Poems from the Guru Granth Sahib

by Guru Nanak, Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh (Translation)

Guru Nanak (1469–1539), a native of Panjab, founded the Sikh religion. His vast corpus of nearly a thousand hymns forms the core of the Guru Granth Sahib , the Sikhs’ sacred book of ethics, philosophy, and theology. The scripture was expanded and enriched by his nine successors, and Sikhs continue to revere it today as the embodiment of their tradition.

Poems from the Guru Granth Sahib offers a compilation of spiritual lyrics showcasing the range and depth of Guru Nanak’s literary style while conveying his pluralistic vision of the singular divine and his central values of equality, inclusivity, and civic action. This new English translation includes celebrated long hymns such as “Alphabet on the Board” and “Ballad of Hope” alongside innovative shorter poems like “The Hours.” It is presented here alongside the original text in Gurmukhi, the script developed by the Guru himself.

624 pages, Hardcover

Published February 8, 2022

About the author

Guru Nanak (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ) is the founder of the religion of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus, the eleventh guru being the living Guru, Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak travelled far and wide teaching people the message of one God who dwells in every one of God's creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. He setup a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternity love, goodness, and virtue.

Guru Nanak’s teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, as a vast collection of revelatory verses recorded in Gurmukhi.

Through popular tradition, Nanak’s teaching is understood to be practised in three ways:
* Vaṇḍ Chakkō: Sharing with others, helping those with less who are in need
* Kirat Karō: Earning/making a living honestly, without exploitation or fraud
* Naam Japna: Meditating on God's name to control your evils to eliminate suffering and live a happy life.