Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Keep me safe however You see fit. I have come to take shelter with You.
I go the wrong way and mess things up, day and night. Please keep me from shame.
I am only a child, and You, the Guru, are my father. Please teach me and help me understand.
Nanak is known as Yours. Please keep him from shame.
You get to be the child, and the One is a patient, loving parent.
The shabad ends with a tender picture. Ham baarik toon gur pitaa hai — I am just a child, and You, the Guru, are my father. After all the talk of banks and trade, it comes home to the simplest bond there is. A child looks up at a loving parent. The child does not need to prove anything. They just ask to be taught, guided, and kept safe.
The singer is fully honest: ham bhool vigaarhah dinas raat — I go wrong and mess things up day and night. Yet this is said to a parent who will not shame a child for stumbling. The parent just picks them up. Think of learning to ride a bike with a grown-up running alongside. When you wobble and fall, they help you up and hold the seat again. Har laaj rakhaa-ay — the One keeps our honor safe. That is the bond on offer. You get to be the child, and the One gets to be the patient parent.
What's the best thing about being able to go to a grown-up who loves you when you're stuck?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI