Nanak speaks in praise of God not as a pundit, but as if inebriated. His words aren't those of a scholar, but rather they express a person completely steeped in the wine of love; therefore the repetitions. They are words spoken in a state of ecstasy, just as you see a drunkard going along the road repeating himself over and over and over again. Nanak is completely inebriated with some profound intoxicant, so he also indulges in repetition.

Babar, the Moghul, invaded India. Taking Nanak to be of doubtful character, he had him imprisoned along with others. But gradually the news began to reach Babar that there was a unique prisoner who created around him a strange atmosphere, a spirit of intoxication, and he kept singing happily all day. Babar thought such a man cannot be imprisoned who has an internal freedom that cannot be put in chains, so he sent Nanak a message to come and see him. Nanak replied, "You will have to come and visit, O king, for Nanak is in that realm from which visiting people is out of the question." So Babar himself went to the prison to see. He was very impressed by Nanak's personality. He brought him to the palace and offered him the choicest wine. Nanak laughed and sang a song in which he told the king that Nanak has already tasted the wine of God, now no other wine can affect him. The king would do well to drink from Nanak's wine instead of the ordinary wine.

These are songs of a drunkard. Nanak sings away like a small child or like a drunkard. He is not guided by any rule or conditions, nor has he tried to beautify his language. His poems are like uncut stones.

When a poet writes, he writes and rewrites and makes a thousand changes. He worries about the grammar, he worries about the rhythm, the meter, the words. He makes many changes. Even a poet the caliber of Rabindranath Tagore used to do this. His diaries are full of cuts and rewrites.
Nanak's words are different. They are not changed and arranged. They are just as Nanak uttered them. These are words that were spoken and not written; therefore no account is kept of the rhythm or the cadence or even the language. If it has a meter, it is the meter of the soul; if there is any grammar, it is not of man, but of God. If you find any rhythm in it, it is the rhythm of the ecstasy and intoxication within. This is why whenever anyone asked Nanak a question he would say, "Listen!" then Mardana, his close disciple, would pick up his instrument and Nanak would sing.
Remember this, otherwise you will be confused at Nanak's constant repetition. You will wonder why he keeps saying His attributes are priceless, His worth is priceless... again and again. These are words spoken in ecstasy, not words repeated from somewhere; these are words that hummed within him. It did not matter if others heard. If you keep this in mind, Nanak's words will reveal countless depths.

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......Nanak talks of Him for His very name is a source of bliss. He mentions Him at the slightest excuse, for it gives much joy. It seems he has nothing else to talk about. To introduce the subject is to knock at His door and when you talk of Him, the door opens. Have you ever noticed how a mother is always talking of her newborn child? Whether she talks to the neighbors, to her visitors, to the shopkeepers, the topic is always the child.

The lover constantly tells his beloved how much he loves her, how beautiful she is, how unique, unparalleled. He tells her again and again, that there will never be another like her. How lucky he is to have her! The beloved doesn't realize why he keeps repeating the same things over and over. Constant repetition increases love. Love intensifies by constant repetition. Like the buzz of a bee as it hovers around the flowers, love begins to hum around the beloved.

What happens in ordinary life is the same as in divine love, only on a different scale, but the substance remains the same. So Nanak goes on and on telling the same things about Him. If you have not loved, you will find this very jarring and foolish. The Japji can be told in three small words: Ek Omkar Satnam. Then why does he go on and on? There is so much pleasure, so much joy in talking about Him! And if the feeling takes birth within, you too will find how sweet, how tender is His name.

A child was taught to say his prayers before going to bed. One day his mother observed him closely to see whether he really prayed. The child muttered one word and pulling the blanket up, lay down on the pillow. "What is this?" she asked, "Are your prayers over so soon?"

The child answered, "Why should I waste my time saying the same things every day? So I say to God, 'Ditto!' and I'm sure He is intelligent enough to understand."

The intellect gives you such advice: Why repeat yourself? But the heart wants to repeat over and over. The heart has never heard the word ditto. And while the heart keeps repeating, it is immersed in the nectar of His name. The more the heart repeats, the more we are lost in ecstasy. This is like the humming of the bee, but it can only be understood if you have had the necessary feelings.

At the very end Nanak reminds us not to indulge in boasting of knowing Him or being able to describe His attributes, for that can only prove you to be the chief among fools. If by constantly singing His praises your ego is lost, you shall be the wise among the wise. If, however, talking of Him is strengthening your ego, if you think: Who else but I could know what I know? then you are the fool of fools!