Phunhay, Verse 3 — the decorations mean nothing without the One
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O my friend, I have made everything ready: eye makeup, garlands and betel leaves.
I have put on all sixteen decorations and lined my eyes.
If my Husband comes home, then I have everything.
O Lord! Without my Husband, all these decorations are wasted.
Getting everything ready on the outside means nothing if the Beloved is not there.
The bride in this verse has done it all: kaajal (eye makeup), haar (garlands), tambol (betel leaves). Solah kee-ay seegaar: she has put on the sixteen decorations of a bride in old India.
Jay ghar aavai kant: if the Husband comes home, everything is found. Kantai baajh seegaar sabh birthaa: without Him, all the decorating goes to waste. The bride is any soul, and the Husband is the One. What matters is the One's presence, more than how things look.
When has something looked perfect on the outside but felt empty inside?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI