They come from different parts of the world. Markus is East German. Angelika was born in Tucson, Arizona, and grew up in a small village near Mexico City, the daughter of a Mexican mother and German father.
Together, Angelika and Markus have forged engaging new style of world devotional music blending Gurmukhi mantras from the Kundalini Yoga tradition with original songs in English and Spanish that reflect a Native American influence and also draw words of wisdom from Rumi, Thich Nhat Hanh, Guru Nanak and Yogi Bhajan.
Through exquisitely crafted recordings like their CD A Hundred Blessings, Mirabai Ceiba weave a beguiling tapestry from these diverse influence and sources. And that’s what the music feels like: a beneficent and abundant gift from the universe. In concert, they inspire all present to chant together in a spirit of compassionate love and Oneness.
Even the name Mirabai Ceiba embodies the influences of both India and Native Latin America. Mirabai (1498-1547) was a Hindu mystical singer. Her songs express the longing of the individual self to be one with the universal self, represented by Krishna. For Angelika and Markus, the name Mirabai “is the exploration, the devotion, the inspiration in all the different aspects of divinity.”
And the Ceiba is a sacred tree of Latin America which is never cut and grows very tall. “We wish our music could be like the Ceiba tree,” say Markus and Angelica, “with roots deep in Mother Earth and branches extending far and wide into Father Sky.”
Mirabai Ceiba have published several albums with Spirit Voyage Music.
Ante
Mirabai Ceiba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ant na vaykhan, sunan na ant, ant na jaapai, ki-aa man mant.
Ant na jaapai keetaa aakaar, ant na jaapai paaaraavaar.
Ant kaaran kaytay bil-lahee. Taa kay ant na paa-ay jaahe.
Ayh(o) ant na jaanai ko-eh. Bahutaa kahee-ai bahutaa ho-eh.
Vadaa sahib uuchaa thaa-o, uuchay uupar uuchaa naa-o.
Ayvaad uuchaa hovai ko-eh. Tis uuchay kao jaanai so-eh.
Jayvaad aap jaanai aap aap. Naanak naderie karmee daat.
Endless are His doings and His givings.
Endless are the sights and sounds,
Limitless the mysteries of His mind.
Endless His creation and its expanse, here and beyond.
Countless struggle to find His limit, it cannot be found.
Nobody knows the end. The more one says, the more one fails.
Great is the Lord, high His abode,
His name the highest of the high.
One must reach those heights to know,
he himself knows how vast He is.
Oh Nanak, it is thy gracious glance that can raise a man so high.
The song "Ante" by Mirabai Ceiba reflects on the limitless nature of God and the power of his grace. The lyrics explore different aspects of God that cannot be quantified or understood entirely by the human mind. The song begins by stating that God's praises are limitless, and so are the people who speak them. This implies that the true nature of God cannot be encapsulated in words and is beyond human comprehension.
The next verse explores the ways in which God's actions and generosity are also unbounded. The line "Endless are His doings and His givings" refers to how God's grace and mercy are available to all without limit. The following lines talk about the endless sights and sounds of God's creation and the mysteries of His mind, which are also beyond human understanding. The chorus reinforces the idea that God is limitless and that His mysteries cannot be expressed through words and concepts.
The second half of the song talks about the struggle to understand God's nature and how it cannot be fully comprehended. The line "Countless struggle to find His limit, it cannot be found" implies that despite trying to understand God's nature and limits, one will always fall short. The verse ends with the statement that nobody knows the end, and the more one talks about it, the more they fail to understand it.
The last verse talks about the greatness of God and His high abode. It explains that to truly understand God's nature and vastness, one must reach those great heights themselves. The verse ends by saying that only through His grace can one elevate oneself to such heights, and it is through His benevolent gaze that one can achieve such an exalted state.
Overall, the song "Ante" reflects on the infinite nature of God, His benevolence, and the power of His grace, which can elevate humans to divine heights. The lyrics urge the listener to contemplate the limitless nature of God and strive to elevate themselves to His lofty heights.
Line by Line Meaning
Ant na siphtee, kaihan na ant. Ant na karnai, dayn na ant.
The number of God's attributes cannot be comprehended or spoken of. There are no limits to His works and His gifts.
Ant na vaykhan, sunan na ant, ant na jaapai, ki-aa man mant.
There are no limits to the sights and sounds of God, and no chant or mantra can capture all His essence.
Ant na jaapai keetaa aakaar, ant na jaapai paaaraavaar.
God cannot be described in the form of any creation, neither can He be described in His infinite expansiveness.
Ant kaaran kaytay bil-lahee. Taa kay ant na paa-ay jaahe.
Despite numerous attempts, no one can find the limits of God's cause or actions.
Ayh(o) ant na jaanai ko-eh. Bahutaa kahee-ai bahutaa ho-eh.
No one can know the end of God, and the more we try to describe Him, the more it becomes clear that He cannot be contained in words.
Vadaa sahib uuchaa thaa-o, uuchay uupar uuchaa naa-o.
The Lord is great and His abode is lofty, and His name is the highest of the high.
Ayvaad uuchaa hovai ko-eh. Tis uuchay kao jaanai so-eh.
One can only know the heights of the Lord by reaching them, and only He Himself knows how vast He is.
Jayvaad aap jaanai aap aap. Naanak naderie karmee daat.
As much as one can know oneself, one must also know the Lord. O Nanak, it is through His grace that one's deeds are rewarded.
Contributed by Dylan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.