Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O my mind, even the people you carry and care for don't truly belong to you — they are yours to love, not to own.
This world is like a tree where a bird stops to rest for a while before flying on. We are all just visiting here.
We are all like birds resting a while on one tree, here to love, not to own.
Ray man tayro ko-ay nahee — O my mind, no one is yours to own. Even the people whose load you help carry do not belong to you.
Then comes Kabir's picture: birakh basayro pankh ko taiso ih sansaar. This world is like a tree where birds stop for the night. Basayro means a resting place. The birds sit side by side on the branches for a while, then fly on.
This does not mean love is pointless. It means we hold everyone lightly, as gifts, not as things we own. Even the people we care for most are fellow birds on the branch.
This sets up the shabad's gentle teaching: love fully, while gripping nothing.
What's the difference between loving someone and thinking they belong to you?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI