
nāmera hāṭete dibe adhikār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

kabe–when?; nityānanda–Lord Nityānanda; more kori’ doyā–being merciful to me; chāḍāibe mora–He will release me; viṣayera māyā–from the illusion of worldliness; diyā more–having given me; nija-caraṇera chāyā–the shade of His own feet; nāmera hāṭete–into the marketplace of the holy name; dibe adhikār–He will allow me to enter.

When will Lord Nityananda show mercy upon me,
when will I reject the world of Maya:
Bestow unto me the shade of Your lotus feet,
let the right to preach the name be mine.

kinibo, luṭibo, hari-nāma-rasa,
nāma-rase māti’ hoibo bibaśa
rasera rasika-caraṇa paraśa,
koriyā mojibo rase anibār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

kinibo–I shall buy; luṭibo–I shall plunder; hari-nāma-rasa–the mellows of the name of Hari; nāma-rase–by those mellows of the holy name; māti’ – becoming intoxicated; hoibo vivaśa–I shall become stunned; rasera rasika–of those great souls who relish those mellows; caraṇa paraśa–by touching the feet; koriyā majibo–I will be immersed; rase–in the sweet nectar; anibār–constantly.

I will beg, borrow, or steal the nectar of the name.
By the name’s effect I will feel paralyzed.
Oh! Enjoyed of the nectar of the name
when will I touch your lotus feet till the end of time?

kabe jībe doyā, hoibe udoya,
nija-sukha bhuli’ sudīna-hṛdoya
bhakativinoda, koriyā binoya,
śrī-ājñā-ṭahala koribe pracār
kabe ha’be bolo se-dina āmār

kabe–when?; jīve doya–compassion for all fallen souls; hoibe udoya–there will be an awakening; nija-sukha bhuli’ –forgetting my own happiness; sudīna-hṛdoya–with a meek heart; bhakativinoda–this Bhaktivinoda; koriyā vinoya–by humble entreaty; śrī-ājñā-tahala–the sacred order of Srī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; koribe pracār–will set out to propagate.

When kindness to all beings will be appearing
with free heart forget myself comforting
Bhaktivinoda in all humility prays
“Now I will set out to preach Your order sublime.”

Text pasted from; http://kksongs.org/songs/k/kabehabebolo.html