Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When it pleases the One, even dry wood turns green. When it pleases the One, rivers run across the desert sand.
When it pleases the One, every fruit and every reward comes. Holding on to the Guru's feet, my worry is gone.
When the One wills it, even dry, lifeless things come back to life.
Tis bhaanaa means "when it pleases the One." Guru Arjan repeats it again and again. Sookay kaasat hari-aa — dry wood turns green. Thal sir sari-aa — rivers flow across the desert sand. Every good thing arrives.
Dry wood turning green is one of the Guru Granth Sahib's great pictures of hope. Think of a plant on the windowsill that looked dead all winter. Then one spring morning, a tiny green leaf pokes out. What looks finished can begin again. That fits Bhairao, a morning raag full of dawn light.
Chint ga-ee lag satgur paa-ay — my worry left when I held on to the Guru's feet. Chint means worry. Holding the Guru's feet means staying close to the Guru's guidance, the way a little one holds a grown-up's hand.
When has something you thought was over surprised you by coming back to life?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI