Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I give my whole self to You — please turn Your face toward me, my Beloved.
It hurts so much when I can't feel You near.
This one is about how even the greatest lovers of the One felt the ache of distance.
Ha-o vaaree mukh fayr pi-aaray — I give my whole self to You, my Beloved; please turn Your face to me.
This is the "rahaa-o," the pause line. It is the center of the shabad. It is a raw cry of longing.
Karvat day mo ka-o kaahay ka-o maaray — why have You turned Your back to me? It feels like it is killing me. This is the pain of feeling apart from the One. It feels as if the Beloved's face is turned away, and the closeness is gone.
Kabir does not hide this pain. He pours it out honestly. It helps to know that even great lovers of the One sometimes felt far away.
Think of missing a best friend who has moved to another city. The ache does not mean the friendship failed. It shows how much you care. The ache is proof of love. And crying out honestly, as Kabir does, is itself a way of staying close.
Is it okay to tell someone you love how much you miss them when they feel far away?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI