Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Youth has passed, and old age has come in its place.
The hands tremble, the head shakes, the eyes no longer see.
The eyes don't see, for want of remembering the One; he must leave the pull of illusion and depart.
He wore out mind and body for his relatives — but now they do not listen, and turn away from him.
Love for the perfect, endless One never lived in his mind, even for an instant.
Nanak prays: the fort of paper is false — it is destroyed in an instant.
This part looks kindly and honestly at growing old, to help us get ready while we can.
Joban ga-i-aa biteet — youth has passed. Kar kampeh sir dol — the hands shake, the head nods. The eyes grow dim. This isn't meant to be cruel. It is the gentle honesty of naming what comes to everyone, so we prepare in time. Think of Grandpa's hands shaking as he holds his tea.
Then a sad, clear-eyed line about a life spent only on others' approval. He wore out mind and body for his relatives. Kahi-aa na maaneh — now they don't listen to him. A life poured only into worldly ties, with nothing gathered for the soul, can end feeling alone.
The closing picture is hard to forget. Kot kaagar — a fort made of paper. It is false, and it falls in an instant. Everything we build for safety in the world is like that. A good name, money, a high position. They look strong, and they are gone in a moment. Only the Name is not paper. This is a kind look at how short life is, not a message to be afraid.
What things do people build up for security that turn out to be like a 'fort of paper'? What would it mean to build on something that lasts instead? (This is a gentle look at life's shortness, not something to fear.)
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI