Background:
Kabir was born and lived in a very interesting period in Indian cultural and religious history. India was ruled by Muslim kings in a Hindu majority North India. There were social tensions along with lively debate on religious rituals and beliefs of various communities. Kabir had a mixed heritage and criticized rituals in both Hinduism and Islam in his poetry. He tried to spread a message of humanity and true spirituality in his poems.
About the translation:
Rabindranath Tagore, himself a noble prize winner in literature, picked 100 most popular poems of Kabir and translated those in English for western readers. Tagore has deep understanding of Indian culture and western mind through English literature. The translation was carried out about 100 years ago when India was under British rule.
In the translation, Tagore captures the soul and root ideas of Kabir. It is worth a reading for readers who are interested in understanding complexity of Indian society and Indian mind.
