Salok Sheikh Farid, Salok 1 — the wedding day already written
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
The day of the bride's wedding is already written.
On that day the angel of death, whom she had only heard about, comes and shows its face.
The body's bones give way, and the helpless soul is drawn out.
The written time cannot be put off. Help your soul understand this.
The soul is the bride, and death is the groom. He will marry her and take her away.
After the body sends her off with its own hands, whose neck will it hug?
The bridge over hell is thinner than a hair — have you not heard of it with your own ears?
Farid says: the call has come. Be careful, and do not let yourself be robbed.
Every life has a day already set for leaving, so do not let your days be stolen.
Sheikh Farid was a Muslim Sufi saint of Punjab who lived about eight hundred years ago. A Sufi is someone who longs to be close to the One with a loving heart. His saloks, short verses, were later placed in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Jit dihaarhai Dhan varee: the day the bride is married. Saahay la-ay likhaa-ay: its date is already written. Jind vahutee maran var: the soul is the bride, and death is the groom. Vaalahu nikee puraslaat: the bridge thinner than a hair, a picture from old Muslim teaching. These pictures are strong on purpose, made for grown-ups who saw loss up close.
The last line holds the point: kharhaa na aap muhaa-ay, do not stand by and let yourself be robbed of the time you have.
If you treated today as precious, what would you make sure to do with it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI