ਹਾਡ ਜਲੇ ਜੈਸੇ ਲਕਰੀ ਕਾ ਤੂਲਾ ॥
haad jalay jaisay lakree kaa toolaa.
His bones burn, like a bundle of logs;
ਕੇਸ ਜਲੇ ਜੈਸੇ ਘਾਸ ਕਾ ਪੂਲਾ ॥੨॥
kays jalay jaisay ghaas kaa poolaa. ||2||
his hair burns like a bale of hay. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
This body I polish and worry over won't last forever — like everything made of earth, it returns to the earth one day.
Knowing that isn't scary. It just tells me where to put my heart: into what lasts, not only into what fades.
The body is on loan and returns to the earth — so build what lasts inside.
The literal verse pictures the body's ending in vivid, physical terms. For young readers the terror is set aside and the teaching kept: the body is on loan from the earth and returns to it. This isn't morbid — it's a compass. It quietly points you toward what doesn't wear out: kindness, truth, the Name held in the heart.
A Question to Sit With
If your body is temporary, what part of you do you most want to grow strong?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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