Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The forsaken brides never learned their Beloved's worth — so what good are all their decorations?
Night and day they burn and wander; the bed of meeting knows no union.
All the decorations in the world cannot take the place of love.
This is the last sad picture of the lonely bride. It asks a sharp question: ki-aa kar karahi seegaar — what good are all her decorations? This bride is not plain. She may be the most dressed-up person in the whole poem, with jewels, silks, and makeup. She has everything except the one ornament that draws the Beloved. The next verse names it: the Shabad, the Word.
Decoration without love only hides the burning. An-din sadaa jaldee-aa — day and night she burns, even under all the finery. Think of a birthday party with balloons everywhere, where no one is actually having fun. This verse describes our own time a little too well: never more decorated, and never more on fire inside.
Where do you decorate the outside — profile, image, achievements — while something inside stays unmet?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI