Verse 397 of 450
Salok Sheikh Farid, Salok 96 — water in a clay pot
ਕੰਧੀ ਉਤੈ ਰੁਖੜਾ ਕਿਚਰਕੁ ਬੰਨੈ ਧੀਰੁ ॥
kanDhee utai rukh-rhaa kichrak bannai Dheer.
How long can the tree remain implanted on the river-bank?
ਫਰੀਦਾ ਕਚੈ ਭਾਂਡੈ ਰਖੀਐ ਕਿਚਰੁ ਤਾਈ ਨੀਰੁ ॥੯੬॥
fareedaa kachai bhaaNdai rakhee-ai kichar taa-ee neer. ||96||
Fareed, how long can water be kept in a soft clay pot? ||96||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
How long can a tree on the riverbank stay standing firm?
Farid says: how long can water be kept in a pot of soft, unbaked clay?
Life is a tree on a riverbank; use its time well.
Life in the body lasts only a short while, like a tree on a crumbling bank.
Kandhee utai rukh-rhaa: a tree on the edge of the river. The water keeps eating the bank, and one day the tree falls. Kachai bhaandai: an unbaked clay pot slowly softens, and the water leaks away.
Both pictures say the same thing gently: our time here is short, so it is worth using well.
A Question to Sit With
What is one small thing today that you do not want to take for granted?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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