Salok Sheikh Farid, Salok 91 — spare these two eyes
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The crows have searched all through my bones and eaten away the flesh.
But please, do not touch these two eyes — I still hope to see my Beloved.
Even when everything else is gone, the longing to see the Beloved remains.
This is one of Farid's most famous pictures. Kaagaa karang dhandholi-aa: the crows have picked over the bones. The image is stark, and it is kept here gently, because the whole salok turns on what comes next.
Ay du-ay nainaa mat chhuha-o: do not touch these two eyes. Pir daykhan kee aas: they still hope to see the Beloved. The eyes stand for the heart's longing for the One, which outlasts everything the world can take away.
What is something you hope for so deeply that you would never want to lose it?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI