kabe ha'bewhen will it be?;boloplease tell me;se-dinathat day;āmārmine;(āmār)my;aparādhā ghuci'offenses ceasing;śuddha nāmefor the pure holy name;ruciincreasing taste;kṛpā-baleby the power of divine grace;ha'bewill be;hṛdoyewithin my heart;sañcārinfused
Translation
Please tell me, When will that day be mine—when my offenses will end and the power of divine grace will infuse my heart with a taste for the pure holy name?
tṛṇādhika hīnalower than a blade of grass;kabewhen?;nije māni'considering myself;sahiṣnutā-guṇathe quality of forbearance;hṛdoyeteinto my heart;āni'bringing;sakale mānadashowing respect to all;āpanimyself;amānī hoyebeing freed from false pride;āsvādiboI will taste;nāma-rasa-sārthe essence of the nectar of the holy name
Translation
Thinking myself lower than a blade of grass, bringing forbearance into my heart, respecting all, and freed of false pride—when will I taste the essence of the liquid nectar of the holy name?
dhanawealth;janafollowing;āraand;kavitā-sundarībeautiful women, as described in worldly poetry;boliboI will say;nā cāhiI do not want;deho-sukha-karībodily pleasures;janme janmebirth after birth;dāoplease give;ohe gaurahariO Lord Gaurahari!;ahaitukī bhaktiunmotivated devotion;caraṇe tomārto Your lotus feet
Translation
Neither wealth nor followers, nor beautiful women described in worldly poetry—none of these bodily pleasures do I covet. O Lord Gaurahari, please give me causeless devotion to Your lotus feet, birth after birth!
(kabe)when?;koriteto do;śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāma uccāraṇawhile articulating the divine name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa;pulakita dehobody thrilled in ecstatic rapture;gadgada vacanawords choked with emotion;vaivarṇya-vepathuchanging bodily color and ecstatic trembling;ha'be saṅghaṭanawill occur;nirantaraconstantly;netrefrom my eyes;ba'bewill flow;aśru-dhārstreams of tears
Translation
When, as I chant the divine name of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, will my body thrill with ecstasy and my words choke up, when will pallor and trembling occur, and when will my eyes pour forth endless streams of tears?
kabewhen?;navadvīpein the land of Navadvīpa;suradhunī-taṭeon the banks of the celestial Ganges;gaura-nityānanda boli'calling, “O Gaura! O Nityānanda!”;niṣkapaṭeinnocently;nāciyādancing;gāiyāsinging;beḍāibo chuṭeI will joyfully run about;bātulera prāyajust like a madman;chāḍiyā vicārgiving up all considerations
Translation
When will I run about on the Ganges bank in Navadvīpa, guilelessly calling out "Gaura-Nityānanda!" dancing and singing like a madman, giving up all mundane considerations?
kabe nityānanda, more kori 'doyā,chārāibe mora viṣayera māyādiyā more nija-caraṇera chāyā,nāmera hāṭete dibe adhikār
Word for word
kabewhen?;nityānandaLord Nityānanda;more kori' doyābeing merciful to me;chāḍāibe moraHe will release me;viṣayera māyāfrom the illusion of worldliness;diyā morehaving given me;nija-caraṇera chāyāthe shade of His own feet;nāmera hāṭeteinto the marketplace of the holy name;dibe adhikārHe will allow me to enter
Translation
When will Lord Nityānanda show me mercy and release me from the illusion of materialism? When will He give me the shade of His lotus feet and let me enter the marketplace of the holy name?
kiniboI shall buy;luṭiboI shall plunder;hari-nāma-rasathe mellows of the name of Hari;nāma-raseby those mellows of the holy name;māti'becoming intoxicated;hoibo vivaśaI shall become stunned;rasera rasikaof those great souls who relish those mellows;caraṇa paraśaby touching the feet;koriyā majiboI will be immersed;rasein the sweet nectar;anibārconstantly
Translation
I shall buy or steal the mellows of the holy name of Hari, and after becoming intoxicated with those mellows I shall become stunned. By touching the lotus feet of the great souls who relish those mellows, I shall constantly drown in the sweet nectar of the name.
kabewhen?;jīve doyacompassion for all fallen souls;hoibe udoyathere will be an awakening;nija-sukha bhuli'forgetting my own happiness;sudīna-hṛdoyawith a meek heart;bhakativinodathis Bhaktivinoda;koriyā vinoyaby humble entreaty;śrī-ājñā-tahalathe sacred order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu;koribe pracārwill set out to propagate
Translation
When will compassion for all fallen souls awaken within this Bhaktivinoda, and when will he thus forget his own happiness and with a meek heart set out to propagate by humble entreaty the sacred order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu?
From Saranagati, a classic surrender song asking 'when will that day be' when material attachment loosens and steady devotion to Krishna finally takes root in the heart.
Frequently asked
Who wrote Kabe Habe Bolo?
Kabe Habe Bolo was composed by Bhaktivinoda Thakura. It appears in Songs of Vaishnava Acaryas.
What is the meaning of Kabe Habe Bolo?
Please tell me, When will that day be mine—when my offenses will end and the power of divine grace will infuse my heart with a taste for the pure holy name?
Where can I listen to Kabe Habe Bolo?
You can listen to 9 recordings of Kabe Habe Bolo on this page, including versions sung by HG Agnidev Prabhu, HG Anandarupa Prabhu, HG Jai Sachinandana Prabhu, HG Sivarama Prabhu.
How many verses does Kabe Habe Bolo have?
Kabe Habe Bolo has 8 verses.
Can I download Kabe Habe Bolo as a PPT or PDF?
Yes. A ready-to-display slide deck for Kabe Habe Bolo — verse and translation on each slide — is available to download in both PowerPoint (.pptx) and PDF formats from this page, for use in kirtan or temple programs.
Audio courtesy of ISKCON Desire Tree, Hare Krishna Mandir, ISKCON Devotees. All glories to the devotee singers.
