Salok Sheikh Farid, Salok 85 — the boat in the whirlpool
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Farid says: the day goes by in pain, and the night passes in aching.
The boatman stands and shouts: "The boat is caught in the whirlpool!"
A life tangled in the world's troubles is like a boat caught in a whirlpool.
Dukhaa saytee dihu ga-i-aa: the day passes in pain, and the night in sharp aches. Then comes the picture: kharhaa pukaaray paat-nee, the boatman stands up and cries out, because bayrhaa kapar vaat, the boat is in the whirlpool.
Many readers hear the boatman as a wise guide calling out a warning to the people on board. The salok stays honest about the danger; the next salok tells how a boat gets through.
When the water gets rough, whose steady voice can you listen for?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI