Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I have only one tongue, O One, and Your good qualities are out of reach and deeper than any sea.
I know so little; how can I sing of You? You are great, out of reach, past all measuring.
O One, give me the finest wisdom, so that I may bow at the feet of the Guru, the True Guru.
O One, bring me to the Sangat, where even one who has done wrong, like me, is carried across.
Nanak says: O One, forgive me, Your servant. Be pleased, and bring me close to You.
O One, be kind and hear my prayer. I have done wrong and I am as small as a worm; carry me across!
One small tongue cannot sing all of the One's goodness, so the heart asks to be carried.
Hamree jihbaa ayk: I have only one tongue. Try to describe the whole ocean with one small cup, and you will see the feeling. I-aani-aa means one who knows very little, like a small child looking up at the stars.
Ham paapee kiram: "I have done wrong, I am a worm." These are words of honest humility before something far greater, the way you feel tiny under a night sky. The prayer asks to be brought to the Sangat, where even the one who has done wrong is carried across.
What would you ask for if you knew you would be heard even coming empty-handed?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI