Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Watching all the bright, colorful shows of the world, you get so swept up you laugh right along with them.
Meanwhile the thread of your days is quietly running out, day and night — and you haven't yet done the one thing that would truly nourish your soul.
This one says the most dazzling shows fade the fastest.
Paykh paykh ray kasumbh kee leelaa — watching and watching the play of kasumbh. Kasumbh is the safflower, which gives a bright red dye. That color is dazzling, but it washes out fast. Guru Arjan often uses it as a picture of beauty that does not last.
Raach maach tinhooN la-o hasoo-aa — you get so wrapped up that you laugh along with it all.
Chheejat dor dinas ar rainee — meanwhile the dor, the thread of life, wears thin, day and night. Think of a phone battery quietly dropping while you watch video after video.
And the loving nudge: jee-a ko kaaj na keeno kachhoo-aa — the soul's real work is still undone. This is not a threat. It is an invitation to spend some of that delight on what lasts.
What is something that looked incredibly exciting but faded much faster than you expected?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI