Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Be kind to me, gentle One, You who are tender to the humble.
My heart quietly asks for the dust of good and holy company.
Be kind, and give me this one gift, One:
let me live by keeping Your Name.
The closing prayer is empty-handed rather than self-abasing. Deen da-i-aalaa — 'kind to the meek' — is one of Guru Arjan's favorite names for the One. What is asked for is small and beautiful: saadhoo kee ravaalaa, the dust of the feet of good company, meaning simple nearness to loving, wise people. And the one gift requested, prabh naam, is to live by the Name — jap jeevai, remembrance as the breath a life runs on.
If you could ask for one simple gift, what would you ask for?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI