Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When a heart feels it has run out of its own strength and support, there is still somewhere warm to turn.
Stay close to the Beloved; rest at those gentle feet and take shelter there, says Kabir. You are never without a refuge.
The source's close first names niraasee: the soul-bride rises and departs disappointed, with no support or steadiness in her consciousness. Only then comes the shabad's answer, refuge: har kee charnee laag rahu... bhaj saran — take shelter at the Beloved's feet. The child-facing layer foregrounds that reassurance without cancelling the distress that precedes it. The whole shabad, which began with brief precious time, ends by pointing to where the tired heart can rest.
Where — or to whom — do you turn for shelter when your own strength feels used up?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI