Verse 318 of 450
Salok Sheikh Farid, Salok 17 — honor the humble earth
ਫਰੀਦਾ ਖਾਕੁ ਨ ਨਿੰਦੀਐ ਖਾਕੂ ਜੇਡੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
fareedaa khaak na nindee-ai khaakoo jayd na ko-ay.
Fareed, do not slander the dust; noting is as great as dust.
ਜੀਵਦਿਆ ਪੈਰਾ ਤਲੈ ਮੁਇਆ ਉਪਰਿ ਹੋਇ ॥੧੭॥
jeevdi-aa pairaa talai mu-i-aa upar ho-ay. ||17||
When we are alive, it is under our feet, and when we are dead, it is above us. ||17||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Farid says: do not speak badly of the dust; nothing is as great as the dust.
While we are alive, it is under our feet. When we die, it lies over us.
The dust under our feet is greater than it looks.
The humble dust carries us all through life and covers us at the end, so it deserves honor.
Khaak na nindee-ai: do not look down on the dust. Jeevdi-aa pairaa talai: while we live, it is under our feet. Mu-i-aa upar ho-ay: when we die, it is above us, the earth over a grave.
The picture is quiet and honest. Everyone returns to the earth, the great and the small alike. The dust that seems lowest of all ends up above every one of us.
A Question to Sit With
What is something small and overlooked that quietly holds a lot together?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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