Immerse yourself in the sound of Amrita Kaur’s sweet and melodic voice as she presents this shabad, "Yak Arz Guftam Pesh Ton Dar Ghosh Kun Kartaar" written by Guru Nanak, accompanied by Momin Khan, Patri Kumar, Surdarshan Chana, Giridhar Udupa, and Gurdain Rayatt. Kaur engages the listener, conveying the devoting message of Guru Nanak’s undying faith in Waheguru; a humble reminder to follow the path of righteousness and that living an evil and greed-riddled life will leave you completely alone when life reaches its end.

About the Shabad:
This Shabad, composed by Guru Nanak Sahib in Raag Tilang and traditionally said to have been revealed in Mecca, uses fluent Persian to reflect on death and mortality through Islamic and Sufi ideas. It opens with the plea ‘yak arz guftam…’ (‘I offer this one prayer to You’), addressing the Creator with Islamic titles such as Haka, Kabir, Karim, and Parvardigar—terms familiar to Muslims of the period.

Guru Nanak Sahib presents the world as a temporary, perishable abode (duniya mukaney faani), drawing on the Persian notion of fani, and refers to Azraaeel, the angel of death, who has already taken hold of the speaker, though the speaker remains unaware. The Shabad moves into confession, admitting human failings—greed, harmful intentions, and neglect of good deeds—while stressing that when death comes, no family member can intervene.

By using Persian vocabulary, Guru Nanak Sahib addressed Muslims within the Persianate culture of the Mughal era, weaving Islamic references seamlessly into a distinctly Sikh message on mortality, responsibility, and life’s transience. The Gurmukhi script preserves the everyday pronunciations of the time, capturing how ordinary people actually spoke this cosmopolitan language.

TRANSLATION:

I offer this one prayer to You; please listen to it, O Creator Lord
You are true, great, merciful and spotless, O Cherisher Lord
The world is a transitory place of mortality, know this for certain in your mind
The Messenger of Death, has caught me by the hair on my head, and yet
I do not know it at all in my mind
Spouse, children, parents and siblings - none of them will be there to hold your hand
And when at last I fall, and the time of my last prayer has come, there shall be no one to rescue me
Night and day, I wandered around in greed, contemplating evil schemes
I never did good deeds; this is my condition
I am unfortunate, miserly, negligent, shameless and without the Fear of God.
Says Nanak, I am Your humble servant, the dust of the feet of Your slaves.

About the Project

Performance Date: 6 April 2025  
Venue: Barbican Centre, London  
This project explored how Guru Nanak’s timeless message of equality, compassion and spiritual awakening continues to resonate. Music was central to his mission—he travelled with Bhai Mardana, a Muslim rababi, using song to share spiritual wisdom beyond caste and creed. Darbar honoured this tradition by bringing musicians of diverse faiths onto one stage, spreading unity and peace.  

 

Credits:

Musicians
Aruna Sairam (carnatic vocals) 
Zeeshan Ali (sufi vocals) 
Bhai Anantvir Singh (kirtania) 
Amrita Kaur (kirtania) 
Momin Khan (sarangi) 
Patri Satish Kumar (mridangam) 
Giridhar Udupa (ghatam) 
Surdarshan Chana  (tabla & jori) 
Gurdain Rayatt (tabla) 
Beibei Wang (da ga drum) 

 

Darbar Team
Sandeep Virdee OBE (Artistic Director) 
Simrat Lall (Darbar Festival Manager) 
María Guardiola (Festivals and Events Manager) 
Depesh Patel (Events Manager) 
Jamie Craven (Head of Design) 
Rahul Ravindran (Creative Video Editor) 
Sana Ejaz (Marketing Executive) 
Zahabiya Patharia (Marketing Executive) 
Christoph Bracher (Head of Sound) 

 

Filming Crew
Pritpal Sagoo (Digital Consultant) 
Gurwinder Soor (Content Creator and Platform Manager) 
Tom Grancia (Technical Production) 
Carl Owen (Camera Operator) 
Chris Connel (Camera Operator) 
Anup Parmar (Camera Operator) 
Nick Morchang (Camera Operator) 

 

*Technical Team*
Phil Jones (Front of House Sound) 
John Duckett (Sound Monitors) 
Mark Gardner (Lighting Designer) 
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Darbar believes in the power of Indian classical arts to stir and inspire. Since 2006, we have delivered live events, education, broadcasts and digital experiences, while supporting new talent from India and the UK. 

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