Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O my wandering mind, you roam far and wide like a camel crossing an endless desert. How will you ever reach the One who loves you like a mother?
And yet, the moment I found the teacher, by a deep good fortune, my Beloved came running and gathered me into an embrace.
However far the mind wanders, the One comes to hug it home.
This song is a Karhalay, a "camel song," by Guru Ram Das. The karhalaa is a camel. Here the camel is the mind. A camel can roam across huge deserts, and so can our restless thoughts. Think of your mind jumping from a game, to a worry, to a snack, to tomorrow, all in one minute.
The One is called maa-ay, Mother. The wandering mind is like a child far from home, longing to reach its mother.
The answer comes right away, and it is warm. Gal mili-aa pi-aaraa aa-ay — the Beloved came and hugged me. The whole song is a gentle coaxing of the wandering mind back home.
When you've wandered far — in your thoughts or your choices — what does it feel like to be welcomed home anyway?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI