Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Caught up in the glitter of things that pass, the heart loves what cannot last.
It falls for a shimmering city in the desert that is only a mirage, or for leaves that are green today and gone tomorrow.
The heart hurts when it loves things that were never solid.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line at the center of the shabad. Maa-i-aa moh bhoolo avrai heet — lost in love for maa-i-aa, the glitter of things that pass, you love other things. Harichand-uree is a city made of mist, a mirage. In a hot desert, you can sometimes see a whole shining town at the edge of the sky. It is only air shimmering in the heat. Ban har paat are green forest leaves. They look fresh and full, but they fall.
These pictures are not a scolding. They explain a feeling, the way a doctor explains a pain. No wonder the heart aches. It fell for something that was never solid.
Have you ever looked forward to something that turned out to be less real than it seemed?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI